Stone Tile Cleaning Lavender Bay - Lower North Shore

Remembering that stone tiles are produced in nature, their colour and general appearance may vary greatly. This makes stone tile quite unique and beautiful when installed correctly. Each stone type and its composition have characteristics that need to be considered for each application. For example, some stone is soft and easily abraded. There are types of stone tiles that are easily attacked by common household acids. Finally, there are very hard stone types virtually impervious to these same problems.

What type of stone is available in tile form? The most common stone tiles are:

• Marble
• Granite
• Limestone
• Sandstone
• Travertine
• Bluestone
• Quartz-based
• Slate

MARBLE: Flooring, Fireplaces, Vanities, and Shower/Tub surrounds.

Note: Black and green marble require special setting material due to their tendency to curl and wrap when absorbing water. Polished marble is not recommended in food preparation areas or any areas where contact with acids bearing substances are present. Acid even in small amounts will etch and dull the polish. This includes bathrooms below toilets and urinals where the marble will remain unprotected by mats, etc.

The exception for marble in the food preparation areas would involve the use of "tbumled" marble where there is not a polished surface for the acid to etch.

Keep in mind that polished marble is very slick when wet.

Penetrative sealing is recommended.

GRANITE: (Basically on any surface). Flooring, Vanities, Kitchen counters, Fireplaces, Shower/Tub surrounds.

Keep in mind that polished granite is very slick when wet.

Penetrative sealing in recommended.

LIMESTONE: Flooring and Fireplaces.

Sensitive to acidic attack.

Penetrative and or sacrificial sealing recommended.

TRAVERTINE: Flooring, Fireplaces, and Vanities.

This type of stone, in polished form, is sensitive to acidic attack just like marble. So it would not be recommended for food service areas or where acid bearing substances are present. The exception would be in a "tumbled" form where no polished surface is present to be etched.

Polished travertine is very slick when wet.

Penetrative sealing is recommended.

QUARTZ BASED: Flooring, Fireplaces, Bar tops, Vanities, Shower/Tub surrounds.

Very similar to slate in that flaking and chipping will occur especially in the un-gauged variety. May not be suitable in areas where bare feet may be present due to chipping and flaking.

This variety of stone is commonly stabilized into agglomerates with cementitious or epoxy based resins to produce slabs and tile shapes. In this form, the Manufacturer will make recommendations for its use.

Penetrative and or sacrificial sealing is recommended.

SLATE: Flooring, Fireplaces, Bar tops, Vanities, Shower/Tub surrounds.

Just like the quartz-based stone, un-gauged slate is prone to chipping, flaking and peeling. This can make cleaning, disinfecting, and general maintenance problematic. Design and job requirements will have to reflect these inherent qualities.

Penetrative and or sacrificial sealing is recommended.

All of these stone tiles mentioned above can vary in size and colour.

To schedule your appointment or to obtain a free estimate, please Call 1300 771 201 or use the online enquiry form at the top of the page

We cover all Sydney suburbs, all Lower North Shore area and all surrounding suburbs to Lavender Bay

All porous natural stone should be sealed. Sealing your stone will help prevent & reduce staining by keeping most stains suspended at the surface. Sealing provides protection against chemical attack, deterioration and contamination and also reduces the damage caused from the stain itself.

Natural stone is amongst the most durable materials for floor and wall coverings, also boasting some of the lowest abrasion values. For non-porous tiles you should usually only need to seal the grout lines with our specialised impregnating penetrating sealer.

Our services cover all suburbs within 100km drive from the CBD. We are your specialist service provider for stone sealing, stone restoration, and minor stone repairs. If you need advice on cleaning & sealing your old or brand new stone surfaces or need a professional to do it for you, then you have come to the right place.

A sealer is a liquid, or carrier containing a resin that is applied to porous natural stone or porous man made surfaces that helps prevent staining from water and/or oil based materials as well as help to achieve better results when cleaning your tiles

You can easily test how porous your surfaces are by applying a drop of water to the surface and watching how it is absorbed. You can then see how any type of water based stain can be absorbed by the surface.

A sealer reduces the natural absorbency of a stone. A natural stone surface once prepared and sealed correctly can add a great deal of style to your property and give it a real feature relative to your desired look whether that is modern and contemporary or more traditional.

Sealing your tiles and/or grout helps prevent & reduce staining. It provides a barrier for a short time to remove the staining product and helps reduce the damage caused from the stain itself. Staining can still occur if the staining product is not removed from the tile.

