• Stone floor cleaning

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  • After

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Stone floor cleaning, sealing and restoration

We specialise in treatments for all types of natural stone floor, so that you can enjoy this stunning, long lasting natural material.

Natural stone floors

We work with a large variety of different types of natural stone that has been put to use in a wide range of domestic and commercial environments. The advantages and challenges of each variety of stone are highly varied, but our experience, equipment and dedication ensures that we always find the best possible result for you. We believe all natural stone flooring is worth protecting and we aim to deliver you the best value from your investment.

Common issues

All types of stone present their own individual challenges, so the best solution for your floor will depend on your unique situation. General wear from daily use tends to leave behind a variety of marks which get worse over time. Most commonly we see dust, dirt and grit that has left scratches after being walked into the floor. Regular, careful vacuum cleaning and dusting helps counteract this, but it’s practically impossible to prevent it entirely. Highly polished floors tend to visibly deteriorate most quickly, since any loss in shine tends to be quite obvious.

When dealing with softer, more porous type of rock, or in cases where the sealant has completely worn down, we often deal with damage from water, fruit juices and other liquids. Acidity in common food and drinks can create lasting stains on certain types of stone and the use of incorrect cleaning products and solutions can actually make this damage more serious.

The majority of stone floors use some sort of grouting to secure the individual pieces. Grout is softer than stone so is often particularly vulnerable to wear. Being slightly recessed, grouting can trap dust and dirt, often resulting in its porous surface becoming stained and discoloured.

How we maintain natural stone floors

The exact process we use will always vary depending to the type of stone, the condition of the flooring and the finish that you would like us to achieve. Here is an example of our workflow:

  1. Tile and Stone Medic Manchester will examine the floor type that you have in order to decide the appropriate solutions to be used.
  2. The solution is applied and left to dwell for a brief period of time.
  3. The cleaning solutions are then worked into the surface of the floor using our professional-grade rotary cleaners.
  4. Once the solutions have fully dwelled, the floor is then washed using powerful fresh water extractor systems. This ensures removal of all old sealers, dirt and other contaminants from the surface of the stone.
  5. The surface is then washed several times to neutralise the floor and free it from any soiling.
  6. Once the floor is dry, our specialist sealers are applied. The sealers range from impregnating sealers which will not alter the look of the stone, to matt, satin or high sheen, glossy finishes.

Tile and Stone Medic Manchester are happy to advise you on the most appropriate sealer to use for maximum improvement to your tile or stone floor. Advice on cost effective maintenance and best practice to enhance and maximise the life of your stone floor is also available.

FAQs

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How do you seal a floor?

The process we carry out will depend on your specific floor and the use that it gets. There will be variations for different materials and the finish that you wish to achieve. The process will also be impacted by the full scale of work that we carry out, for example which types of cleaning and restoration are being performed. It is not unusual to apply several layers of sealant if this is necessary and appropriate.

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How often should I have my floor sealed?

Firstly, a floor should always be sealed when it is first laid. Get in touch with us straight away if this hasn’t been carried out already. It will also need periodic sealing in order to protect the floor on an ongoing basis. How often sealing is required depends on a number of factors such as the specific material used for your flooring and the kind of use it has to survive. For example, a bathroom with natural tiles that is frequently exposed to water may require sealing more often than porcelain tiles in a kitchen. Frequent maintenance, such as sweeping and hoovering up the dust and grit that erodes floors when trodden on can help. Once the sealant is worn away, not only will scratches be more likely, the risk of staining or permanent damage from liquids is drastically increased as there is no protective layer to prevent absorption. If in doubt get in touch with our team of friendly technicians who can discuss your needs.

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What type of sealant do you use?

We have a range of high quality Faber products which will help protect your floors from damage. As every type of floor is different and has myriad uses, we will consult with you to work out the best way to protect your investment. We can apply topical sealants which form a protective layer on top of the floor, or if needed an impregnating sealant, which will be partially absorbed into the stone or tiles. There are many variations of these sealants and as each floor type has unique characteristics and vulnerabilities we can work with you to find and apply the the best kind of protection.

