Stone floor cleaning – Protect your investment

Stone floors come in a variety of colours and fine grain finishes, as well as textures and even shapes – and in general add a wonderful touch of class to any ambience be it commercial or domestic.  People often look at the long term value of items when deciding to buy and the same could be said of a stone floor – which, when professionally installed, does not come cheap.  The reason many people pump for a floor such as this is due to its durability and longevity – when properly looked after and maintained – it should last for years.

As stone is not a cheap option – it is somewhat fascinating that so many people fail to carry out routine cleaning and maintenance tasks to help protect the floor, and this can result in a floor which gets marked or stains, dulls or develops an uneven and ultimately unsatisfactory appearance.  People can follow a series of simple steps to make sure they can protect their investment – and it all begins with the installation.

Natural stone slabs or tiles can be notoriously difficult to install correctly so it is highly recommended that you have it professionally done.  This also applies to having the tile grout applied as this can affect the porosity of the floor and how easily it can stain from a simple spillage.  Once the floor has been installed it is important to apply a good quality sealer.  This is fundamental for the tile grout and should be done for the surface of the stone as well.  For the grout there are a number of transparent or colour grout sealants, and you should choose the tile sealant carefully as different sealants can have different results – reducing or increasing slip resistance on the tile surface for example.  If you are unsure as to which type of sealant is appropriate a professional stone floor cleaning company will be able to recommend one for you.

These are simply the first steps to protecting your floor, but the application of the sealant does not spell protection for your floor.  One of the keys to protecting your floor comes from the removal of sand, dirt and grit on the floor surface – which is generally walked in on the soles of shoes.  Placing doormats at entrances and regular sweeping and vacuuming should remove the majority of this dirt, which can cause surface scratching and abrasions, and remove any sealant which may have been applied.

Other risks are posed by heavy objects and general traffic.  As long as you sweep and mop the floor regularly, traffic should not be a problem, but make sure to lift and not drag heavy objects, furniture and chair.  If possible place padded tips on chair legs and corners of sharp objects.  If you find that despite regular maintenance there is a dulling or uneven appearance, it may well be that daily cleaning efforts have become ineffective – and you may need to contact a stone floor cleaning specialist to help you.