Natural Stone Care Part 3: Limestone and Terrazzo

Part three of a series on natural stone care explores limestone and terrazzo.  Let's start with limestone first.

How to Clean Limestone

It is a good idea to have some basics on how to clean limestone. Limestone is  calcium carbonate (CaCO3),  smooth, with different levels of hardness depending on where it was quarried. Limestone, like all stones that are calcium-based, is highly reactive to anything acidic, including citrus cleaners.  If you use anything acidic on marble, it will react with the calcium carbonate and cause your stone to be damaged sometimes heavily.

It's also important to know the finishes that limestone comes in.  Limestone is either high gloss, semi-polished or honed, with high gloss having the biggest shine level.   Be aware that limestone while it can get a good polish level going, it will never be at the same level of marble tile. Cleaning limestone is easy.  Like travertine or slate, you want to use a bit of dish washing soap mixed with water.  Even if you've sealed your stone, never wet mop marble.  Use a dry mop, or at most damp mop it.  There's a good chance that if you're using tap water, there may be a bit of chlorine mixed into the water which is highly acidic.  In addition, bacteria can be present in the water that may also cause chemical reactions.  Now, let's cover terrazzo.

How To Clean Terrazzo

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First off, be aware that terrazzo is not technically a stone.  It is technically an agglomerate stone.   Agglomerate is a fancy word meaning stone chips supported in some sort of binding agent. At first glance, terrazzo can resemble granite, but the care for them is very different.  As to how to clean terrazzo, never scrub a terrazzo floor or wet mop.  Light sweeping with a dust mop or light broom works best.  If any spills happen, wipe them up quickly with a soft cloth.  Never use water or harsh chemicals like bleach.

So remember, the stone in your house is more than decoration.  It is an investment.  So take care of it.  Know what you can do and what you can't.  And if you need any stone care advice, call us.  

This concludes part three of our series. For more information, please be sure to read part one and part two as well.

Morris Cleaning & Restoration
1007 N.Sepulveda Blvd. #1204
Manhattan Beach, CA 90267
(310) 545-8750
http://www.morriscarpetcleaning.com

Natural Stone Care Part 2: Granite and Slate

Part two of a series on natural stone care explores granite and slate.

What is Granite?

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Natural stone care always focuses on the type of stone first.  Granite requires different care than anything calcium based such as travertine, limestone or marble.  What is granite? According to this excerpt from WIKIPEDIA:

"Granite /ˈɡrænɨt/ is a common type of felsic intrusive igneous rock which is granular and phaneritic in texture. The word "granite" comes from the Latin granum, a grain, in reference to the coarse-grained structure of such a holocrystalline rock. The term 'granite' also applies to a group of intrusive igneous rocks with similar textures and slight variations on composition and origin. These rocks mainly consist of feldspar, quartz, mica, and amphibole minerals. These form interlocking somewhat equigranular matrix of felddspar and quartz with scattered darker biotite mica and amphibole (often hornblende) peppering the lighter color minerals. SOURCE ARTICLE

Granite, like all natural stone is very porous.  You may wish to seal your stone with an impregnating stone sealer to close up the pores, otherwise, you run the risks of staining your stone.  Regardless of whether your stone is sealed however, make sure you clean any spills immediately.  Granite is used around sinks, in kitchen islands, bathrooms, backsplashes, stone surrounds, and other areas of the home.  But what about slate?

Slate Cleaning Tips

Here are some tips on how to clean slate.  First off, regular cleaning. Remove any loose dirt first. The best ways? Use a duster, light broom, or dry mop. A few drops of a pH neutral dishwashing soap mixed with two cups of water makes an excellent cleaning solution because it is not chemically reactive. Don't use hard brushes though. Soft rags or mops work best. Towel dry when you're done.

So remember, know your stone. That way you the proper steps to take to keep your stone surround, backsplash or tile looking it's very best. This is the proper way of natural stone care.

This concludes part two of our series. For more information, please be sure to read part one and part three as well.

Morris Cleaning & Restoration
1007 N.Sepulveda Blvd. #1204
Manhattan Beach, CA 90267
(310) 545-8750
http://www.morriscarpetcleaning.com

Natural Stone Care Part 1: Marble and Travertine

Part one of a series on natural stone care explores travertine and marble.

What is Travertine?

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What is travertine?  From Wikipedia: Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, especially hot springs. Travertine often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, and cream-colored varieties. It is formed by a process of rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate, often at the mouth of a hot spring or in a limestone cave. In the latter, it can form stalactites, stalagmites, and other speleothems. It is frequently used in Italy and elsewhere as a building material. Travertine is a terrestrial sedimentary rock, formed by the precipitation of carbonate minerals from solution in ground and surface waters, and/or geothermally heated hot-springs." SOURCE ARTICLE

Travertine has a tendency to be a softer stone, so you don't want to grind it.  One key part of care for travertine is to get professional stone sealing done.  Stone sealing helps to impregnate the stone with a liquid proof seal that helps to repel stains and protect your floor against damage.  But what about Marble

Natural Stone Care and Marble

Marble is a harder stone, and you actually can grind it and do stone honing, and polish it with coarse grit buffers, however there is a bit of a warning where marble's concerned.  Don't spill anything acidic on it, even something fairly innocuous like coffee or orange juice, or it will literally eat away at your stone.  Like travertine, you can seal marble to protect it from both stains and damage, which considering how much fine marble can cost, is probably a good idea.

So remember, knowing what you can and can't do with your stone will save you a lot of trouble as well as a lot of money.  When in doubt call in a stone care service.

This concludes part one of our series.  For more information, please be sure to read part two and part three as well.

Morris Cleaning & Restoration
1007 N.Sepulveda Blvd. #1204
Manhattan Beach, CA 90267
(310) 545-8750
http://www.morriscarpetcleaning.com