Stone floor cleaning utilizing the proper methods is helpful for keeping dirt, debris and germs at bay.
That makes it an essential part of any building maintenance plan for achieving a professional appearance and healthy indoor environment. However, stone floors face numerous challenges that cleaning alone cannot address.
- Lippage, which appears when the floor surface becomes uneven
- Traffic patterns visibly worn into the surface
- Scratches caused by grit from shoes, wheelchairs and push carts
- Water marks from exposure to acidic substances and other tracked-in chemicals
- Cracks from the foundation shifting
These issues cause natural stone to lose its luster and appear dull and dirty, even immediately after cleaning. The surface may also lose traction as it wears away, which can increase the risk of slip and fall accidents.
Professional stone floor restoration corrects existing problems that can’t be fixed with a mop and bucket. Restoration includes the use of protective coatings, which preserve a stunning finish, improve floor safety and make routine cleaning easier.
At Mid America Specialty Services, we provide stone restoration for one-time repairs, renovations and customized maintenance plans. Our trained, experienced refinishers have worked with many different types of stone, including marble, granite, terrazzo and travertine.
Correcting What Cleaning Can’t Fix
Tracked-in dirt, mud, water and chemical pollutants leave stains and scuff marks. Particles that become trapped in cracks and grout lines make the surface harder to clean, exacerbating existing damage.
Professional refinishing restores the natural beauty of stone floors by stripping away old coatings. Diamond honing is then used to smooth away the effects of scratches and lippage. This process brings the floor back to a like-new maintenance condition and extends its service life.
Protecting the Floor’s Appearance
After stripping and honing, refinishers can apply a high-performance coating which increases resistance to stains, scratches, scuffs and black marks.
The coating also creates a stunning, high-gloss finish. The distinctness of image is a formula for measuring how sharply and crisply images are reflected by a surface. A high-gloss finish gives the floor a cleaner appearance which makes a more positive impression on visitors and employees alike.
Enhancing Safety
High quality coatings not only preserve the appearance of stone floors. They can also improve safety.
Believe it or not, poorly maintained floors increase the risk of slip and fall accidents. Moisture, debris and normal wear and tear cause the floor to lose traction over time. The coefficient of friction is used by the National Floor Safety Institute to measure how much force is required to move an object horizontally across the floor. The higher the number, the greater the traction and the lower the risk of an accident. The coefficient is used to determine the safety of both dry and wet surfaces.
Mid America technicians choose cleaning and sealing products which can actually increase the coefficient for an NFSI-certified high traction finish. This improves the safety of floors, lowers the risk of slip and fall accidents and reduces liability costs.
Ongoing Cleaning & Maintenance
Another advantage to stone restoration is that it actually makes floors easier to clean without stripping or scrubbing. Refinished floors should be cleaned with an auto scrubber using an appropriate floor pad and neutral cleaner. Next, burnish the surface about 30 minutes after it dries.
Following these simple steps helps the floor maintain its shiny appearance in between refinishing. Cleaning and burnishing frequency depend on the surface material and the amount of foot traffic the floor receives. A good rule of thumb is to burnish the floor 3 to 4 times per month.
At Mid America, our stone technicians have the training and expertise to restore and protect the durability, reflectivity and quality of architectural stone. Our stone floor services include cleaning, honing, polishing, coating and sealing.
You can reach us at 800-544-4576 or contact us online.
