Maintenance Tips

Regular Maintenance

:: Immediately wipe up spills and messes. Use pH neutral cleaners and soapless detergents for daily cleaning.

:: Rinse the stone and grout thoroughly to remove any remaining cleaner.

:: Agitate grout joints with a soft bristled brush to loosen debris.

:: Thoroughly rinse, dry, and polish cleaned areas.

:: Acidic cleaners will etch and remove the polished surfaces from calcium based stones such as marble, travertine, and limestone. Make sure you read carefully the label of the cleaner. Sometimes acid ingredients are hidden behind the world “natural”.

:: Acidic cleaners will eventually erode the grout in the joints making cleaning and maintenance more problematic. This is especially true if using acid cleaners on sanded grout installations.

:: Colored grout pigment can be permanently damaged by using acidic cleaners. This is especially true if acidic cleaners are used on a daily basis.

Sealing

:: Stone can be very porous and may be susceptible to staining, making the sealing process extremely important.

:: Sealers do not make stone water or stainproof, but instead increase its reaction time to contaminants, allowing you to clean up before the stone’s surface is penetrated.

:: Sealing stone before and after grouting is advisable since fine grout colour particles can stain stones.

Penetrating Sealer

:: Usually has no surface sheen.

:: Maintains natural colour of stone.

Enhancing Sealer

:: Type of penetrating sealer.

:: Darkens and enriches the natural colours of the stone, often significantly changing its appearance.

:: Most enhancers must be buffed off the surface after application to prevent excess sealer from clotting and tracking (enhancers cannot be removed and should be used with caution).

Topical Sealer

:: Adds a semi or high gloss finish, enhancing the natural colours of the stone.

:: Creates a surface coating to help repel oil and water.

:: Becomes the “traffic” layer and is subject to wear, therefore requiring regular maintenance.