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5 TIPS FOR RESTORING YOUR STONE FLOOR

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5 Tips for Restoring Your Stone Floor

by | Australian National Construction

Stone flooring such as slate, marble, and onyx can be added into any home to provide a quaint touch of elegance. Although many people wish to incorporate the natural beauty of stone into their houses, others are put off by its proneness to etching and cracks.

Indeed, if it isn’t properly cared for, the stone floor can degrade quickly. With the right approach and level of maintenance, however, you won’t have to worry about your flooring becoming shabby. In this ebook, we’ll be teaching you how to keep it looking brand new all-year-round.

1. Identify the Type of Stone

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Before you proceed with restoring your stone flooring back to its original appearance, it’s important that you’re first able to identify the specific type of material you’re dealing with. To do so, let’s take a look at some of the most common types of stone flooring available on the market.

Generally speaking, stone tends to fall into three distinct categories of geological classification: metamorphic, sedimentary and igneous. When it comes to cleaning your stone flooring, you’re also going to need to know whether your stone is calcareous or siliceous.

Composed mainly of the compound calcium carbonate (CACO3), the calcareous stone is notably sensitive to acidic cleaning substances. For calcareous stones such as limestone, marble, travertine, onyx and serpentine, you’re better off sticking with gentle, non-acidic soaps to avoid damaging your flooring.

Siliceous stones on the other hand, which include granite, slate, quartzite, sandstone and soapstone, can withstand acidic cleaning substances without sustaining harm. These are generally easier and more convenient to clean.

If you’re unsure about which type of stone you have, a simple acid sensitivity test can be performed to determine whether a stone is calcareous or siliceous.

2. Give Your Stone a Deep Clean

Re Grouting feature services
Sometimes, all your stone flooring and worktops need is a good clean to have them looking new again. The older your stone is, the more dirt and grime it’s likely to have collected – meaning it’ll need to be cleaned more thoroughly.

In order to clean and reseal (step 3) your stone effectively, you’ll need the following equipment:

  • Rubber gloves
  • Bucket
  • Sponge
  • Mop
  • Hard and soft brushes
  • Squeegee
  • Paint roller
  • Stone care products

When you have everything ready, proceed with the five steps below:

  • 1. Before you begin, sweep your floor or surfaces to clear away any debris.
  • 2. Dilute your stone care cleaning solution according to the manufacturer’s instructions (it’s usually around 1:5) and apply it generously to your floor using a clean sponge. If you’re unsure about which product to use, feel free to seek our advice.
  • 3. Next, using a hard brush, scrub any badly-stained tiles to remove any dirt. For less grimy tiles, a soft brush should do just fine.
  • 4. After scrubbing, leave the solution to sit for ten minutes.
  • 5. Finally, wipe away any dirty water or solution and use a clean towel to dry your stone.

Once you’ve finished cleaning your floor, a resealing process can further help to improve the longevity of your stone.

3. Applying Resealant

feature work
A few days after leaving your flooring to dry following a deep clean, it’s time to apply a sealant. Here’s how:

  • 1. Apply your choice of sealant to the stone flooring in small patches using a long-handled paint roller until the entire floor is wet. You can apply a second coat to any areas that require it.
  • 2. Let the sealant sit for 15 minutes, allowing the sealant’s impregnator to become absorbed by your grout.
  • 3. Once 15 minutes have passed, go ahead and remove the sealant from your tiles using a clean cloth and a long-handled squeegee.
  • 4. Lastly, check that the floor has an even finish and be sure to stay off your tiles until they’re completely dry.

While your sealant should only take a few hours to dry, it’ll take around three days before it’s completely cured so be sure not to put any extra pressure on it. That means don’t move any furniture across it, place down any rugs over it and ensure to clean up and spills as quickly as possible.

4. Maintain Your Stone After Cleaning and Resealing

Natural Stone Restoration Gallery
After your tiles have been adequately cleaned and resealed, maintaining them properly is crucial to keeping them looking pristine for longer.

To do that, one of the most effective habits you can make is to sweep up any spills immediately so as to avoid damage from acid or stains from forming. As well as attending to spills quickly, it’s also a good idea to wash your flooring regularly using water and an appropriate cleaner.

Additionally, be sure to conduct regular grout testing to ensure that your grout is still properly sealed.

Some other quick and easy maintenance tips include:

  • Clean away crusted food or soap scum using a soft-bristled brush by cleaning in circular motions to avoid scratching.
  • Always dry surfaces thoroughly to using a soft towel and/or blowdryer immediately to avoid spotting.
  • Steer clear of cleaning products that aren’t made specifically for your type of stone.
  • Shake out or clean doormats and rugs to prevent visitors from bringing in dirt and scratching your floor.
  • Wipe away any abrasive particles rather than dragging them to avoid scratching.

5. Contact Us For Stone Restoration Services

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Renowned as Sydney’s go-to restoration specialists for natural stone, Rejuvenation Solutions’ expert team can clean, seal, restore, polish, protect and maintain a range of stones including limestone, marble, sandstone, granite and more.

Armed with the knowledge and expertise needed to provide services for both outdoor and indoor services, we guarantee that we’ll be able to restore your stone flooring to its original appearance in no time.

If you need full stone restoration conducting in or out of your home, let us know and we’ll be happy to help. Additionally, if you need advice on how to restore your stone flooring to its natural beauty yourself, get in touch and we’ll endeavour to answer any of your questions.

Call us today at 02 9216 9002, or request for a free quote here.

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The Ultimate Guide to Tile and Stone Maintenance
The Ultimate Guide to Tile and Stone Maintenance
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