Decision Making

Decision Making:

“The Ability to Choose & Decide About Things in a Clear & Definite Way…Among Several Alternatives”

“Look For Your Choice…Pick the Best One…Then Go With It” – Pat Riley: Basketball Player & Coach

Truly it pays and saves you money to utilize a knowledgeable company such as San Diego Stone Care. You are investing in more than just the time of the person servicing your floor and the cost of the equipment they are using. You are investing in a company who’s Knowledge, Experience, and Training that offers the most  thoroughly performed services possible at a valued cost to protect your investment.

 The Basics:

  • If possible, Get a Referral from someone you know for similar work or from local Stone & Tile Stores & Designers
  • Check with the Better Business Bureau in your local area.
  • Check Licenses and Insurance with state contracting licensing boards. A contractors license is proof , in most cases, that the company has the necessary years of experience to meet state requirements. This also gives you an avenue of resolution if you are dissatisfied with services performed. A $15.00 – $25.00 business license simply lets the city know you’re operating  a business…no experience necessary.
  • Hiring an Unlicensed Contractor leaves you with no Legal Recourse should you be unhappy with their performance.
  • Ask for a copy of Workman Compensation Certificate – you are unprotected & open to lawsuits
  • Ask for a copy of  Liability Insurance Certificate – you are unprotected & open to lawsuits.
  • Ask for References – Check their websites – Testimonials
  • Request a Detailed Written Estimate so you can compare “apples to apples” – If possible get at least three estimates.
  • Hire a Contractor who shows up on time and seems Professional and Knowledgeable – in stone, Tile & grout!
  • Sign a Written Contract. The contract should clearly spell out all services to be performed, the products that will be used, and a payment schedule.
  • Ask about their Warranty.

Please be extremely careful with using a company who not too long ago was simply cleaning carpets, albeit, cleaning them very well. Yet now after attending a 1-5 day seminar are calling themselves “Certified & Qualified Stone Technicians”. Most are are very limited in their experience and knowledge of natural stone, tile & grout, as well as limited in the services they can provide…IE cleaning and sealing floors only. Furthermore, many have set up impressive looking websites, and  yet, sub out most, if not all, their stone & tile care services. (See details below)

Questions to Ask & Research

 What’s behind the service company you found on the Internet?

Is the company that you found a “real company” of just someone who took out a domain name and then subs the work out to whoever? Not only do they not do the work themselves they most likely have no idea about how to care for Travertine, Marble, Granite, Slate, Limestone or Tile…and they may not even be a local company.

San Diego Stone Care is a company founded & run in San Diego with all services being completed by our Industry Trained Technicians. ( We get regular request to perform services for these companies.)

And how about some of these websites? They are impressive, however do not be taken in by fancy website designs…are their services as impressive as their website? Many claim to be a Stone Care Company, but in actuality are “Carpet Care Companies”…taking 2- 5 day stone care classes on “cleaning & sealing only”…and then calling themselves “Certified Stone Care Technicians”. Even some of their stone testimonials…sometimes claiming 30 years of experience, are not for stone & tile care but are… actually for carpet services.

San Diego Stone Care Specializes in Stone, Tile & Grout care only…we have over 24 years of experience in all aspects of the industry…while investing countless hours of  training & re-training our true “Certified Stone Care Technicians”.  We are also members of the Marble Institute of America and we attend & participate as  instructors at the industry trade shows, in addition to offering training to other care companies. And we like to think our websites are not that bad either.

What really is involved with being a “Certified Stone, Tile & Masonry Technician” from the ICRC (Institute of Cleaning & Restoration Certification)? First, do not get me wrong we all had to get started at one time and not only am I an advocate for education but I am often requested to give educational classes from the stone, tile & grout industry…as well as those looking to get into this service business. In addition, I applaud the ICRC for offering “basic information” to see if the stone & tile restoration business is for them. However, to say one is a “Certified Technician” after attending a 1- 5 day class is not the same as having years of experiencing working on & getting familiar with all types of stones.

Years ago, I was encouraged to offer carpet cleaning as part of our services. “You know, cleaning carpet cleaning stone, its all the same right?” So I attended a week long “certification class” and I am now a “Certified Carpet Care Technician”. But trust me I could build a great website, go through the motions, charge you the same money as any other carpet cleaner..but you would in no way  want me cleaning your carpets & high end rugs…I ONLY HAVE ONE WEEKS EDUCATION AND TWO WEEKS OF EXPERIENCE! (So no we do not clean carpets…because we are Stone Care Specialists)

 Does the company your looking to use, work only on floors? Do they only clean & seal?

Many carpet and janitorial care companies are entering the Stone, Tile and Grout “cleaning” business, NOT “Care and Maintenance Services”. A select few are working to gain more knowledge and experience to expand their services. However, many are entering with the enticement of “more money per square foot” for only cleaning Stone, Tile, and Grout than they can currently get for cleaning carpet. In addition, most will only work on your floors, excluding other surfaces.

San Diego Stone Care is a  full service “Stone Care & Maintenance Company” who performs services for floors, counters, showers, fireplaces, indoors & out. We clean, remove scratches, etch marks, re-hone or re-polish, fill holes (travertine) and professionally seal all your stone & tile surfaces. Usually more economically than other companies charge to simply “clean & seal” only floors. Actually for the same price some of these companies charge to only “clean & seal” $2.00 per square foot. In most cases San Diego Stone Care, for the same price will: clean, fill holes, remove scratches & etch marks, re-polish & seal travertine & marble floors. 

How knowledgeable is the company you are considering with all the different travertines, limestone’s, granites, slates, tiles, & grout and does it matter?

It certainly matters as care for all these different stone materials is in no way the same as cleaning carpet. At San Diego Stone Care we thoroughly understand & continue to educate ourselves with the materials we work on. This is extremely important, for if a material is improperly identified or a method improperly done, it is possible to permanently damage your investment.