If you look at the trends in exterior home design over the last ten, or even fifteen years, you’ll see a common feature; natural stone. To care for your flooring and protect your investment, you need a natural stone sealing company that knows the correct methods for your specific kind of stone and area.
However, it does have a very porous nature, which makes it very susceptible to the absorption of oil, liquid, and other grime. This timeless flooring option works with a range of looks, is robust and as a result, extremely popular in homes of all types.
Enviro Clean and Capture is that company, and to prove it, we have created the ultimate guide to natural stone sealing. This will provide you with some vital information about natural stone, whether you have granite, marble, limestone or any other variety.
Unsealed natural stone leads to degradation, and the proper natural stone sealing process is vital to ensure maximum longevity. The benefits of proper natural stone sealing have been proven repeatedly, read on to learn everything there is to know about its benefits.
Why you need to seal your natural stone
It should come as no surprise that your property is an investment and everything you do to it affects its value. If you have natural stone as your flooring, you want to ensure it looks great and maintains its current form for as long as possible.
This can be easy to achieve if you use advanced sealers, but many homeowners fail to know which varieties these are.
Some of the most popular natural stone options include:
Marble
- Sandstone
- Travertine
- Limestone
- Granite
- Terracotta
- Bluestone
- Basalt
- Slate
As natural stone specialists, our team is skilled and licensed in a range of sealing solutions. This knowledge is crucial to finding the right sealer to work with your specific natural stone elements. This is the key to not only longevity of the stone’s quality, but maintaining its aesthetic.
Protecting your natural stone involves cleaning and sealing
It may sound like natural stone is a lot of work, but it doesn’t have to be. Sure, it requires regular cleaning and sealing, but these actions are not time-consuming when performed as a routine. This is even more so the case if you hand the task over to a professional. Natural stone sealing also makes the cleaning task a lot easier and more efficient!
You can enhance and protect your natural stone with a high-quality sealer and in-depth cleaning, and it only needs to happen a few times a year to reduce extra maintenance. The goal is to ensure your natural stone is protected from day-to-day use, extreme weather and any other spills.
The beauty of a natural stone is unlike any other, and a high quality clean and polish enhances this look while also extending the lifetime of its robust elements. This is particularly pertinent in a commercial setting. You always want your business to look its best, and you likely see a lot of foot traffic each day.
The maintenance of these surfaces can often be forgotten, especially considering the range of tasks you need to do for your business. Outsource the task and enjoy the benefits provided by our professional team to ensure your business’s visual appeal is never something you have to worry about.
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Natural Stone Cleaning with help from Enviro Clean and Capture
As natural stone cleaning experts with years of experience, our team provides a high-quality, tech-based approach. Why is this important? The incorrect cleaning and sealing process can cause more harm than good. This is why help from professionals is more valuable than just time saved. You can tap into our natural stone knowledge and access the correct cleaning tools and materials.
The DIY approach does not always allow for these important elements. Our assistance can be of substantial benefit to the lifetime of your natural stone. We service locations all throughout Sydney and Newcastle with after-hour service to ensure your schedule is uninterrupted.
DIY vs professional when it comes to natural stone
We understand the theory behind a DIY task. Save money, take control of the task to ensure it is done right, etc. The issue is, there isn’t much room for error when it comes to natural stone. Bringing out the best in your stone is the key to a stunning and timeless look, and many homeowners often struggle with the task without even realising it.
You may think you have performed an adequate amount of cleaning or the correct sealing process, but the stone’s porous nature, makes things trickier than you will realise. Dirt, stains and even bacteria are big risks when it comes to natural stone, and it takes the right training, equipment and cleaning products to combat them.
Enviro Clean and Capture use proven techniques and the latest cleaning technology which most DIY homeowners do not have access to. Troublesome and stubborn stains do not stand a chance when it comes to our proven processes, that have created our stunning portfolio of work all across Sydney.
Another aspect of DIY that is often forgotten is time. How valuable is your time to you? Do you attach a dollar figure to it? Is it more important than that as your downtime is time for your family and passions? Never forget to consider your time saving when hiring professionals. Natural stone sealing via a DIY process compared to a professional one will often take a significant amount of extra time.
How to bring the life back into your natural stone
Inevitably, your stone will wear over time, even with the right amount of cleaning and sealing. The goal of professional natural stone cleaning is to slow this process to a whimper. The cost or replacement is significant, and these processes help to put as much time in between you and that requirement as possible.
