Natural Stone Honing,
Polishing, Cleaning & Sealing
Marble is softer and more porous than most stone; it not only scratches
easily, but also etches easily. Marble is sensitive to acids in many
different food items (including citrus products, sodas, etc.) and the
chelating agents in household cleaners.
Just like ceramic tile, natural stone is one of the most abused and
overlooked floor and wall surfaces in the home simply because of the care
involved in cleaning it. An etch mark in a polished marble or travertine
floor can be a constant reminder that grandmother wasn't always right about
the merits of cleaning with a solution of vinegar and water.
The good news is Universal Carpet Cleaning of Sparks can make short work of
this task. Whether you have natural stone in your kitchen, bathroom, or some
other area of your home, those stubborn stains and etch marks don't stand a
chance. Your natural stone will look very much as it did the day it was
installed.
At Universal Carpet Cleaning of Sparks we are dedicated to helping you keep
your home healthy, clean, and always looking its best. The solution to
difficult natural stone honing, polishing, cleaning & sealing is just a
phone call away.
Trust Universal Carpet Cleaning of Sparks for all those difficult and
unpopular projects. You really will be glad you did.
Maintenance:
General cleaners not specifically formulated for natural stone or tile are
never recommended. These can breakdown the sealer, thereby removing its
protective properties and making the stone and tile grout susceptible to
stains. Worse yet, many cleaning products, including those that contain
lemon, vinegar, bleach or ammonia can etch away the polish, discolor the
surface, or even scratch your stone.
Many cleaners have what is called a chelating agent in them. This agent
breaks down and dissolves minerals in hard water. Since all stone is made up
of minerals, these types of cleaners will dissolve and cause streaks over
prolonged use. Universal Carpet Cleaning of Sparks offers the complete line
of StoneTech Professional™ Products.
Limestone
Limestone is similar to marble in that it is sensitive to acids and
household cleaners containing chelating agents. It varies in hardness and
sometimes will have fossil imprints. Clean As A Whistle offers cleaning,
honing, polishing, and sealing of limestone. For best results, have your
limestone sealed and use a neutral stone cleaner such as StoneTech
Professional™ stone and tile cleaner available through Universal Carpet
Cleaning of Sparks.
Marble
Marble is softer and more porous than most stone; it not only scratches
easily, but also etches easily. Marble is sensitive to acids in many
different food items (including citrus products, sodas, etc.) and the
chelating agents in household cleaners. See the section marked maintenance
for more on chelating agents. Universal Carpet Cleaning of
Sparks offers rust and stain removal as well as cleaning, polishing, and
sealing of marble floors and countertops. For best results, have your
marble sealed and use a neutral stone cleaner such as StoneTech
Professional™ stone and tile cleaner available through Universal Carpet
Cleaning of Sparks.
Travertine
Travertine is limestone that has been formed by hot springs. Water movement
caused erosion of the stone creating numerous holes of varying sizes.
Travertine is similar to marble in that it can be polished, and is sensitive
to acids and household cleaners with chelating agents. Universal Carpet
Cleaning of Sparks offers cleaning, honing, polishing, sealing and
enhancement sealers for Travertine. For best results, have your travertine
sealed and use a neutral stone cleaner such as StoneTech Professional™ stone
and tile cleaner available through Universal Carpet Cleaning of Sparks.
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained metamorphic stone usually black, gray or green.
Slate is not acid sensitive but prolonged use of household cleaners with
chelating agents can cause streaking and dullness. Universal Carpet Cleaning
of Sparks offers slate cleaning, sealing or enhancers that bring out the
deep rich natural color of slate. For best results, have your slate sealed
and use a neutral stone cleaner such as StoneTech Professional™ stone and
tile cleaner available through Universal Carpet Cleaning of Sparks. .
Granite
Granite is an extremely hard natural stone and is not as porous as other
natural stones. Though not acid sensitive, prolonged use of household
cleaners with chelating agents will cause streaking and can be a homeowner’s
nightmare. Universal Carpet Cleaning of Sparks offers cleaning and sealing
of granite countertops and floors. For best results, have your granite
sealed and use StoneTech Professional™ Revitalizer™, which is available
through Universal Carpet Cleaning of Sparks
Terrazzo
Terrazzo appears more uniform than most natural stones and is available in
tile form or by a pouring application on the slab. Terrazzo is a mixture of
Portland cement and marble chips; these chips can range in size from a
fraction of an inch to as large as several inches. Universal Carpet
Cleaning of Sparks offers Terrazzo cleaning, polishing and sealing. For
best results, have your terrazzo sealed and use a neutral stone cleaner such
as StoneTech Professional™ stone and tile cleaner available through
Universal Carpet Cleaning of Sparks.
100% Locally
Owned and Operated
STONE CARE Do's and Don'ts
- Do dust mop floors frequently.
- Do clean surfaces with a neutral stone cleaner.
- Do thoroughly rinse and dry the surface after washing.
- Do blot up spills immediately.
- Do protect floor surfaces with non-slip mats or area rugs and
counter top surfaces with coasters, trivets or place mats,
particularly under those containing alcohol or citrus juices. Many
common foods and drinks contain acids that will etch or dull the
stone surface.
- Don't place hot items directly on the stone surface. Use trivets
or mats under hot dishes and place mats under china, ceramics,
silver or other objects that can scratch the surface.
- Don't use vinegar, lemon juice or other cleaners containing
acids on marble, limestone, travertine or onyx surfaces.
- Don't use cleaners that contain acid such as bathroom cleaners,
grout cleaners or tub & tile cleaners.
- Don't use abrasive cleaners such as dry cleansers or soft
cleansers.
- Don't mix bleach and ammonia; this combination creates a toxic
and lethal gas.
Natural Stone Cleaning Process
Pre-Inspection
All Natural Stone cleaning and restoration as well as sealing jobs must
be preceded by a thorough pre-inspection. Here we determine a customized
care plan to meet your specific needs for your specific floor.
Preparation
Because your home is important to you it is important to us; we will
take the necessary precautions to protect all areas surrounding your
floors with 24” plastic sheets and blue tape.
Cleaning
Cleaning Processes vary from floor to floor, many variables include
make-up, maintenance, soiling conditions, traffic, use, etc… When
cleaning any stone floor we use the most scientifically advanced
cleaning products and the floor is then machine or hand scrubbed and
brushed. Finally the new SX-12 floor cleaning tool, connected to a
truck-mounted hot water extraction system is used, achieving maximum
soil removal and best overall cleaning results.
Diamond Grinding
Stone that is etched, scuffed and scratched can be restored only by the
use of mechanical abrasives underneath a rotary machine. Diamond
abrasives resurface/remove a slight amount of stone (just enough to get
below the etch marks and scratches). All diamond grinding is performed
with the use of water to contain dust. The surfacing procedures that
follow will determine the desired surface sheen.
Honing
Stone is mechanically resurfaced using diamond abrasives and water to
achieve a uniformly honed surface sheen. Filler within travertine stone
that looks cloudy, splotchy or dirty becomes uniform with our finishing
techniques. If desired, polished marble, granite, travertine or
limestone can be mechanically honed to remove pre-existing surface
polish.
Polishing
Stone is mechanically finished to produce a high gloss shine. Very light
etches, scuffs and scratches may be removed with the polishing process,
but diamond grinding is needed if the stone surface has medium deep
etches, scuffs and scratches.