Use And Care Manual

TILE CARE &
MAINTENANCE
Ballatore Beat BL03 tile shown
CARE & MAINTENANCE GUIDE PAGE 3 OF 7
NATURAL STONE (continued)
Once the stone has been cleaned, you can periodically
apply a spray-buff wax-type oor nish to enhance
the beauty and luster of polished stone (including
countertops). Apply the nish with a spray applicator
and buff immediately with a white nylon pad. Reapply as
often as needed, depending on volume of surface traf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 effectively 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 buff 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-buff 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 buf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.