Things to Know Before Sealing Your Natural Stone Surface

Installing natural stone as a means for decorating your home and giving it a rich and elegant look is very common but, it comes with a price. Natural stones namely marble, granite, limestone or travertine are so delicate that there is a huge risk of them getting stained, scratched and etched unless regular maintenance procedures are adopted. Besides, once you install natural stone in your house, you have to be very particular as to how fast it undergoes wear and how and when exactly you need to seal or reseal it. To ensure your natural stone products will provide you with a lifetime of aesthetics and utility, a suitable maintenance program is vital.

Before we approach the issue of sealing, it is very important to note the exact function of a sealer or why we need it at all. Sealers for stone are all below-surface products and will not change in any way, the shape or form of the original finish of the stone surface. Nor will they protect the surface of the stone. They will only go inside the stone by being absorbed by it provided that the stone is porous enough to allow this to happen and will block its pores, thus reducing its natural absorbency rate. This will help prevent the stone from absorbing the accidental spills of the staining substances like tea, wine, lemon juice etc.

You might be unaware of the fact that mercantile type marble, original quality granite and travertine are not very porous and therefore should be inspected by a stone restoration specialist to decide about their sealing requirements. However, many versions of marble and the lighter varieties of granite are more porous and are sure to get stained if not protected with a good-quality impregnator-type stone sealer. In this instance it should also be kept in mind that a vast majority of stones marketed as granite are not original granite. Stones, which are being sold as granite are denser than real granite and hence might not need sealing. Some may even develop problems related to the sealer once you seal it.

In case you have a doubt as to how many applications are needed, you may have to consult an expert stone restoration professional. For some stones that are more porous than others, one application of sealer/impregnator may not be enough. In case of mercantile granite, two applications are recommended. To find out if your stone is perfectly sealed, spill some water on it and wait for approximately half an hour, then wipe it dry. If the surface of the stone does not darken it means that the stone is perfectly sealed. You may use this same test to determine when it is time to reseal.

The Marble Man, Australia’s best natural stone restoration specialist, offers its esteemed clients expert advice on the choice of stones and the most appropriate stone maintenance and restoration procedures.

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Install and Properly Maintain Natural Stone without Believing in Myths

The uses and abuses of natural stones are not unknown. While uses are manifold, the only disadvantage with natural stone is the difficulty in maintenance. There are some common problems of maintenance associated with all types of natural stones which we have discussed in the previous articles. 

The problems related to stone restoration are inevitable but can be prevented to some extent or completely resolved if proper maintenance procedures are followed. Besides, there are certain myths relating to installation and maintenance of natural stones which deter us from using them in our houses or workplaces. While few regarding specific stones have already been discussed, here are the rest regarding stone installation and stone maintenance you need to know before choosing the perfect stone to suit your purpose.

Sealing, needless to say, is the most important part of stone restoration work. However, people believe that stone installation and maintenance gets expensive as sealers need to be applied after every few months. To be precise, the frequency of application of sealers depends on the type of stone, the purpose for which it is used, the level of traffic and how often the stone is cleaned. Sealers which cost less are generally thin and therefore needs to be reapplied frequently. But if good quality sealer is applied, it provides 2-3 years of superior protection. So, professional natural stone restoration companies recommend application of high quality sealer during installation to save the cost of frequent application in the long run.

Vinegar is considered an effective cleaner and is believed to disinfect any and every surface. But stones such as marble, travertine and limestone etch on coming in contact with vinegar. Application of acid such as vinegar makes the marble look dull and needs marble floor restoration to restore the previous shine.

Another harmful cleaning technique includes mopping the floor when it looks dirty. People often avoid sweeping the floor regularly and do away with mopping until the surface becomes visibly dirty. But sweeping tile surfaces is as important as mopping. Dirt accumulates within the grout lines daily which is not visible to naked eyes. Therefore, tile surfaces must be swept daily so as to prevent the surface from losing its color and finish.

Power washing is considered an excellent technique for removing dirt embedded deep into the stone surface. However, what most of us don’t know that power washing, if not used by professional stone cleaning company, is way too powerful for our stone. It can erode the surface of granite and remove fills in travertine. It pays to get sensible advice on what method of cleaning would work for your natural stone surface.

It is quite evident as to why choosing a stone or its maintenance technique is difficult. A number of things are to be considered to ensure the best result. The Marble Man, Australia’s most specialized stone restoration company, offers expert advice on choosing the perfect stone, applying the best cleaning technique and delivering a superior stone repair and restoration service.