| Office buildings have many types of flooring and | | | | resistant requiring granite to be polished mechanically |
| growing in popularity are stone floors. Stone floors | | | | using superfine abrasives. The re-polishing of granite is |
| give buildings a classic and upscale image. Popular | | | | a slow process as compared to re-polishing a marble |
| choices in flooring these days are natural surfaces | | | | floor.At times the floor will have been so neglected it |
| including marble, slate, granite, and terrazzo. As more | | | | may need restoration. A properly restored stone |
| and more buildings are installing stone floors there is a | | | | floor will have no lippage (where one edge of a stone |
| growing need for cleaning contractors who have the | | | | is higher than adjacent edges, giving the stone a |
| experience and knowledge to take care of these | | | | ragged appearance), will look better and be easier to |
| valued surfaces properly. Learning the tricks of stone | | | | clean. The restoration process is best handled by |
| floor care can lead to extra income and profit for | | | | professionals. Improved technology has made the |
| your cleaning company.Before expanding into the | | | | restoration process faster and with a restored floor |
| area of stone floor care make sure that you | | | | maintenance costs will go down while the overall |
| understand the differences in the types of flooring | | | | appearance of the floor will go up.Stone itself has a |
| and how to design a maintenance program to keep | | | | porosity factor (materials can pass through it) and |
| stone floors looking their best. It helps to develop a | | | | some stones absorb stains faster than other types |
| relationship with a distributor that has quality products | | | | of stone. A high quality impregnator can help prevent |
| and can help you with technical support.The first step | | | | stains from passing through and being absorbed into |
| in any floor maintenance program is finding out what | | | | the stone. Impregnators can be water resistant, or |
| type of stone you're dealing with. Stone floors are | | | | water, grease and oil resistant. The specific |
| broken down into one of two categories: stone that | | | | impregnator to use will depend on your specific |
| contains calcium and those that do not contain | | | | situation.The most important part of your stone floor |
| calcium. It is important to note that acids will attack | | | | care program will be the use of a quality stone soap. |
| and etch stone that contains calcium.If the floor is | | | | A high quality soap will clean and enrich the stone, |
| not coated on the surface, a simple test can | | | | which will make it more soil and stain resistant. This is |
| determine what type of stone you are dealing with. | | | | not an area to be cutting costs!Quarterly cleaning is |
| Place a drop of hydrochloric acid in an inconspicuous | | | | recommended for commercial stone floors. This will |
| area and watch the reaction. If the acid fizzes the | | | | not only remove any built in soil, but will also remove |
| stone contains calcium. If there is no reaction, the | | | | stone soap build-up. This is an important step as |
| stone is most likely granite, slate, sandstone or some | | | | most stone soaps are non-rinse. Because of this dirt |
| type of ceramic that has been designed to look like | | | | can build up in the grout lines, even when you are |
| natural stone.Your second step is to decide what | | | | following a floor maintenance program. An intensive |
| type of results you want with your floor program. | | | | cleaning should also be used if you have an |
| Do you want a polished surface, a slip resistant floor | | | | extremely dirty floor.Other stone surfaces that may |
| or a floor program that is easy to manage? Any | | | | need extra care are countertops, vanities and vertical |
| stone floor program should also take into account the | | | | surfaces, such as pillars. A good relationship with a |
| type of surface - polished, honed or textured. Also, | | | | distributor of quality products will help you in deciding |
| remember that stone is a product of nature and | | | | which chemicals you'll need to use to clean these |
| should be admired for its inconsistencies. The | | | | surfaces.If you have buildings with stone floors, your |
| imperfections of stone create random patterns, | | | | first step is to develop a quality stone floor care |
| which is what makes natural stone so desirable.When | | | | program. Spending a little time and effort before |
| looking at how you should maintain stone floors, both | | | | beginning your stone floor program will save you |
| calcium containing and non-calcium containing stone | | | | headaches and keep the floor looking its best. Your |
| floors should be maintained in identical ways except | | | | customer will be happy and your bank account will |
| when it comes to re-polishing. A marble floor | | | | grow!Copyright 2006 The Janitorial StoreSteve |
| develops wear patterns faster as marble is a softer | | | | Hanson is co-founding member of |
| stone. You can polish marble, limestone and terrazzo | | | | TheJanitorialStore.com, an online community for |
| effectively with superfine abrasives you mix with | | | | owners and managers of cleaning companies who |
| potassium oxalate or oxalic acid. These are typical | | | | want to build a more profitable and successful |
| compounds available in various ready to use | | | | cleaning business. Sign up for Trash Talk: Tip of the |
| formulas.Granite floors, on the other hand, are acid | | | | Week at and receive a Free Gift. |