Natural Stone Floor - Stains?

We are 1/2 way through a building extension and have to start making decisions on floor tiles etc. We are going to have underfloor heating in the kitchen and thinking of putting a natural stone floor in.
We've seen some beautiful natural stone floors in Tubs & Tile, both limestone and marble. My question is would people recommend these as good floors and in particular do they stain? We don't want a floor that will stain if the kids spill some coke on it or the adults spill some red wine. I've heard that these floors can be sealed against such stains but does anyone have practical experience of whether this works or not?
All advice is appreciated.

Re: Natural Stone Foor - Stains?

Laid a floor of unfinished Indian slate in the kitchen - completely black stone. Before it was laid, it was washed because the stone had been outside and was a bit grubby and dusty. Slate is porous and the water went straight through!

I got a proprietory floor sealant for natural stone and painted it onto the laid tiles before grouting. Worked a treat as well as sharpening up the colour of the stone.

It survived very well save for the time that there was a heating-oil spill as a result of sloppy plumbing to a stove. This stripped off the sealant and left a visible trail across the floor which required each affected tile to be stripped of remaining sealant and redone.

Re: Natural Stone Foor - Stains?

All natural stone is porous and needs sealed once laid in order to prevent it absorbing liquids and staining. Some sealers are much better than others. Some tile shops sell sealing products that you need to reapply on a yearly or less frequent basis in order to ensure the stone is protected. But some specialist stone dealers sell sealers that are much more permanent and you only really need to seal once – which is a lot less hassle. It is definitely worth investing in these products. In addition to this, depending on the type of stone you are using, a layer of wax will be needed to bring up the natural colour and add gloss/life to the stone. A travertine or limestone might need more wax, while a polished marble would not need any (it would only cause slipping). The wax also acts as an extra layer of protection against stains and absorbing. A buffer machine is recommended for application of the wax – you should be able to hire these out. Alternatively there are many good people whose job it is to go out to your home and apply the wax and buff your floors. As wax is only wax, footfall will cause it to wear away over time. Some people will therefore reapply the wax and buff their floors on a yearly basis. Some just leave it for many years before reapplying. It depends on how you want it to look and be maintained.

Also, you cannot use normal cleaning products on a stone floor as these will only act to strip the wax and sealant and cause damage. You can buy a special stone floor cleaning product that you simply add to warm water in order to mop your floors.

Things like red wine should wipe off easily enough without staining if your floors are properly sealed and waxed and you clean it up quickly. However, liquids like lemon juice, if left on the surface for while will penetrate through and may cause staining (more of a circle where you will see the wax has been removed.)

Just got a good deal on marble tiles and we are considering laying the left overs outside. Is that ok in our mad climate or are we mad to consider it at all? They are 600 x 600mm and 18mm think, very good quality.

If it is a polished marble that you have then it is not recommended to use it outdoors as paving for safety reasons. Polished marble will be very dangerous to walk on when wet – the slip factor would be huge. This is particularly dangerous in Ireland where it rains a lot. Also, if it is a light coloured polished marble it will get dirty very easily and you cannot scrub the marble with regular cleaning products. Are you positive that it is marble that you have – could it be a travertine?

Stone for outdoor use should always be textured to allow some element of grip – a sand-blasted or tumbled marble or travertine would be more suitable for outdoor use, as these will be more slip resistant. If you have one of these then it shouldn’t be a problem. You just need to make sure that it is sealed very well to prevent it absorbing rain and stains. Do you know what kind of marble it is that you have?

Re: Natural Stone Foor - Stains?

