Clean And Seal Stone

TIME SCALE 3 Hours

SKILL LEVEL

Every single kind of raw stone material (especially natural stone products) has a bit of residual dirt, dust, and grime in its pores. With that said, there is a need for these pores to be washed and cleansed thoroughly before any sealant is applied on the its surface, because if not, the beneficial and protective effects of the sealant will be rendered moot.

To be more specific, whenever dirt is trapped underneath a stone sealer, milky white residue appears between the sealer and the surface of the stone. The only way to remove this substance is to strip away the stone sealer altogether and clean the surface. Obviously, it'll be in your best interests to clean the surface from the very beginning in order to not waste any time, effort, and money on roughshod sealing.

You must vacuum the stone the best you can and whenever you can before using a propriety residue remover to wash the natural stone's surface. Cleansers should be diluted accordingly, but it depends on what kind of stone surface you're going to clean. For example, you need a stronger dilution when cleaning granite, terracotta, limestone, slate, sandstone, and unpolished marble. You can apply the sealant once the grime has been washed and cleaned completely.

Another problem when using all-natural stone products is that they stain rather easily once you spill most any liquid on them. This is the reason why there's a need to seal a stone surface—it protects the material from permanent damage, including stains. However, homeowners shouldn't be careless; as soon as there's a spill on your natural stone surface, clean it up immediately regardless if its sealed or not. Don't let the stain form from the very start.

The different sealing methods for various natural stone surfaces are as follows: the porous and water-absorbent terracotta, limestone, and sandstone should be sealed before the laying and grouting of tiles, because they tend to soak up stained water from the adhesive and grout very quickly. Terracotta should be sealed front, back, and sides, while the ever-vulnerable limestone should be handled with gloves because even fingerprints can stain the surface down the line. As for marble, granite, travertine, and slate, these materials are sealed on all edges and at the top after being laid and grouted instead of before. As always, these surfaces should be meticulously cleaned prior to sealing to avoid a compromised and shoddy result.

Despite the seeming disadvantages and high-maintenance work needed to get your stone floor properly sealed and installed, the ultimate outcome is worth it. The sealant will keep the stone floor's natural finish for a lifetime if it's looked after properly. In any event, a correctly done sealing should not need repeating for at least half a decade; besides which, special seal removers can be bought once you do decide to reseal your natural stone floor.