Tips to Make Your Stone Floors Shine
Stone is used for many purposes around the home. Where there are a lot of varieties of stone to choose from, there are also tips on how to make them shinier. It is especially true for the stone floors we come across in our homes. Whether it is smooth granite or marble, stone floors are at the center of the house structure. There are many reasons why people opt for these floor types, from durability to color. The essential element of big houses and expensive properties, the stone is a prime resource. Slate floors last forever and indoor porcelain tiles make the entire house look bright and comfortable. So where stone materials are being used all around your home, they need to be shiny and bright. The dull color will be off-putting and make your space look less interesting. But how can you achieve this shine?
Why Do Stone Floors Shine?
Since stone floors are long-lasting and are a good addition to your home, they should be taken care of. Adding shine to their surface or polishing them are some good ways to maintain the gloss. But they also need to be regularly maintained. This is where your local tile cleaning experts can help!
A lot of people ask this question when they are deciding on stone flooring. It is all the trick of the light, but it does add to their value. When sunlight hits an uneven stone, it will scatter. But with even surfaces, the light bounces back, and this results in a shine. The same can be said for most waves and water surfaces, especially with calm water. So this bouncing of the light results in a glossy stone.
Importance of Natural Stone Floors
There are many flooring materials to choose from. But the most celebrated and preferred is a natural stone, which is important. What the term ‘natural stone’ means is a mineral substance that was produced by the Earth. There is a striking contrast between natural stones and synthetic stones. Natural flooring like slate and marble come with their properties, and the shine is one of them. When you choose your stone flooring, you have to look at these characteristics to make sure you are opting for quality. With natural stone floors, the idea of cleaning is simple, and shine can be added back easily with a few tips.
Making Stone Floors Shine: Tips and Tricks
Once your floor begins to look musty and dirty, it is time for a cleaning. Whether you use stone cleaners or polishes depends on your preference. Keeping your floor looking fresh and new is a common issue, but there are some solutions.
Here are some effective tips to employ when trying to make your floors shine:
Picking the Right Stone Cleaner
Looking after the stone flooring is vital to homecare, but you need to know what kind of flooring you have first. Once you know if your floor is slate, sandstone, porcelain or marble, you will be able to choose a cleaner. The correct cleaner is necessary to maintain your floor because different stones work with different cleaners. For example, something that works with marble will not work with porcelain. If you need something stronger for a dirtier surface, make sure to take this into account before buying a cleaner.
Employing Someone for Grinding the Stone
Although grinding is a very aggressive shining method, it is quite effective. If you want to add shine to stone floors in a fast way, you can employ someone to grind them. This results is no uneven tiles and makes the area smooth and shiny.
Looking After Lines and Crevices
As most of your stone flooring with come with cracks and crevices, this can impact the stone look. Mopping will not be able to remove these lines, and no amount of cleaning will add adequate shine. You will need to look after this by using scrubbers and brushes to get into these crevices. These tools are an easy way to clean out any dirt and will not scratch your floor. If you are worried about staining, you should contact an expert.
Mopping With Combined Mixtures
Whenever you are worried about dirt buildup or added soap scum, you can try mopping. The best way to do this is to use combined mixtures from all around the house to create a mopping solution. You can add vinegar and ammonia with warm water for the mopping mixture. This will be a good way of adding more gloss to the stone floor after it has been rinsed and air-dried.
Properly Sealing the Stone
Before you can polish the floor after sealing, you have to wait for it to cure. To avoid the risk of injury, allow it to seal properly and then apply polish. You should avoid spray polishes as they are slippery, but you can use simple solutions for that added shine. Regularly apply this sealer to protect the surface and keep it looking new.
Adding a Coating or Finish
As the last step, you can add coatings or finished to your stone floor for shining. Although this is not the most effective technique, it is good for temporary purposes, such as a house party. It keeps the stones looking bright and glossy for some time and then can be washed away.
Drying the Floor
Allow your floor adequate time to dry. Air drying is not an option here, so use paper towels and blot the stones to get the right kinds of results. Make sure to repeat the process before you step on the stones.
Conclusion
The bottom line is, making your floors look new and shiny is essential. So when it comes to stone flooring, you have to take extra care. The kinds of cleaners and tools you use will have certain long term effects on the look and durability of the floor. So if you follow these tips and make the right kinds of choices for your particular flooring, you will be set. Just make sure to talk to an expert before making any drastic changes.