Chicago Tribune, Rule no. 1 from the School of Entrepreneurship: Before you can market a service or product successfully, you must find an unfilled niche. Or, in Rick Arons’ case, be willing to grow it from an idea into a business after it lands in your lap. “Most of the stone fabricators don’t have service arms. Homeowners could get the products and do it themselves but usually don’t have the expertise.” Arons learned the trade by attending manufacturers’ training seminars and trying the products himself. “I filled my garage with stone samples, spilled all kinds of things on them and learned how to get the stains out,” he says. Arons extends his services to a 50-mile radius of Chicago. Arons’ work is split between preventive maintenance and calls of distress from homeowners with stained stone. In addition to natural stones including marble, granite, limestone and slate, Arons also services grout between tiles and exterior brick and slate walks. Most stains can be prevented, says Arons, by sealing the stone after it is installed. But, homeowners should not take it for granted that their builders or stone fabricators have sealed their stone surfaces. “You think this stone has been on a mountain for thousands of years, so it’s indestructible. But it’s not,” says Arons. “Even though it has been polished and feels smooth, it is porous and will absorb stains.” Arons uses a solvent-based penetrating sealer, which he says lasts longer than the water-based variety. Depending on the type of stone and if it has been sealed already, he applies one or two coats of sealer. He linkens the odor to that of oil-based paint – strong but short-lived and remedied by ventilation. Although some sealers say on their labels they last 20 years, Arons recommends annual applications. Over time, he explains, the stone’s pores open again. Ideally, the homeowner hires Arons to seal the stone before the family moves in. If not, Arons asks the family to avoid the sealed surface for 24 hours while it cures. That’s easy to do if it is a bathroom that can be blocked off, he adds, but trickier when it is a floor in the main living area. Many of Arons’ calls, though, are from homeowners who have unsealed stone surfaces with stains. For these, he removes the stains, then recommends sealing the stone before additional stains occur. Arons uses different stain-removal chemicals for different types of stains. “This isn’t rocket science, but you do have to use the right product,” says Arons. Using the wrong product, he says, can be counterproductive. Sometimes Arons can use a powdered poultice to lift a stain out of the stone. He mixes the powder with water, applies it to the stain, lets it sit for 24 to 48 hours, then wipes it away. “This can work for oil on a granite, for example, but only if you do it soon after a stain occurs,” says Arons. Some stains cannot be removed, especially if they have been there for awhile. Then, sanding down the stone or replacing it may be the only solution. In addition to rust, food, oil and ink, typical stainmakers include toiletries and common household cleaners. “Most homeowners don’t realize this about cleaners, especially, and many stone fabricators don’t either,” says Arons. One of his clients tried to clean the grout in her limestone floor with vinegar at the installer’s suggestion. It stained the stone so badly, says Arons, the installer had to replace the whole floor. In addition to homeowners, Arons’ clients include builders who hire him to seal stone before closings and fabricators without services departments. Realtors generate referrals, recommending that home sellers remove stains from their stone surfaces before putting their homes on the market. Arons charges by the square foot, but the price varies according to the stone’s condition and age. “For a standard, stone countertop, we can give an estimate over the phone,” he tells clients. “But, otherwise, we have to see it. That’s the biggest cost of the business – all the miles I put on my car giving estimates.” Every service call includes Stone Maintenance 101. Arons tells homeowners how to care for the stone and recommends products best suited for their surfaces. “You don’t want to have to treat it like a jewel,” he tells homeowners. “But you do have to take are of it. Especially where there is a seam, such as a countertop meeting a backsplash, substances can eat away at the stone if not wiped away.” A former management consultant, this is not Arons’ first successful enterprise. He launched a company that made speech synthesizers. He also authored a book called “Euromarketing: A Strategic Planner for Selling into the New Europe.” Touring his clients’ stone-filled homes, he ponders the growing number of choices and adds them to his own to-do list. His favorite: the dark granites. His least favorite: the very porous marbles. Either way, his stone will, of course, be sealed.
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