We all know how much of an investment a natural stone floor can be to install into our home, but it always adds this beauty and character to whatever room we are placing it in. Taking care and maintaining that investment is important. Part of that maintenance and care is making sure that you have a sealant applied.
It is always highly recommended to have this done when you have the natural stone flooring installed, but you will need to have it regularly reapplied every few years depending on foot traffic.
The sealant is added protection for your natural stone tiles against scratches and slowly down the absorption rate of any spilled liquids. This is a very easy process to do yourself if you do not wish to call out a professional to do it.
There will be times where if there is a topical coating like wax or polyurethanes, that it will need to be stripped from the tiles before you take the next steps.
First and foremost is that you need to find the correct sealant and cleanser for your tiles. Depending what kind of natural stone that you chose will depend on which sealant and cleanser you will use.
Your first step is take a soft bristled broom and begin sweeping up all dirt and debris. Then use an un-treated dust mop and run it all in one direction sweeping up all of the dust and small particles.
Now you will need to take a bucket and fill it with warm water. After consulting the label on the back of the cleanser bottle, add whichever amount to the water. Take a clean wet mop and begin mopping the tiles.
As you are doing this, allow them to remain wet so that the cleanser is able to soak and help loosen all the dirt and grime. This takes about 10 to 15 minutes, but during that time you need to make sure that the area remains wet or the dirt will just dry up again.
After the cleanser has had the chance to loosen the dirt, dump the dirty water out of the bucket and rinse it and the wet mop thoroughly. Refill the bucket again with warm water and using the wet mop, start cleaning up all the dirty water and rinsing the tiles.
It is best to make sure that all the dirty water is cleaned up, so change out the water in the bucket periodically. Also make sure that all traces of the cleanser are cleaned up so that it does not leave a film.
Allow it to air dry or use a cotton or microfiber cloth to dry the entire area. This step is important before you apply the sealer to the stone tiles.
Once you have ensured that it is dry, you will just need to take your sealant and using a lamb’s wool applicator or soft cloth apply the sealant to the stone’s surface. After that, you need to leave it to completely dry before you are able to walk on it or place any furniture back down.
Make sure that you do not allow the sealer to puddle up as this can potentially stain the stones. You will need to apply a second coat of sealer and then buff it dry using a clean microfiber or cotton cloth to make sure that you remove all the excess sealer but make sure that you do not leave any streaks behind.
When in doubt contact a professional, contact us today to schedule your appointment to polish your natural stone flooring or if you have any questions.
Floor ReNew Houston
4530 W. 34th Street Suite C
Houston, TX 77092
(713) 418-9983
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