Five Things To Remember When Caring For Your Limestone Floor
Much like marble, limestone is a highly porous flooring material. This means that it is very absorbent and much more prone to staining that flooring options that are less porous. The good news is that this beautiful material is virtually guaranteed to last a long time, especially if it is cared for properly. Following are a few helpful maintenance tips that will make keeping your limestone floor in good condition all too easy.
The first and most important thing to know about any natural stone surface is that it needs to be sealed properly if it is going to have a long lifespan. This is something that you can have done when your installer is putting the stone in. Once applied, a professionals seal can last two years or more. Make sure to confirm this fact with your installer so that you know exactly when the process must be repeated.
You also have the option of applying the sealant yourself. If you have never tackled this particular task before, however, spend time learning all of the ins and outs of a proper application so that no mistakes are made. You also want to use a high-quality sealant, rather than the cheapest product you can properly find. After all, this barrier is vital to preserving the overall value and integrity of your investment.
Another important thing to remember when establishing a maintenance and care plan for your flooring is that standard or general household cleaners are hardly appropriate for these surfaces. Most general cleaners are far too acidic for natural stone. As a result, they can cause serious problems with etching if they are ever applied to these types of floors.
Even though properly sealed natural stone can be quite durable, you still want to take special measures to protect in areas of high traffic. This is definitely the case if you have had this installed right by your front door. Simply put a durable welcome mat down at the property interior so that grit, dirt and other abrasive materials cannot get tracked directly onto this surface.
A lot of installers advise homeowners to avoid using brooms on their natural stone. Brooms often do little more than drag abrasive particulates back and forth across these surfaces. You can simply vacuum any loose debris up instead. When you do, however, make sure that you are not dragging any sharp units or heavy attachments across the surface of your flooring. These things can dig deep noticeable grooves into these types of materials.
When mopping your floor, do not fill a bucket with hot, soapy water, no matter how mild you believe the related detergent to be. You actually want to avoid putting copious amounts of moisture on these surfaces at any time. Instead, use a lightweight cleanser that is specially formulated for limestone or natural stone in general.
There are currently a number of cleansers that actually include sealant materials. This means that when you apply them for cleaning purposes, they provide the added benefit of restoring the seal that has already been installed. This is a quick and easy way to make sure that your floors are always properly sealed and that they are virtually impervious to many forms of common flooring damage.