Marble & Natural Stone
Maintaining Stone Floors

How Do I Maintain My Stone Floors?

The term "Marble Cleaning" is indeed a widespread misconception, which has never been rectified by most merchants who deal with natural stone, because they either forget, or neglect, or because, even they, just don’t know any better. Don’t be surprised! There are many stone dealers that haven't a clue how to properly maintain the marble they sell you. And, amazingly enough, the same thing applies to many professional contractors who install stone in people's houses.

Because of this misconception, and the consequent virtually total ignorance on how to deal with natural stone as far as maintenance is concerned, people have “unexpected” problems with their polished stones, and they automatically think that such problems – since they look “dirty” – could  be solved by just “cleaning the marble.”

Would it surprise you to know that statistics prove that the most popular set of key-words that end-users of natural stone with some sort of problem type in when searching the web through popular search engines, such as Google, Yahoo, Altavista, etc. are: “Marble cleaning” And I’m not talking by a small margin here. The next most popular set of key words is a far, far, far second!

Of course, I don’t have a problem with the average consumer's lack of understanding. After all, when I am a consumer myself I’m the stupidest of the bunch! Where I do have a problem is when I realize that the merchants and the contractors involved with natural stone are just as ignorant! I believe that consumers have the right not to know the intricacies of maintaining their marble. I’m a little reluctant to grant the same right to people of the trade! 

But, hey, maybe that's just me!...

The funny thing is (maybe it’s not so funny after all) that if people were taught by the dealers and contractors at least the very basics about real marble cleaning, then they wouldn’t have to look for the wrong “marble cleaning” later on!

 

So, do you want to learn about the real marble cleaning?

 

OK, here it goes ...Once your Natural Stone Floor or Marble is installed, it needs to be sealed with an “impregnator” type sealer. Impregnator sealers are designed to penetrate below the surface of the stone and deposit solid particles in the pores of the stone or to coat the individual minerals below the surface of the stone.  Water, oil, and soil are restricted from entering the stone. Allow at least 72 hours after installation before sealing.

 

“Why should I seal my natural stone?”

 

A protected stone or tile and grout will be easier to clean, resist staining, and provide a safer and healthier environment. Considering the investment, why wouldn't you provide the surface with the maximum protection possible?

 

“How often do I need to seal my stone?”

 

If your stone was sealed with a Professional sealer that we use and you maintain it with a Professional type daily cleaners (that we can provide) your sealer should last up to 3-5 years.  Use and ongoing maintenance greatly affect sealer durability.

 

“Is it really necessary to seal stone outdoors?”

 

Outdoors can very harsh on your stone. There are things that can affect your stone that are visible like pollen and dirt and then there are things that are not quite that easy to see like UV Rays. You make an investment to your home by putting natural stone in your yard, so it would be worth it to seal the stone and preserve its natural beauty.

 

Sealing with our sealers will give you maximum protection against rain, other chemicals, oils from trees and plants, & all of those wonderful and fun filled outside barbeques.

           

 

How You Can Maintain Your Natural Stone

 

DO: Dust mop floors…using untreated mop

 

DO: Use a clean micro-fiber pad with warm water and neutral pH detergent (Professional stone cleaner) to Damp mop

 

DO: Blot up spills immediately

 

DO NOT: Use vinegar or cleaners that contain acids

 

DO NOT: Use powder cleansers, soft cream cleaners (soft scrub)

 

DO NOT: Use mold removers (TileX, X14, etc.) or disinfectants (Lysol)

 

DO NOT: Use furniture polish (Pledge, Jubilee, and Endust)

 

Have Professional Cleaning and resealing Performed Once a Year or as needed

 

 

 

 

What you can expect with a Professional Cleaning and Restoration

of Natural Stone:

 

Cleaning– All edges and hard to reach areas are hand detailed to remove surface contaminants.  Marble and Grout are machine and hand scrubbed in conjunction with our new The new turbo technology. This technology allows us to use a truck-mounted, warm water extraction system with specialized cleaners to achieve the maximum amount of soil removal. Truckmounted warm water extraction produces an unlimited amount of rinse water that makes it possible to wisk away maximum amounts of grit and soil. This process removes the soil but still leaves the etches, scuffs and scratches

 

Grinding - Stone is mechanically resurfaced using metal/diamond abrasives and water to remove the Lippage (unlevel) that was left by the installation of the stone. This gives your floor a nice level surface.

