After investing in natural stone materials, you will want to employ proper sealing procedures, cleaning products, and care to maintain their beauty and durability.

PROTECTING YOUR STONE

It is a common misconception that stone is “stain proof”. However, water, oils and other liquids can easily penetrate porous natural stones, leaving unwanted stains. Using a good quality sealer will protect your stone from most spills and help maintain its natural look and luster.

 

Sealing your stone for a natural look:

If you are trying to retain the natural look of your stone products, we recommend you employ protective sealers for your interior and exterior materials. There are a great variety of sealers available, many of which can be found at your local home improvement store.

 

Sealing your stone with color enhancement:

If you want to transform the surface of your stone for color enhancement, especially unpolished natural stone materials such as tumbled, we recommend using good quality polish, rich color enhancers, or high gloss lacquer. These products will deepen the color of your stone, and protect it from stains and weathering.

 

It is especially important to use a protective sealer in high-traffic and food areas. This will reduce maintenance to a minimum and provide maximum protection against stains and slips.

 

Grout care:

Some grouts require a sealer, while others do not. To ensure that your grout will be appropriately protected, consult your installers and contractors on the type of grout being used on your property. 

 

 CARE & MAINTENANCE

 

Routine Care:

To minimize the scratches and wear patterns that can develop on natural stone, we recommend you sweep or dust surfaces regularly. Additionally, we recommend cleaning your natural stone with warm water and a sponge, mop, or non-abrasive cloth. To remove soils that usual dusting and mopping leave behind, you can use gentle, neutral cleaning agents especially made for natural stone and tile care.

 

Scratches:

To remove light scratches, tiles can be hand-sanded using pre-wetted, appropriate grit sanding paper in a circular motion. Once the scratch has been removed, clean the surface of the tile, let it dry, and re-seal it with the appropriate high-quality sealer.

 

Deep scratches or gouges can be filled with a high quality, color-matching cementitious grout. Both sanded and unsanded grouts can be found at your local home improvement stores. When the scratch or gouge has been filled, be sure to clean and dry the surface for re-sealing.

 

Cleansers and Cleaning Agents to AVOID:

 

·          Don’t use general purpose cleaners

·          Don’t use products that contain lemon, vinegar, or other acids

·          Don’t use scouring powders or creams

·          Don’t use abrasive cloths or cleaning agents

·          Don’t use ammonia or bleach

·          Don’t use alkaline cleaners not specifically formulated for natural stone