A Guide to Maintaining Natural Stone Flooring

When you have natural stone flooring, you may find yourself nervous about maintaining it. We work with many types of natural stone as a top South Florida flooring contractor. We’ve seen stone floors that have been poorly maintained, and stone floors that are pristine even after a few decades. What makes the difference?

Preparation

Ensure that the gap between floor and wall is protected. In a kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, or any other area with regular moisture exposure, make sure that gap is caulked. While moisture won’t damage the tile itself, it can seep into the subfloor beneath. This creates buckles, swells, and rot that can crack the tile above.

Utilize mats at any entrances to a room from the outdoors. Grit and sand are sharp. Over time, they can cut and wear into your stone or tile. Vacuum these mats regularly, so they don’t just become holding areas for grit.

Cleaning Your Natural Stone Flooring

You don’t have to put a ton of work into maintaining natural stone flooring. If you put a bit of work in regularly, stone floors’ innate durability takes care of itself. A regular quick sweep does wonders to avoid grinding grime into the floor. You can also vacuum, but never use a rotating brush on the floor.

The key is regular mopping. There are detergents available for stone floors and tile floors. If you know who installed your floor, call them and ask if they have a recommendation. If you don’t, call us. As an experienced South Florida flooring contractor we can suggest an ideal match. Mop every week or two, depending on how dirty your floor gets.

Avoid at All Costs

Do not use abrasive cleaners, soft scrub, or acidic cleaners. These can wear the shine and color off your floor or – in the case of acidic cleaners (lemon, vinegar) – destroy the grout and sealer. Don’t wax the floor either. This counteracts the finish of natural stone.

Make this a regular habit and your natural stone flooring will still look beautiful and new in several years’ time. A little routine maintenance saves a lot of expensive replacement later on!