stone maintenance services

Marble and Stone Floor Maintenance
Protected Marble floor in residentail entrance,  Ottawa by Marble Restoration Services Ltd.

Keeping your floor looking 'new'.

Today, more and more "decorative" marbles are being used for their beauty and not their strength. These marbles are generally very prone to abrasion, vertical compactions, scratching and staining. 
The main reason polished stone floors become dull is that we walk on them and "grind" in dust, sand, and other fine, gritty matter that abrades the finish. Although the scratching is very fine, it eventually covers the whole area so massively that light will no longer reflect of the surface. Maintenance is a key factor guaranteeing post-installation or post-restoration beauty appearance and longevity.

 

Marble and Stone Floor Maintenance Guidelines

For in-house maintenance Marble Restoration Services® Ltd. recommends few simple rules:

  • For the floors, an effective entrance barrier MAT SYSTEM is imperative; and, forms the most basic requirement for any stone flooring. Without it even the best maintenance system can be jeopardized. An entrance heavy-duty shoe scraper / grass mat will do a lot to protect your natural stone installations and save you maintenance - restoration costs.
  • Never use vinegar, acid, glass or furniture cleaner to clean the stone. High alkaline or mild acidic cleaners can etch and damage the finish. They poison the stone, kill the polish and damage the surface. Stone cleaning products should have neutral PH equal or close to 7. Popular Windex, Fantastic, Comet or different bowl / kitchen / glass / furniture cleaners should not be used.
  • Use dry-mopping as often as you can. Scratches come not from walking on the floor as such, but from the sand and grits lying between shoes and polished surfaces.
  • Use only trusted products designed for stone maintenance. We can recommend a wide variety of reputable products. Contact our office for details.
  • Keep mops, rags, sponges, dust mops and other supplies to clean the marble separate from other cleaning suppliers. A mop used in a restroom may have acid from toilet bowl cleaners or urine in it. Both can have negative effects on polished stone floors.
  • All marble installations have to be protected (sealed) by reputable stone impregnators.
  • View the Terrazzo, Tile & Marble Maintenance Guide for more tips.
  • Set up a Professional Maintenance Program with Marble Restoration Services® Ltd. to implement a cycle of periodic low-cost restoration procedures.