Limestone

The do’s and don’ts of Limestone Floor Cleaning

Limestone flooring is a popular choice for both homes and businesses, prized for its natural beauty and durability. However, limestone is also a porous material that requires careful handling to maintain its appearance and integrity. Understanding the do’s and don’ts of limestone floor cleaning is essential to ensure your floors stay in pristine condition for years to come. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you navigate the care of your limestone floors.

Do: Use the Right Cleaning Products

  1. pH-Neutral Cleaners: Always use a pH-neutral cleaner when cleaning limestone. Acidic or highly alkaline products can etch the surface, causing permanent damage.
  2. Soft Mops and Cloths: Use soft mops, cloths, or sponges to clean limestone floors. Hard bristles or abrasive tools can scratch and wear down the limestone.

Don’t: Use Acidic Cleaning Solutions

  1. Avoid Vinegar and Lemon: Home remedies like vinegar or lemon juice might be great for other purposes, but they can severely damage limestone due to their acidic nature.
  2. No Ammonia or Bleach: Harsh chemicals like ammonia or bleach can discolor limestone and weaken its structural integrity.

Do: Clean Spills Immediately

  1. Blot Spills: Limestone is particularly susceptible to staining. Clean spills promptly by blotting—never wiping as this can spread the spill. Use a damp cloth with a pH-neutral cleaner for best results.
  2. Regular Spot Cleaning: Address any dirty spots or stains immediately to prevent them from setting and becoming more difficult to remove.

Don’t: Let Stains Set

  1. Avoid Delay: Leaving spills, especially those from acidic substances like coffee, wine, and fruit juices, can permanently stain limestone floors.
  2. No Harsh Scrubbing: While it’s important to clean up spills quickly, harsh scrubbing can scratch the limestone. Always use gentle motions and suitable cleaning tools.

Do: Implement Preventative Measures

  1. Use Entrance Mats: Place mats at all entrances to reduce the amount of dirt and sand that may scratch the limestone.
  2. Furniture Pads: Attach felt pads to the legs of furniture to prevent scratches when items are moved across the floor.

Don’t: Overlook Regular Maintenance

  1. Skipping Regular Cleaning: Regular dusting and damp mopping are crucial to prevent dirt buildup that can scratch and dull the surface of the limestone.
  2. Limestone Sealing: Limestone should be sealed periodically to protect it from stains and wear. Check the sealer’s condition annually and reapply as needed.

Do: Seek Professional Help for Deep Cleaning

  1. Annual Check-ups: Even with regular maintenance, having a professional evaluate and deep clean your limestone floors annually can help maintain their beauty and longevity.
  2. Expert Restoration: For heavily stained or damaged floors, professionals can provide limestone restoration services that are often more effective and safer than DIY methods.

Caring for limestone floors doesn’t have to be daunting. By following these do’s and don’ts, you can ensure your limestone remains beautiful and functional for many years. Regular maintenance, using the right cleaning products, and timely intervention for spills and stains are key. If you’re unsure about how to handle a specific issue, or if your floors are in need of professional attention, don’t hesitate to call in the experts, especially if you are based in areas like Gloucestershire or the Cotswolds. Remember, proper care today means lasting beauty and durability for your limestone floors tomorrow

Posted by William Gardner

Limestone floor refurbishment in Kencot, Lechlade

Limestone floor refurbishment

Upon arrive to undertake the Limestone floor refurbishment is was obvious that the Limestone throughout the ground floor had lost its shine & protective layer.

To start the Limestone floor refurbishment, we started by removing the dirt, grime & remains of the original seal and deep cleaned the stone & grout.

This Limestone floor and grout had suffered a small area of etching damage from a oven cleaner spill. We started by removing the spoiled stone, neutralised the acid, then honed & polished the etching so that it blended with the surrounding floor tiles.

The next stage of the process is to apply a sealer into the stone and grout which enables the floor to become water repellent once again. The final stage in process was to apply a low shine polish which enabled the natural features of the limestone floor to be brought out.

Posted by Bruce Swait

Builders clean: Professional Limestone cleaning

Professional Limestone cleaning, sometimes even the most diligent builder doesn’t possess the correct skills and equipment to finish and otherwise well installed natural stone floor. We were asked to attend this property in Gloucestershire near Tewkesbury to assess the floor as the owner was unable to maintain it to the degree she would like.

After a closer look we discovered that although the floor had received an application of sealer the stone was not fully repellent thereby making cleaning attempts ineffective. The professional Limestone cleaning process would enable us to fix this.

Once we had fully stripped and cleaned the floor we were able to apply the The correct professional sealer for this type of limestone and re-finish the floor to create the look they only wanted and improving their ability to maintain it themselves.

Don’t give up on your natural stone floor if you are struggling to keep it clean or if it doesn’t look quite as you think it should. In almost all instances we can improve and restore the floor to estate that will enable you to maintain and enjoy it.

Limestone floor cleaningLimestone floor cleaningPlease contact us to see how we can help you get your floor back to new!

Posted by Bruce Swait

Cleaning & polishing Roche Marron Limestone

It’s always a pleasure to work with a high quality natural stone. Artisans of Devizes Roche Marron Limestone is a beautiful natural material that has a partial resemblance to Cotswold stone.

This Roche Marron Limestone floor had had years of family use and was in need of some TLC. The home in a small village on the outskirts of Cheltenham have been very well maintained but the floor had gone beyond what was possible to restore domestically. Standard lost that shine and the grout lines had become very dirty.

Once we’d carefully removed all the old seals and soils from the stone and grout lines, we set about naturally polishing the limestone tiles with diamond abrasives. Making the stone shine naturally stops the need for acrylic varnish styled sealers that prevent the stone from breathing. Naturally polished stone gives a more robust and attractive finish to the stone.

If you’d like to talk to us about re-finishing and cleaning your stone floor please get in contact

Posted by Bruce Swait

Sealing & protecting limestone 

Sealing and protecting limestone: Cotswold Stone Floor Cleaners were fortunate to be asked to help with the finishing on this beautiful project. The floor installers had sealed the stone making it fully serviceable but it lacking a little something;

limestone fully sealed, but looking a little dry

limestone fully sealed, but looking a little dry

 

We set to work applying a polish by hand to allow us to enhance the natural beauty of each individual limestone tile.

Polishing & sealing natural limestone floor tiles

Polishing & sealing natural limestone floor tiles

treated tiles closest to the glazing

Treated tiles closest to the glazing

If you think your stone floor could do with a lift, why not get in contact.

01242 577557

Posted by Bruce Swait
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