Natural stone products contain dirt, residues, dust and grime in their pores. These pores need to be cleaned well before any sealant is applied to the surface of the stone. If dirt etc is trapped under the stone sealer sooner or later it will cause a milky white residue between the top of the stone and the underside of the sealer. The only way to remove this is to remove the stone sealer and clean.

 

The stone should be hoovered as well as possible and wherever possible a proprietary residue remover should be used to clean the surface of the natural stone. The cleaners can usually be diluted for cleaning different stone surfaces and you usually need a stronger dilution to clean unpolished marble, granite and terracotta than for polished and honed stone as well as limestone, sandstone and slate. After the dirt has been removed the stone can be sealed.

 

All natural stone products will stain almost immediately after spilling anything on them. Sealing a stone surface will be effective against permanent damage but spills should still be cleaned up as quickly as possible. There are different sealing methods for different natural stone surfaces.

 

Sandstone, Terracotta and Limestone must be sealed before the tiles are laid and grouted. All are very porous and will soak up stained water from the adhesive, grout etc very quickly. Terracotta in particular is immensely porous and should be sealed front, back and sides before laying. Limestone is also particularly vulnerable and gloves should be worn when handling it as finger marks can stain the surface and will not necessarily show until its too late.

 

Granite, Marble, Slate and Travertine are sealed on all edges and the top after being laid and grouted. These floors must be thoroughly cleaned prior to sealing.

 

Sealing stone, when done properly, should not need repeating for at least 5 years and to reseal a natural stone floor special stone seal removers can be bought.

 

A natural stone floor can keep its natural finish for a lifetime if looked after properly, make sure you have the right products for your natural stone floor.