Tile Cleaners® use two main types of sealer to protect your surfaces. One sealer is known as an Impregnating Sealer(Penetrating Sealer) which is absorbed into the tile protecting it from within and the other is known as a Topical Sealer which sits on top of(coats) the tile.

Lavender Bay's Tile Cleaners® are proud to be accredited applicators of Deepshield™ quality deep impregnating water based sealers which prolong the life of your surfaces by taking full advantage of recent advancements in nano-technology and fluoro-bond technology. Australian made Deepshield™ forms a bond with your surfaces that is stronger than any conventional mechanical or hydrogen bonding film forming sealers.

For information about sealing your stone floors please visit our Stone Tile Sealing section.

Our Stone Floor Restoration service will restore your tiles & grout to their best possible condition, and protect them for years to come

Here are some recommendations for routine care and cleaning of your stone tiles:

Do’s:

• Do blot-up spills immediately.
• Do clean your natural stone frequently with warm water and a clean, non-abrasive cloth sponge or mop.
• Do thoroughly rinse and dry the surface after washing
• Do use a neutral cleaner formulated for natural stone or a few drops of liquid dishwashing detergent, will help you remove soil, that normal dusting or damp mopping leaves behind.
• Do use coasters under all glasses, particularly those containing alcohol or citrus juices. Many common foods and drinks contain acids that will etch or dull the stone surface
• Does use felt pads underneath the furniture that is likely to scratch the floor such tables, chairs.
• Do use mats or trivets under hot dishes.
• Do keep kitchen countertops and vanities dust free.
• Do dry or squeegee water from shower walls following each use. This will prevent hard water or soap scum build-up.
• Do protect floor surfaces with non-slip mats or area rugs and countertop surfaces with coasters, trivets or place-mats

Don’ts:

• Do not place hot items directly on the stone surface. Use trivets or mats under hot dishes and placemats under china, ceramics, silver or other objects that can scratch the surface.
• Don't use cleaners that contain acid such as bathroom cleaners, grout cleaners or tub & tile cleaners
• Don't use vinegar, lemon juice or other cleaners containing acids on marble, limestone, travertine or onyx surfaces
• Don't use powder cleaners, or cream cleansers, mildew removers or disinfectants, or abrasive nylon scrub pads, as they can easily etch your stone.
• Don't use abrasive cleaners such as dry cleansers or soft cleansers
• Don't use general-purpose cleaners such as Ajax, Flash, Limelite, Harpic as they may damage your stone surface, and the effectiveness of your sealer.
• Don't mix bleach and ammonia; this combination creates a toxic and lethal gas
• Don't use cork and wood furniture protectors. These can cause severe stains.
• Don't place for a long time any metal object on top of a stone surface, especially in bathrooms, as it is very likely that would leave a rust stain.

The natural variations on your stone surface can easily lose their appealing qualities, due to damage resulting from everyday wear and tear. Natural Stone is absorbent and has a mineral chemistry that can react in strange ways to conventional cleaners, making the proper selection of cleaners is essential for daily basis maintenance of your natural stone surface. Some variation of stones can absorb liquids and oils causing discolouration. Having your stone treated with a penetrating impregnating sealer can diminish this. It is recommended that a sealer is applied every year, and that the floor is fully stripped and sealed by a professional once every 3-5 years depending on the type of stone its made from.

Dust-mop interior floors frequently using a clean non-treated dry dust mop. Sand dirt and grit do the most damage to natural stone surfaces due to their abrasiveness. Mats or area rugs inside and outside an entrance will help to minimise the sand, dirt and grit that will scratch the stone floor. Be sure that the underside of the mat or rug is a non-slip surface. Normally, it will take a person about eight steps on a floor surface to remove sand or dirt from the bottom of their shoes. Do not use vacuum cleaners that are worn. The metal or plastic attachments or the wheels may scratch the surface.

In the bath or other wet areas, soap scum can be minimized by using a squeegee after each use. To remove soap scum, use a non-acidic soap scum remover or a solution of ammonia and water (about 1/2 cup ammonia to a gallon of water). Frequent or over-use of an ammonia solution may eventually dull the surface of the stone. You need to have a penetrating sealer applied. Hard water or soap scum may damage the lustre of your natural stone. For tile shower or floor, we suggest having your grout cleaned and sealed periodically to prevent mildew.

To schedule your appointment or to obtain a free estimate, please Call 1300 771 201 or use the online enquiry form at the top of the page

We cover all Sydney suburbs, all Lower North Shore area and all surrounding suburbs to Lavender Bay