|
|
|
|
|
No other floor covering can surpass the beauty of stone flooring whether it is made from marble, granite, limestone,
slate or the manufactured terrazzo. They all have a natural beauty that exudes richness. The alternatives, such as carpets,
linoleum, laminates, wood and ceramic tiles are often cheaper and most people know how to care for them and maintain them.
However, they eventually wear out or otherwise become damaged and have to be replaced. Natural stone flooring should last
for several lifetimes if properly cared for and maintained and provides a luxurious and elegant feeling.
However few people know how to care for their natural stone surfaces in order to get the best out of them.
The stone seller will give advice and the builder or fixer who lays your flooring will quite often know very little
about the product. Some natural stone wholesalers undertake installation themselves and should instil confidence in
customers with their superior product knowledge.
|
|
Never use a chemical product to produce a shine on the stone. If you want to cover your stone with polish then
you are better off getting a man made product. Stone produces its own shine by being ground down until it is
perfectly flat. Once the crystals in the stone are flat they reflect the maximum amount of light uniformly thus
producing the high gloss finish often associated with marble and granites. It is not an artificially applied polish
that can periodically be buffed to restore the shine.
Frequent traffic and the build-up of dirt leads to further deterioration. This disturbs the flat surface of the stone and light
reflection ceases to be uniform so the shine gradually disappears. The only way to restore the shine is th have the stone reground flat.
This is a straightforward but time consuming process.
By following a good care and maintenance programme this deterioration can be delayed for many years. Dust mopping
the floor regularly rather than vacuuming it. How regular this is done depends on the number of people going over
the floor. In high usage entrances to buildings it should be done two or three times a day. In a domestic lounge
once per week may be sufficient. It should also be wet mopped every so often using a neutral soap solution, stone soap
being the best. Never use detergents or other chemical cleaners on the stone. The stone soap will help to maintain and
enhance the natural colours of the stone. Every two or three years, again depending upon usage, have the stones repolished.
If this is done as the shine just begins to fade then regrinding becomes unnecessary. The repolishing can be done quite
quickly and relatively cheaply.
|
For customised advice to suit your situation, please feel free to contact us.
|
|
|
