Sealing Stone Floors
Today we answer the question: How To Seal Stone Floors. But first, let’s give you a bit of background on what sealing a stone floor actually means.
Stone floor sealing is an essential task to enhance your natural and engineered stone surfaces. Sealing your stone floor doesn’t have to be a laborious task and only needs to be done every 2-3 years, more in very high traffic areas or businesses, but it will make a huge difference to both the colour quality and stain resistance of your stone floor investment.
It is very much worth mentioning at this point that old stone floors would have never been sealed and yet maintain their beauty over generations. That said, the all-natural stone is porous to an extent and to stand up to the tests of modern life it’s best to seal your stone surfaces to improve their stain resistance and enhance their natural beauty.
Ultimately you will have a better-looking floor that is sure to last a lifetime.
The stone floor sealers that we offer are largely Italian made and of incredible quality, giving you peace of mind when maintaining your precious stone floors.
The different types of sealers that we offer are known as ‘impregnating’ or ‘penetrating’ sealers. This means that they permeate the surface of the stone through its micro-pores. Other, cheaper, sealers sit on the top of the surface and so are known as ‘topical’.
The benefit of impregnating sealers, aside from offering much better all-around protection is that they last a lot longer – stone sealers that simply sit on the top of the stone and worn away by foot traffic and general everything cleaning.
How To Seal Stone Floors – A Guide
- Firstly, before sealing, make sure the stone surface is dry and has been for at least 12 hours.
- Mask off any skirting boards or surfaces you are not applying the sealer too so that they are protected.
- It is of all importance that you ensure your floor is clean before applying your sealant. Whatever you seal in is there to stay, so be diligent with making sure every last piece of debris is vacuumed up.
- Liberally apply your desired sealant. The best way to seal your floor is to spray the sealant onto the surface with a fine, low-pressure spray until the surface it wet. Allow the sealer to penetrate the surface for between 5-15 minutes before spreading evenly with the use of a quality Flat Mop. Paintbrushes are also effective but take a little more time, the benefit of a paintbrush is that you can make sure you have every last inch of the floor is covered.
- It is important to remove any excess sealer from the surface before allowing the floor to dry. The first coat needs to be left to dry for around 6-12 hours; preferably overnight, but do check with the individual sealer you have used as each brand is different. Subsequent coats can be re-applied after an hour or so and for the very best results, 2-3 coats are advised.
- If the sealer wasn’t completely wiped off and you see a residue, wipe the excess with a towel that has been dampened with the sealer. Use a white nylon pad to loosen the residue before following with a clean, dry, white absorbent towel to remove it fully.
- Your sealer will be fully cured between 24-48 hours and the floor can be walked on 4 hours after the last coat has been applied.
- Once dry, the floor can be buffed if you should so wish to give a slight sheen.
For heavy traffic areas and businesses, re-sealing should take place every 2-3 years. !
Stone Sealers From KleanSTONE…
Gleaming floors inspire confidence and style in any setting, whether domestic or commercial. Here at KleanSTONE, we supply advanced floor cleaning solutions to help you achieve a spotlessly clean, perfectly finished floor without the elbow grease.
Our stone floor cleaners tackle spills, stains and everyday grime with ease for a healthier, happier home or work environment.
Our products extend the lifespan of your flooring with powerful, effective cleaning that is gentle enough to use every day and perfect for floors in your home or business, inside and out.
Aside from offering a range of products for stone floor cleaning, we love to share our knowledge and experience from our years helping customers succeed at extending the lifespan of your floors.
Read more on the KleanSTONE Blog, explore our Help & Guides or download our range of Cleaning Guides and learn more about how to care for your natural and engineered stone floors so that they last a lifetime!
Further Reading on the KleanSTONE Blog:
- A KleanSTONE Guide To Stone Flooring
- Which Floor Sealer Is Right For Me?
- Should I Seal My Outside Patio?
- Floor Sealing: The Most Important Thing You Are Not Doing
- Cleaning Quarry Tile Floors
- How To Seal Your Stone Floors
- Is My Mop And Bucket Damaging My Stone Floor?
- How Do I Clean My Natural Stone Floor?
- KleanSTONE, The Pet Safe Floor Cleaner
- What is Travertine?
- Everything You Need To Know About Your Slate Floor…