Product Review – Continental DIA Products Inc Wet Polishing Pads

In the restoration world the typically starting point for marble restoration is 50 grit diamonds. Common issues when working on countertops include etching and scratching. The biggest problem is that marble is acid sensitive and everything we use in our bathrooms, the most common place I see marble vanities, from toothpaste to hair gel has components that can be damaging to marble.
Typically we don’t get a call until the homeowner is so fed up with the state of the countertop that they can’t stand it anymore. In these situations we most commonly begin with 50 grit Terminator bond diamonds. Often these diamonds are red to indicate the grit. We would then proceed to 400, often yellow to indicate the grit level, and then onto at least 800 if not higher depending on the stone before progressing to the final polish.
The Continental DIA Wet Polishing pads are unique in that they have a white or light grey resin. The benefit is that on light stones there is not risk of resin bleeding make the job more difficult by alter the color of the stone. What I liked most about these pads, though, is how aggressive they are.
The 50grit resin pad is aggressive enough to get rid of all etching and scratching in marble countertops. It’s remarkable. From time to time I will start a countertop restoration but there is always a few etches and scratches that the 400 just can’t get to. That is not a problem with these diamonds.
To see the difference in finishes between the 400 and 800 grit diamonds. As per usual you can’t see a big difference in the finish. What I can tell you is that you can feel the difference. After 400 grit the surface didn’t feel as smooth as usual after a 400grit pad. The 800grit gave it great finish setting the surface up for a great polish.
I used Diamond Renew to polish this stone. Another product we just started carrying. One way I judge a diamond is by how long it takes me to polish the stone after I am done with it. Poor diamonds will leave a poor finish, even if you can’t see the difference, and a poor finish will make it more difficult to polish. After the 800grit pad this stone polished incredibly quickly. Part of that is the powder but from experience the quality of the diamond has a lot more to do with the quality of the polish that many people give it credit. Another thing that is great about this diamond is it’s valued. It is a premium diamond with a below premium price of $13.00 per pad.
Though I have not tried it personally yet these diamonds, because of the light color resin and aggressive nature of the diamond, would be great for wet polishing granite and engineered stone.