THE STONE MAINTENANCE CYCLE

Stone is a natural material which should be cared for with proper

maintenance procedures. Once the stone is installed, it will always go

through a natural life-cycle. To prepare for this cycle, precise

maintenance schedules must be developed to care for your type of stone.

Two main factors that should be considered when designing a maintenance

program are the hardness and absorbency of the stone. These factors will

help decide which chemicals, pads, brushes, and equipment are necessary

to maintain the stone.

The Stone Maintenance Cycle is comprised of three segments:

I. Preventive Maintenance

-Protecting the interior of the stone with a Penetrating Sealer.

-Proper walk-off entrance matting.

-Understanding your stone, chemicals, and procedures.

II. Maintenance

-Dust Mopping with clean rayon mops.

-Properly laundering and caring for mops.

-Wet mopping

-Repairing pits and cracks with epoxy or glues.

-Prompt spill pick-ups to prevent etching and staining.

-Powder or liquid polishing to revive polished finishes.

-Reabsorbing stains with poultice powders.

III. Restoration

-Resurfacing the stone with a diamond abrasive program

to remove scratches, abrasions, and traffic patterns.

-Deep cleaning the pores of honed, flamed, or ground floors.