Use And Care Manual

Mountain Morning GT06 tile shown
TILE CARE & MAINTENANCE PAGE 3 OF 7
TILE CARE &
MAINTENANCE
NATURAL STONE (continued)
Once the stone has been cleaned, you can periodically
apply a spray-bu wax-type oor nish to enhance
the beauty and luster of polished stone (including
countertops). Apply the nish with a spray applicator
and bu immediately with a white nylon pad. Reapply
as often as needed, depending on volume of surface
trac and consistency of routine maintenance
program. This product is not designed to restore the
original shine, but is intended to maintain and protect
the original shine.
Heavy-Duty Stone Cleaning
When some areas have been neglected, you will need
to use a heavy-duty non-hazardous and non-polluting
stone cleaner and degreaser to eectively remove dirt,
grease, grime, waxes and oor nishes. An optimal
heavy-duty cleaner should contain low percentages of
VOCs. These cleaning products are concentrated and
designed to deep clean the stone without damaging it.
Apply the solution of the cleaner and water mixed to
manufacturer’s instructions to the stone surface with
a sponge or mop. Allow setting for the manufacturer’s
specied amount of time. Agitate with a sponge,
synthetic mop, and soft bristle brush or through the use
of a oor scrubbing machine.
Mop up dirty solution and bu dry. Be sure to change
out the cleaning solution every 100 square feet to avoid
reintroducing dirty water during the cleaning process.
Rinse thoroughly with clean water when nished. After
cleaning you may apply the spray-bu wax-type oor
nish to enhance the natural shine.
Stain Removal
Stone poultice will remove stains and grout haze from
stone. Poultice is a ne, nonacidic, absorptive clay
cleaning powder that removes deep-set oil stains,
grease and light cementitious grout haze from polished
and unpolished Natural Stone.
CAUTION: Poultice may dull the shine of the polished
stone. If this occurs you will need to use a marble
polish to restore the natural shine.
Restoration
If a marble nish has become dull, scratched or etched,
you can restore the natural shine through the use of
a marble polish. Some marble polishes are available
in kits. The process can be enhanced with the use of
oor bung machines. The process is generally a re-
crystallization process to remove ne scratches and
restore the original shine and polish to the stone. This is
not an application of a topical sealer or wax to cover-up
damaged or worn surfaces.
NATURAL STONE NEW INSTALLATIONS
Sealing is strongly recommended for newly installed
marble and other Natural Stone to provide maximum
below surface stain protection. Immediately after
Natural Stone has been installed and grouted, the new
installation should be covered with brown paper to
protect it from debris during the remaining construction
process. The protective brown paper should remain in
place until construction is completed and the area is
opened to intended (post-construction) use.
Pre-Grout Sealing
A non-sanded grout is strongly recommended for
Natural Stone installations due to the narrow grout
joints customarily preferred. This type of grout has very
ne particles of cement, polymers and color pigments
that can penetrate the microscopic pores of the stone
surface where they become trapped and appear as a
stain in the stone. Therefore, all travertine, slate, tumbled
stone and honed/amed/unpolished granite should be
sealed prior to the grouting process to protect them
from staining. The application of a good quality sealer
should be used as a grout sealer and applied again as
the nal sealing process once the installation is nished.