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I have just had a new floor laid. Does it need sealing?

Absolutely. If this was not carried out by those who fitted the floor get in touch immediately to ensure that the appropriate protection can be applied as promptly as possible. We would recommend that this is carried out once the flooring is in place as this means the grout, which is generally more porous, will also be protected.

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Why do you seal a floor?

We apply a sealer to a floor in order to protect it. Different types of floor, both manmade and natural stone, are vulnerable to different sorts of damage. They can all be harmed by chemicals to a certain degree, even by the acid in food and drink spillages, as they will be very slightly porous. As well as this, they can be worn away by physical damage. Even foot traffic can have a big impact if dust or grit has built up on the floor, since it increases abrasions. A sealant will reduce the chance of a spill becoming a stain by reducing the floor’s ability to absorb liquids. It can also help protect the appearance of the floor by forming a protective barrier. A sealant won’t prevent all damage and it will still wear away over time, but it will help your floors last longer, helping protect your investment. Sealants will even help protect your floor from UV radiation which can lead to fading over the lifespan of a high value stone or tiled floor. We can consult with you to find the best sealant for your floor and the type of use it gets to make sure it receives the best form of protection.

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What’s the best way to maintain my stone floor?

We are happy offer advice on best practice to look after your flooring, but it depends on the type of floor you have. Once we’ve had a look at it we’ll be able to help.

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Can you fill in cracks and dents in my stone floor?

Yes, we have a range of fillers we can use to repair chipped or dented stone. Please note we can only carry out floor repairs as part of a full deep clean or restoration for your stone floor. Unfortunately, we are not able to attend to carry out repairs in isolation.

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My stone floor moves, can you repair it?

Usually we are able to stabilise stone flooring where it has become loose. We can repair grouting and make spot repairs to the subfloor where necessary. Please note we can only carry out floor repairs as part of a full deep clean or restoration for your stone floor. Unfortunately, we are not able to attend to carry out repairs in isolation.

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I’m not sure what type of stone my floor is made from, can you help?

Almost certainly. Send us a picture or a description and we’ll identify your stone. We always assess a surface before work starts in order to pick the most appropriate solution.

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Are the chemicals and solutions you use safe around me/my customers/children/pets?

Whilst we may use specialist chemicals in the course of our work, we can assure you that by the time we leave all residues will be gone and your tile or stone flooring will be perfectly safe for everyone to use. We work to extremely high standards of health and safety, conducting proper risk assessments where appropriate and never putting you or anyone else in danger.

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Will Tile & Stone Medic’s cleaning services cause noise, disruption, dirt or debris in my home/business?

We always work in the most considerate way possible. Work will be tailored to your needs and will fit around your schedule where possible. We avoid bringing loud or bulky machinery into your home and when a job is complete we thoroughly clean up after ourselves to leave your space looking as tidy as it did when we arrived.

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Do we have to move all the furniture?

Yes, ideally if you want the job done to the best of our ability, then all furniture, kick plates in kitchens etc should be removed. However, don’t worry we will help you manage this.
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Is your work all insured?

Absolutely! we are always happy to show you our insurance certificates or down load them to you if so required.
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How long does the work take to carry out?

Once we have spoken to you in more detail we will be able to give you an idea of the time allocation required to restore your floors to a high level.
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How much will it cost to have my floor cleaned and sealed?

Because all floors require their own individual needs, perhaps different cleaning solutions, strippers and sealers it is impossible to give an average cost. Some areas of floor are very large and again this will have an impact on the costings as they may take longer to restore. Tile & Stone Medic will either arrrange an onsite visit to assess the floor in question, or, if we do not have local cover in that area, we will talk to you in more detail over the phone and perhaps request that you down load some pictures of the floor to us.