If your natural stone is looking worn, there are ways to bring it back to a more preferred aesthetic by a significant amount. Our expert sealers can assess your situation, and find the best solution for you.
We have many cases where customers have called with the natural stone they think is unsaveable only to be thrilled when our team refreshes and renews it. It is the most cost-effective way to make it seem as though you have had new flooring installed.
Our environmentally-responsible cleaning is tailored to the needs of your stone. Each variety of natural stone encounters different issues. Some are more prone to oil, other to scuff marks. We assess this based on the stone type, size of the area and its primary usage. For example, flooring with heavy foot traffic requires a different treatment to that which may have vehicles driving and parking on it.
Every Enviro Clean and Capture job is tailored and completed to the highest standards. We save you the trouble of choosing the sealer and ensure the correct process of application to guarantee it will do its job.
Not all-natural stone is sealed when installed
This is a huge pitfall for property owners. They think that their natural stone is automatically sealed correctly when it is first installed. Many times, this is not the case, and it spells bad news for your new stone very quickly. It’s the equivalent of buying a new car and driving it out of the lot without insurance. You want to protect your asset, especially when it is brand new.
The second pitfall is understanding how long your particular sealant should last. The various sealers for exterior natural stone are at the mercy of constant foot traffic and the elements. Location determines the speed of degradation and understanding this is key to knowing how often you need to reseal your stone.
As your sealing wears off, your natural stone is prone to less stain repellency, dust reduction, abrasion and chemical resistance. One rule you can rely on is that your as-new appearance is dependent on regular sealing.
The cost of natural stone sealing
We’re sure that you understand the importance of natural stone sealing by this point but are waiting for us to get to the kicker; cost. Budget is always a significant factor, but it is vital to think of your sealing as an investment.
The high cost of replacing damaged flooring pales in comparison to regular sealing. When it comes to pricing, the total cost will vary based on the amount of natural stone you need to seal, along with the specific sealants you’ll require. The final consideration is size; it will come as no surprise that a large patio will cost more to seal than a small courtyard.
Enviro Clean and Capture offer competitive rates and the most cost-effective sealants on the market. We strongly recommend obtaining a no-obligation quote before making any decisions. You may be surprised at how cost-efficient the process of natural stone sealing is!
The post-seal aesthetic of your natural stone
Another consideration to focus on is the aesthetic sealing leaves on the finished look of your natural stone. While some stone types will be affected more than others, the type of sealer you apply does play a role. Chemically reactive sealers have the lowest impact, while solvent-based acrylic resin sealers enhance any colours present in your stone due to the wet, high-gloss finish.
In some cases, there is the option for a water-based acrylic resin sealer with a satin finish, but all of this will be determined by the type of stone you have, its current condition, and the level of protection required when considering its location.
How to know when to apply sealer
If you have just installed your natural stone flooring, it is vital that it is sealed straight away.
If you have existing flooring that has been sealed, it is important to know the rough time frames for when reapplication is due. Run a test by placing a small amount of water on the surface of your stone and allow it to sit for around 15 minutes. Clean the water off by dabbing with a cloth, and if there is a water stain left on the stone, it will be time for a refresh.
Longevity is determined by two things:
- The type of sealer on your natural stone
- The use of the area it applies to
If you are using a reactive chemical sealer you should expect at least 10 years of protection. An epoxy or urethane sealer can land anywhere between 5 to 10 years. Acrylic-resin sealers offer the shortest amount of protection at 1 to 3 years.
You may be thinking; you’ll just opt for the sealer that offers the longest level or protection then not have to worry about sealing for ten years, right? Unfortunately, it’s not always that easy. The type of sealer determines the level and quality of protection, but they will all degrade at different rates depending on their exposure.
For this reason, you will need to test your sealer as instructed above continually. Our team of experts will always look to find the best, and longest-lasting sealer for your situation.
Are you ready to seal your natural stone?
Speak to the team at Enviro Clean and Capture about your natural stone sealing today. We have years of experience with stone of every type and will always find the most effective sealer for your budget.
We will assess your needs and provide a no-obligation quote for the sealing and sealer best suited to your stone. Let us save you time and ensure a professional level of sealing to protect your flooring today. With Enviro Clean and Capture on the case, you’ll have peace of mind in knowing the job has been done the right way, every time.
