Miami Stone Floor Cleaning – Look After the Surface
Miami Granite flooring is a popular choice for many locations both domestic and commercial and for a number of reasons. Natural stone and slate are available in a wide variety of designs, shapes and colours, are to an extent easy to keep looking good and, although not cheap, score highly in terms of cost durability. Although stone floors last a long time, maintenance is essential if you wish to keep your floor looking good as new.
The first steps are to have the stone or slate tiles professionally cut and laid. Cutting natural stone is notoriously difficult – and once laid the application of the grout (the construction material which goes between the tiles) is also very important and it is also recommended that this is done professionally. The nest step should be the application of a good sealer for both tile and grout to add an extra layer of protection to aid cleaning efforts.
The surface of the tiles can be protected but without regular care, you may find that the stone floor develops an unsatisfactory, uneven or dull appearance overt time, and the reason could be a build-up of staining and bacteria over time to the point where it becomes noticeable, or tiny surface scratches or abrasions which expose the surface of the stone. General wear from traffic in certain areas can also cause any sealer which has been applied to lose its effect over time.
Most surface scratches occur from grit and dirt walked in on the soles of shoes – if you doubt this just take a look at the soles next time you walk in from the street. This dirt invariably finds its way onto the floor and this is when surface scratches occur. To deal with this – it can help to place doormats at entrances to reduce the amount entering the area, while regular sweeping and vacuuming should remove the majority of surface grit.
Cleaning should be done regularly also with warm soapy water and just a surface clean applied. This step combined with regular sweeping should be enough to keep the floor clean. Care should also be taken with heavy objects and furniture. Try to lift instead of drag, and if possible put felt tips on the corners of heavy objects or chair legs to reduce the risk of marking the floor.
It is of course possible that despite your best efforts you find that regular cleaning ceases to be effective and at this point you may wish to consult a Miami granite cleaning specialist who will be able to recommend the best course of action in your particular case, it may just be a build-up of surface bacteria which can be cleaned, or the problem may be related to scratching or surface marking.
