Limestone Cleaning Services in the Houston, College Station and Surrounding Areas:

 Our Limestone cleaning typically involves a intensive cleaner that is very affective, but very gentle on the

stone. We are very careful not to get the stone too wet, because any floor can be water logged or flooded. This is very important because water and soap can hurt or damage your floor by penetrating too deep.      

Surface Cleaner

Surface cleaners come in all different shapes and sizes but all do the same thing. Basically a pressure washer and a vacuum combo. Do you want somebody pressure washing your $20,000+ floor?. I warn you against this machine it can and will open all the pours in your Limestone. It works ok for ceramic or porcelain but if you dont have one of those floors I would steer clear.     

There are alot of other companies that will use surface cleaners which is basically a pressure washer with a vacuum. These machines often open up the pores on soft stones, and for that reason we don't recommend using that on your specialty floor.

Limestone Maintenance Services:

Once you have your Limestone floors done by a professional, the floors should last about 2-6 years depending on traffic and if the floor was sealed correctly. We recommend getting your floors done as needed in that window, and never wait longer than the recommended 6 years.

Types of Limestone Finishes

 Limestone tiles have become more and more popular in home flooring, walls, backslpash, pavers, and around the pool. All Limestone can look uniquely different due to their different finishes. Some of the most popular finishes are honed (matte), tumbled (rough or pitted surface), Brushed (worn or textured suface), or polished (shiny). Your Texas Floor technician should be able to successfully identify which type of Limestone you have and can further advise on how to clean to it's maximum potential. Each Limestone is different and they varry on color, durability, porosity, and density depending on the quarry that it came from. No two Limestone floors are the same so be cautious when a company has a "one size fits all" answer to your floor cleaning plan.

Mistakes We See When Cleaning Limestone 

Cleaning Limestone requires special tools, chemicals, sealers, and protectants to prevent scratching, etching, and permanent staining. If your professional DOES NOT have the right tools, chemicals and expertise he could create a scenario for some fairly signifigant damage to your Limestone stone. CAUTION: never clean Limestone with cleaning products containing lemon, bleach vinegar, or any type of acidic product. Also never use scouring creams and powders. These types of products will etch or scratch Limestone floors and cause costly Limestone restoration services to your budget. Also NEVER clean with high alkaline cleaner as they break down the sealer leaving your floors vulnerable to water stains, etch marks, and other stains. We also NEVER  Recommend using using OxiClean or Mr.Clean Magic Eraser as a cleaner on any type of natural stone. OxiClean and Mr. Clean Magic Eraser have many beneficial uses but using it to clean your Limestone is NOT one of them. All our clients receive a comprehansive Stone Care Guide that address these issues.

The next biggest mistake we see people make is that either home owners or their professional Limestone cleaner will use a generic sealer from the local hardware store that leaves the floor with a sticky residue. The reason for that is because your honed, tumbled or polished Limestone has various different porosities. You will need a sealer that correctly matches your Limestone type. 

 In many instances, when cleaning Limestone that is evev modertly soiled, the process may uncover surface scratches, small holes, and even hairline cracks that are disguised from the soiling. Simmularly, the Limestone maintence cleaning may dislodge filler in the Limestone that is not stable. Our Limestone repair or Limestone honing process wiik adequetly address most of these issues.