Worn hallsMarble grinding
To bring a floor scratched and hollowed by decades of footfall back to a flat surface.
Property managers · PPE · Geneva
Common-area marble for property managers and PPEs in Geneva
Halls, stairwells and landings restored in occupied buildings, with a clear quote for the PPE general meeting and the managing agent.
Property managers and PPE
Marble in the common areas: an asset your managing agent can enhance
In a Geneva apartment building, the entrance hall is the first thing residents, their guests and prospective buyers of a unit see. Along the boulevards of the Fazy ring, in Champel, Eaux-Vives or on the right bank, that hall is very often finished in marble: chequerboard flooring, moulded skirtings, stair treads and landings, sometimes wall cladding or a concierge desk. These surfaces age with daily footfall, pushchairs, deliveries and Geneva winters.
Les Traitements du Sud · Geneva works alongside property management agencies (régies) and condominium associations (PPE, propriété par étages) to restore and maintain the marble in their common areas. We understand the constraints of this kind of contract: a building that stays occupied throughout the works, a decision taken at the owners’ general meeting, a budget voted in advance, and a technical manager who needs a reliable contact and a clear document.
Our job is to make every stage easier for you. We visit the building, identify the stone, assess the condition of the floors and staircases, then draw up a free quote in Swiss francs, item by item, that you can present as it stands to the general meeting. Once the works are approved, we organise the job with the managing agent and the concierge so that daily life in the building carries on as normal.
The result is visible from the doorstep: re-polished marble, clean joints, repaired stair nosings and a protected surface that is easier to clean. For the PPE, it is a shared asset enhanced; for the managing agent, a file handled properly from quote to handover.
7marble specialisms on hand
5stages, from site visit to handover
17districts and municipalities served
2working languages: French and English
Halls, staircases, landings
The common-area surfaces we work on
The entrance hall takes the most wear: this is where grit and de-icing salt carried in from the street scratch the polish and dull the stone. Depending on its condition, we carry out marble grinding to remove deep scratches and lipped joints, followed by polishing to the chosen level of shine.
Stairwells call for particular care. Chipped nosings, stained risers and landings worn hollow in the centre are dealt with through colour-matched repair and a matching re-polish. Skirtings, stone handrails and lift thresholds receive the same treatment for a consistent finish throughout.
For details specific to these spaces, see also our pages on marble lobby restoration and marble staircase restoration.
How it works
A file designed for the PPE general meeting and the technical manager
Each stage gives the managing agent something tangible: a survey, a quote, a schedule, a handover.
- 1
Building visit
We come on site with the property manager or the concierge, identify the type of marble, measure the surfaces and note the damaged areas: scratches, stains, chips, sunken joints.
- 2
Detailed quote for the meeting
A free quote in Swiss francs, broken down by area (hall, each landing, each flight of stairs), with the proposed finish. Owners vote with full knowledge and can phase the works.
- 3
Schedule and resident notice
Once the works are approved, we set the dates with the managing agent and provide the wording for a notice to display in the hall, stating the areas concerned and the working hours.
- 4
Works in an occupied building
We work half a hall or one landing at a time, always keeping a route open, using equipment with built-in extraction and wet methods to keep dust out of the upper floors.
- 5
Protection and handover
We apply a protective sealer, carry out a handover inspection with the managing agent and leave care instructions for the concierge or cleaning company.
- 6
Long-term follow-up
If the PPE wishes, a maintenance contract then takes over, with scheduled visits to preserve the finish achieved.
Occupied buildings
Works that respect daily life in the building
A hall never closes. Residents must be able to come and go, take in a delivery or receive a doctor at any time. So we divide the floor into sections and always leave a dry, clearly marked route to the lift and the stairs.
Our grinding and polishing machines work wet, with immediate slurry recovery; there is no cloud of dust and no solvent smell in the stairwell. Freshly treated areas are protected and signposted for as long as needed, usually a few hours.
Working hours follow the rhythm of the building: we start once children have left for school, pause at the busiest times and finish before residents return in the evening. The concierge is kept informed of progress every day.
What the managing agent gains
Three reasons to entrust the marble to a specialist
The marble in a hall often accounts for a large part of a building’s perceived value. Entrusting it to a specialist craftsman means preserving a material that cannot be replaced like for like.
