Most stone problems give you warning. Catching them early is the difference between a routine polish and a five-figure repair. Here is the checklist.
1. Dull spots or hazy rings
These are almost always etching. They look like water spots that won't wipe away. They will not improve on their own — and acidic cleaners make them worse. Treatment is professional honing or polishing.
2. Scratches that catch a fingernail
Fine surface scratches can sometimes buff out. Anything you can feel with a fingernail is past that — it needs diamond honing to remove.
3. Persistent stains
If a stain hasn't lifted with a basic poultice in two attempts, it's into the stone deep enough that a specialized poultice and proper extraction process is the only effective option.
4. Cracked, missing, or crumbling grout
Water gets through. Substrate damage starts. Address grout the moment cracks appear, not when tiles start sounding hollow.
5. Uneven floor — lippage
One tile slightly higher than the next. A trip hazard and a sign of substrate movement. Professional lippage correction grinds the high edge level without removing the tile.
6. Mold or mildew in grout
Surface mildew can be cleaned. Black or green staining that returns after cleaning means the spores are inside the grout — color sealing or regrouting is the durable fix.
7. Water damage or efflorescence
White powdery deposits on surfaces or joints mean water is moving through the stone or substrate. Source matters. Pro inspection identifies the moisture path before sealing makes it worse.
8. Loose or hollow-sounding tiles
Tap the floor. A hollow sound means the tile has lost adhesion. Left alone, it cracks. Caught early, it can be re-bonded.
If you can see any of these, schedule a free assessment. Early intervention is the cheapest stone investment you will ever make.