Stone Floor Cleaning, Sealing and Polishing

This method is commonly used by contract cleaning companies. It consists of stripping the floor to remove any polish/old seal and applying new coats of impregnator or surface seal that will give the stone a semi-gloss to a gloss finish.

This method (also known as stone polishing) is used to create the High Gloss finish of a natural stone floor by creating a chemical reaction. This is achieved using steel wool pads and special chemical compounds. Using this method, also gives the possibility to control the shine, from a high gloss to matt honed finish. This can only be achieved on very fine and scratch free surfaces.

Once the natural stone floor has been damaged, whether it is stained or badly scratched, this can be restored by diamond cutting it, also known as diamond grinding.

This is done by using special heavy machines that use metal-bond diamonds and resin-bond diamonds of different grits and stages.

Once the stone floor has been grinded to the desired grit, vitrification and crystallization process can be applied.

Why seal?

All natural stone such as travertine, granite, marble and limestone including man-made stones, such as terrazzo and ceramics, act like hard sponges and will easily absorb damaging agents such as water, water-borne salts and oil or acid based stains. The application of seal treatment reduces staining and corrosion of the stone

What types of seals are there?

There are two types of seal which can be applied to stone, a surface seal or an impregnating seal. Here is a brief description of each and their various applications.

Surface Seal

A surface seal is a seal that once applied, bonds with the stone creating a new layer on top of it, this is also known as polish seal. This seal requires higher maintenance including buffing on regular basis in order to keep a shiny appearance.

Impregnating Seal

This type of seal impregnates the stone by soaking into the pores, creating a barrier that protects the stone from permanent staining. The impregnator seal is unnoticeable and will not change the properties or the appearance of the stone.