 

Honing – Stone is mechanically resurfaced using diamond abrasives and water to achieve a uniformly honed surface sheen.  Filler material within travertine stone that looks cloudy/splotchy/dirty becomes more uniform with our finishing techniques.  If desired, polished marble, granite, travertine and limestone can be mechanically honed to remove the surface polish.

 

Polishing – Stone is mechanically finished to produce a high gloss, shine and luster.  Very light etches, scuffs and scratches may be removed with the polishing process, but diamond grinding is needed if the stone surface has medium-deep etches scuffs and scratches.

  

Impregnator – Stone/Tile and Grout are sealed with a premium impregnator (clear, natural look, breathable/non-coating allows for moisture vapor transmission) for protection.  Impregnator does not produce a gloss to marble, travertine, limestone and granite.  If a gloss is desired, the polishing process stated above is the only way to accomplish this (some limestone will not take a high gloss).

 

Enhancer - If an enhanced color is desired, stone and grout are sealed with a premium, film forming (breathable) color enhancer to protect and add color.  Rough materials such as: slate, flagstone, paver bricks, and Saltillo will not take on a natural polish/gloss.  The only way to achieve a gloss to these materials is by the application of gloss-enhancing colors.

 

 

 

Short Description of Natural Stone Types:

 

MARBLE – Known as a calcium carbonate stone, and been a metamorphic rock; Marble react to acids and give a high gloss appearance.  Is acid sensitive and scratches easily; most Marble stone have veins, swirls and bands.  For cleaning and restoration purpose, the most suitable method should be chosen according to the level of grime.  It entails of removing the dirt, erasing stains and restoring the worn protective layer.

 

 

SLATE – Is classified as a “rough” material with a low absorption. Slate can be found both an interiors and exteriors, and rarely have a high polish unless a coating is placed on it.  Slate can be a problem for it high contain of clay, especially in wet areas, and can develop efflorescence easily.  A good quality silicone impregnator sealer can protect the stone and generated more durability.  A color enhanced can be applied also in this type of floor, to create a colorful look of the stone.

 

TERRAZO – The appearance of the terrazzo is more uniform than most natural stones, is available in tiles forms or by pouring application on the slab.  Terrazzo is a mixture of Portland cement and Marble chips, these chips can range in size from a fraction of an inch to as large to several inches.  The very good side about Terrazzo is can be ground, honed and polish just like Marble and can be easily mistaking for Granite.

   

GRANITE – Granite is an extremely hard natural stone with low porosity, normally given a polish finish.  Granite is form by a volcanic action, is an acid and scratch resistant as well.  Granite paving is not usually treated; in this cases waterproofing the material is recommended, especially if is laid in places such kitchens or bathrooms.

 

TRAVERTINE – Is limestone that has been formed in hot springs.  Water movement caused the erosion of the stone creating numerous holes of varying sizes.  A polished travertine will have its holes filled with color-matched Portland cement filler.  These fillers do not take a high polish and therefore the overall polish is real blotchy.

  

FLAGSTONE – Is the term given to almost all-stone material cut in to thin, irregular shapes.  Found extensively on sidewalks, foyers entrance, pool decks, etc..., flagstone can be almost any material but is commonly the SANDSTONE type.  Flagstone should not be ground and should only be cleaned and sealed.

 

 

 

For Cleaning, Care, and Cleaning Products for Natural Stone, Call us at 407-862-9514 Today!