Honed and Leathered Finish Natural Stone

CAN WE HONE AND LEATHER PRE-EXISTING SURFACES?

We can produce a honed or leathered finish on almost any type of natural stone surface. We can produce these finishes prior to fabrication of a countertop or installation of a tile. We can also produce these finishes on countertops or tiles that have already been installed. If you moved into a home or are remodeling your business and don’t like the look of the natural stone countertops or tile, we can produce a new look without having to go through the process of replacing the material.

HONED FINISH

A honed finish is produced by using different grit levels of diamond discs and/or honing abrasives to break through the polish on the surface and produce a matte or low sheen finish. There are varying levels of a honed finish we can produce, which are usually between a matte and medium sheen finish. Honed finishes are produced to change the look of a stone, but the honed finish also helps hide imper­fections in the stone or helps wear to blend in on softer surfaces like marble.

In addition to the finish being dulled down, honing dulls the color as well. Some of the vibrancy can be brought back with a color enhanc­ing sealer or the surface can be left with the dulled down color. This decision is often times dependant on the variety of natural stone (some stones looks better one way or the other).

Once a surface is in a honed finish, it is more porous than when it has a polished finish. It is crucial honed materials receive an impregnating sealer to protect from the stone from staining.

LEATHERED FINISH

A leathered finish is produced by using varying grit levels of diamond brushes. These brushes come in contact with the surface at varying levels, producing a textured finish. Once the texturizing is completed, finer abrasives are used to soften the newly textured stone. The natural stone is sealed with an impregnating sealer (clear or color-enhancing), once this process is completed. Almost
any natural stone can be leathered, prior to fabrication or after the material (countertop of tile) has been installed.