Pantone said:

All natural stone is porous and needs sealed once laid in order to prevent it absorbing liquids and staining. Some sealers are much better than others. Some tile shops sell sealing products that you need to reapply on a yearly or less frequent basis in order to ensure the stone is protected. But some specialist stone dealers sell sealers that are much more permanent and you only really need to seal once – which is a lot less hassle. It is definitely worth investing in these products. In addition to this, depending on the type of stone you are using, a layer of wax will be needed to bring up the natural colour and add gloss/life to the stone. A travertine or limestone might need more wax, while a polished marble would not need any (it would only cause slipping). The wax also acts as an extra layer of protection against stains and absorbing. A buffer machine is recommended for application of the wax – you should be able to hire these out. Alternatively there are many good people whose job it is to go out to your home and apply the wax and buff your floors. As wax is only wax, footfall will cause it to wear away over time. Some people will therefore reapply the wax and buff their floors on a yearly basis. Some just leave it for many years before reapplying. It depends on how you want it to look and be maintained.

Also, you cannot use normal cleaning products on a stone floor as these will only act to strip the wax and sealant and cause damage. You can buy a special stone floor cleaning product that you simply add to warm water in order to mop your floors.

Things like red wine should wipe off easily enough without staining if your floors are properly sealed and waxed and you clean it up quickly. However, liquids like lemon juice, if left on the surface for while will penetrate through and may cause staining (more of a circle where you will see the wax has been removed.)

Click to expand...

I have a marble/travertine floor (which is down almost a year). Cant find the tin of sealant used, but some stains have recently appeared so it doesn't appear to be a "permanent" job. you dont by any change know where I could get some of the permanent sealant? I've seen this http://www.therealseal.com/ online but its not local ;-)

Thanks

S.

Pantone said:

Antica in Churchtown, Dublin 14 who are specialists in natural stone, supply some of the best sealers on the market. Most of them only have to be applied once and will last the test of time. However, if you already have stains/marks in your floors to get the best overall finish and protection, you may be advised to get your floors stripped back again and new sealers and waxes applied. Otherwise you might get a blotchy or incomplete job. I’m not sure how your stone floors would be able to absorb new sealant if they have any remaining wax on them. However, Antica can put you in touch with specialists who will do all this work for you, if you don’t fancy it yourself as it can be a lot of work.

By the way, you do know that marble and travertine are two different types of stone and that they are not the same thing? You would be best to work out what exactly it is that you have before trying to treat it. Unfortunately there are some very poor quality travertines on the market at the moment that do not wear well.

Click to expand...

Thanks for those details. I rang Antica but they are closed until the 19th August. Searching online I see links/discussions regarding this product www.drytreat.com. Do you or anybody know if this could be a good alternative. I know it can be got from an outlet in tallaght.

Thanks
S.

Well, I eventually gave Antica a visit. Understandably they committed to no actual recommendations but felt I should give their restorers/sealer a ring to ascertain what the best course of action would be (i.e site visit etc). Sadly they didn't instill any confidence with regard to identifying the actual natural stone from the sample I brought other than most likely marble.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but it sounds like going to alot of work/chasing for something I actually really want to do myself (i.e. how hard can it be?).

Like this wasnt the most expensive tile by comparison (around €60/sq yrd). I think I might just go with the other options on the market, sure they cant be any worse than what I have down todate..

Thanks

S.

Hi Pantone, Sorry for only getting back now. Got distracted in our renovations.

They are creama marfil and defo are marble. Unpolished so slipping won't be a problem. I know I would have to seal them and will be doing this inside anyway.

Just put them down in the bathroom and it's amazing how quickly they stain. The house still being a dusty building site doesn't help.

From what you've said, I take it that as long as i seal them, they should be ok outside?

Pantone said:

If it is a polished marble that you have then it is not recommended to use it outdoors as paving for safety reasons. Polished marble will be very dangerous to walk on when wet – the slip factor would be huge. This is particularly dangerous in Ireland where it rains a lot. Also, if it is a light coloured polished marble it will get dirty very easily and you cannot scrub the marble with regular cleaning products. Are you positive that it is marble that you have – could it be a travertine?

Stone for outdoor use should always be textured to allow some element of grip – a sand-blasted or tumbled marble or travertine would be more suitable for outdoor use, as these will be more slip resistant. If you have one of these then it shouldn’t be a problem. You just need to make sure that it is sealed very well to prevent it absorbing rain and stains. Do you know what kind of marble it is that you have?

Click to expand...