INFOMENTENANTA

Maintaining natural stone-clad surfaces

Natural stone cladding needs maintenance; maintenance depends on the type of stone, the finish, and environmental and traffic factors.

Surface maintenance is a set of post-treatment tasks (cleaning, sealing, coating) carried out daily or periodically to preserve the stone’s look and properties, and to keep the cladding clean.

Recommended maintenance solutions

138. A maintenance solution for natural stone, wood, or laminate cladding – Floorshine. It has a dual function, cleaning and protecting. Recommended for unpolished natural stone cladding indoors.

139. Neutral detergents – Waxwash and Stonewash, designed for cleaning all types of stone, any finish, indoors and outdoors.

General recommendations for properly maintaining natural stone cladding:

• use trivets for hot items; repeated thermal shock can cause surface damage

• don’t leave metal objects on stone surfaces – they can rust and damage the stone

• immediately remove splashes of corrosive substances

• rinse the cladding with fresh water after washing with detergent, but don’t let water sit on the stone surface; any seepage that occurs can damage the cladding

• don’t use powders or creams to clean stone surfaces; these are abrasive and scratch surfaces

• treat the stone periodically, based on its type and finish. Cleaning, sealing, coating, and color-revitalizing treatments need to be carried out periodically.

• only use professional solutions, and avoid ad-hoc ones made up from empirical methods or forum advice. Certain solutions can be fatal to stone. Other solutions based on vinegar, lemon juice, or other acids can dull surfaces or corrode them.