01
A clear quote
The document separates areas, techniques and the chosen finish. The manager can attach it to the meeting notice without rewriting it, and the PPE can decide to treat the hall first, then the upper floors in a later financial year.
02
The original stone preserved
Restoring old marble costs a fraction of replacing it and keeps the period flooring, its tones and its patterns. It is also a valued selling point when a unit in a building of character comes onto the market.
03
Easier upkeep
A re-polished, sealed surface holds less dirt. The cleaning company works faster, using the neutral products we recommend, and the building keeps a well-kept appearance all year round.
Geneva winters and entrance halls
From November to March, Geneva’s pavements are regularly treated with salt and grit. Carried in on shoe soles, this mixture acts as an abrasive on the hall’s polish and leaves whitish marks. A generous entrance mat, more frequent washing with clean water and a spring maintenance visit are enough to erase these seasonal marks before they set in.
Geneva’s fairly hard water also leaves a haze on stairs washed with plenty of water. We give the concierge the right dilutions and suitable products to avoid these deposits between visits.
Maintenance contracts
A visit schedule tailored to each building
For PPEs and managing agents looking after several buildings, a maintenance contract is the simplest way to keep marble immaculate. Together we set a frequency based on footfall: one visit a year for a small residential building, two or more for a very busy hall or a mixed-use building with shops.
Each visit includes a deep clean, buffing or crystallisation of the walkways, spot stain removal and a check of the protective sealer. The managing agent receives a report after every visit.
- Free quote in Swiss francs, broken down by area for the general meeting
- Works in occupied buildings, with access always maintained
- Wet methods with extraction, no dust on the upper floors
- Resident notice supplied to the managing agent before works begin
- Care instructions handed to the concierge at handover
- Optional maintenance contract with a report after each visit
Related services
The specialisms managing agents ask for most
Three services feature in most common-area projects.
Worn halls
StaircasesMarble repair
Nosings, chips and cracks rebuilt in the body of the stone, matched to its colour.
ContractsMarble maintenance
Scheduled visits to keep the finish achieved, season after season.
FAQ
Property managers and PPEs: your questions about common-area marble
Can you provide a quote suitable for the owners’ general meeting?
Yes. After the visit, we draw up a free quote in Swiss francs, broken down by area: hall, landings, flights of stairs and, where relevant, basement or pushchair room. Each item states the technique and the finish. The manager can attach it to the meeting notice, and owners can approve the whole job or a first phase, with the rest scheduled for a later financial year.
Can residents keep using the hall during the works?
Yes, always. We work in sections and permanently leave a dry, signposted route to the lift, the stairs and the letterboxes. Freshly treated areas are cordoned off for a few hours. A notice prepared for the managing agent tells residents the dates, hours and areas concerned, so nobody is caught by surprise.
How long does it take to restore a hall and a stairwell?
It depends on the floor area, the number of storeys and the condition of the stone. A residential entrance hall is usually completed in a few days; a full stairwell takes longer depending on the number of landings. The exact schedule appears on the quote so that the managing agent can announce it to residents and the concierge.
Will the works create dust on the upper floors?
Grinding and polishing are done wet, with machines that extract the slurry as they go. So no dust rises up the stairwell. Apartment doors and lifts are protected, and we clean each area before handing it back to residents at the end of the day.
Do you offer maintenance contracts covering several buildings for one agency?
Yes. We can group several buildings in a single contract, each with its own schedule based on footfall. Every visit is followed by a report sent to the property manager. This arrangement simplifies management for the agency and ensures a consistent standard of presentation across its whole Geneva portfolio.
What should be done between visits to protect the hall’s marble?
A large entrance mat to catch salt and grit, washing with clean water and a neutral soap of suitable pH, and no acidic or descaling products on the stone. At handover, we give the concierge or cleaning company a simple care sheet tailored to the building’s marble.
Service areas
Buildings in Geneva and neighbouring municipalities
We work for managing agents and PPEs throughout the city and in the municipalities listed below. To arrange a visit, use our contact page.
Geneva
Geneva communes
Terre Sainte & Nyon
A marble hall or staircase to restore?
Tell us about the building and the surfaces concerned: we will arrange a visit and send you a free quote in Swiss francs, ready for the PPE general meeting.