Limestone flooring: Is it right for your home?

Before I go on too far I will be covering what you need to know about Limestone, if it’s right for your home and what to ask the company you find. The sections are headed bold so head to what you want to know! 

Is it time to renovate and add some beauty to your home, and so now you are considering updating the floor by using limestone. What a wonderful idea! Limestone comes in many different colours, grains and textures and can be styled in many different ways. From modern contemporary chic to warm, charming and rustic – limestone flooring brings brilliance in ways that other types of floors cannot.

Installing new limestone floors can add a lot of value to your property as well! If you consider your property an investment, limestone floors will undoubtedly add to the resale value of the home.

So what do you need to know about Limestone flooring & is it right for your home:

1. Limestone is a soft stone and requires regular home maintenance. Over time, the floor will start to wear out, and dirt will start to stick easier. Cleaning with a neutral pH cleaning solution and regularly polishing with sealers will increase the longevity of your floor.
2. If you forget to add felt pads, the legs of your furniture can easily scratch limestone. We recommend getting professionals to pad your furniture. Often we see that DIY felt pads from the hardware store last just a few weeks. Getting our service will ensure that no accidental scratches will happen!
3. Location, location, location! If you want to keep your limestone floor in good shape, choosing the right space is essential. A flooring company with a lot of experience and knowledge (like us!) will advise you to keep limestone out of the bathroom. Limestone doesn’t tolerate frequent moisture very well. Over time you may notice a buildup of limescale, similar to the buildup we find in our kettles. However, the only safe way to remove this lime scale is to grind the stone down and refinish it. A better place to show off that beautiful limestone would be in your foyer, hallways and the living room.

When I find a company, what should I ask and look for?

Finding the right company to install your floor is essential. Stone floors are a speciality! You wouldn’t go to a General Practitioner for an extensive cardiac procedure, so don’t just go to any ole’ floor store for limestone floors! Remember this is an investment! You want to make sure you have found people that have experience with stone floors specifically. The right folks will make sure their staff is up to date on the latest stone floor training, and their equipment will be top notch.

Tip 1:

Don’t be afraid to ask for references and pictures of recent jobs they have accomplished! The right company will have plenty of happy customers to pick from to ask for a review.

Tip 2:

Pick a company that has plenty of experience. You want someone who has seen it all and done it all!

Tip 3:

Ask them about their equipment. We are especially proud of the machines we work with! We use the best cleaning equipment after installation and for deep cleaning jobs. Many people work with portable machines. They have to stop every few minutes, dump out the dirty water and fill them up at the client’s sink. Thankfully we don’t have that inconvenience! We use our van-mounted machine and we bring our own water in tanks.

Tip 4:

Ask about what level of sheen they are aiming to achieve. You may be surprised to hear that you don’t want the highest level of shine for limestone floors! Weird right? Soft stone polished to our shiniest level would be slippery, and it would lose that shine in under 6 months. Instead, we shoot for a high sheen polish that will be easier to clean and maintain. We do this by using diamond encrusted pads with different levels of grit to achieve the right polish and shine.

Tip 5:

Ask if all the tiles from the same batch. Limestone is so unique; if you get tiles from multiple sources, it will be challenging to match it perfectly.

Tip 6:

Ask if the tiles will have a seal. The surface of most limestone tiles has pores. A proper seal assures that the stone will not absorb everything it comes into contact with. Sealed tiles are therefore easier to clean. If the seller you are working with is trying to sell you unsealed tiles, or attempts to charge extra for sealer… it is time to find a more reputable seller!

Here is a short Video on our process: 

How your stone floor will be cleaned by a professional:

How do professional cleaners clean tiled floors?

The training that goes into learning about stone floors:

Stone floor Restoration: How do we know how?  

 

For further advice or information on our Carpet and Soft Furnishing care, please do not hesitate to contact the Art of Clean team on 01223 901551 in Cambridge. Our services include Carpet Cleaning, Upholstery Cleaning, oriental and area Rug Cleaning, Curtain Cleaning, Patio, and Driveway Pressure washing, Leather Cleaning, Stone and Tile Floor Cleaning, and Wood Floor Sanding and Restoration. We also supply new flooring and carpets through our sister company Art of Flooring. Our Dry-Cleaning service is provided by Farthings Cambridge