Common Issues With Saltillo, Mexican and Terracotta Tile

Tips from the Pros: Choices to Restore Your Slate Floors

Orlando Stone Works has had many homeowners report that they don’t like their slate floors because they seem dirty all the time. Depending on your taste and lifestyle, slate floors can be rather difficult to maintain. You essentially have three choices for the finish you can select from.

The first choice is a natural penetrating sealer. For all practical choices, this will not alter the appearance of the slate whatsoever.

Second is an, enhancer. On most slate tiles, an enhancer will make the colors more vibrant. Very little sheen is achieved with an enhancer.

A third choice would be a topical sealer. With the topical sealer, you will get a glossy finish.

If you have an active lifestyle per-se, a topical sealer will prove to be much more maintenance than you may have bargained for.

The slate floor in these pictures reveal the restoration of a slate floor project we did. The slate floor required stripping to remove the topical sealer still on the floor. Then we cleaned it and allowed it to dry. Next, we sealed it with three generous coats of a high-grade topical sealer.

Removing the topical sealer from all the clefts in a slate floor can be challenging. We educate our customers on the pros and cons of applying the topical sealer to their slate floor. Most would agree the slate floor does catch your attention.

Orlando Stone Works would enjoy being able to assist you in restoring your slate floors to a like new condition. One of our company representatives will be able to help educate you what will best serve your particular needs.  Give us a call today to schedule your free consultation or click here to request a quote.

Limestone Floor Maintenance Mistakes

4 Secrets To Keeping Your Limestone Floors Beautiful

Almost without exception, when homeowners call us about their limestone floors being dirty we discover several key factors that have contributed to the problem.

The picture of this customer’s limestone floor is the result of another company who had just cleaned and sealed the limestone tile floor two weeks ago.

As the picture reveals, the limestone still looks soiled and very unappealing. Ironically, this company had spent almost six hours in the customer’s home to achieve these dismal results, which only consisted of a master bath.

 

Obviously, while this company claims to be an expert at cleaning and sealing limestone tile floors, the results show otherwise. Unfortunately, cleaning by itself was not going to achieve the results this customer desired. This is a huge misconception by many homeowners. Because limestone is extremely porous when not properly sealed, it will soil rapidly and most often require some level of honing the limestone tile to restore it to a like new condition.

Our process involved, honing and cleaning the limestone tile floor and grout. Next, we applied a high quality penetrating sealer.

Its imperative that a high quality penetrating sealer be liberally applied on a honed limestone. We apply the penetrating sealer quite liberally on limestone so everyday traffic does not prematurely create these issues for customers.

In Summary the 4 Secrets to Keeping Your Limestone Floors Beautiful:

1) Keep the limestone sealed with a high quality penetrating sealer;
2) Keep your walkways free of debris so it is not tracked into your home;
3) Keep high quality doormats inside and outside each door in your home; and,
4) Depending on your lifestyle, have your limestone tile floors cleaned and/or honed every 12 to 18 months.

Ultimately, you need to decide if you want your limestone tile floors restored to a like new condition or possibly better than new. Whom should you trust with the process? Visit our website at http://orlandostoneworks.com or call us at (407) 258-1190.

Helpful Tips from the Experts: Selecting the Right Natural Stone Type for Your Home

Selecting the right colors, textures, and styles for your home can be a time consuming and frustrating process. So many options and materials to choose from can be overwhelming. Most people have a general idea of what they like as far as colors that make them feel “at home”. From paint and curtains, flooring to counter tops, baths and more, the available decor gives homeowners an unending supply of decisions.

When exploring natural stone such as granite, marble, travertine, limestone, onyx or quartzite for use in you project, consider the following benefits.

Natural stone surfaces offer the best appearance available. A large part of the benefit is that every individual piece of stone is different from any other, ensuring that you will have a 100 percent unique and timeless look that will impact the aesthetics of your home or business dramatically.

Another major benefit is the high level of perceived value that natural stone brings to the table. People understand and appreciate the way natural stone looks, and whenever it is installed, it carries a connotation of luxury and elegance that people most definitely will notice. In many cases, installing natural stone finishes can add substantially to the value of your home or property. Read more here: http://www.chron.com/news/article/GHBA-Remodelers-Council-Choose-countertops-8302869.php

With all the choices available, it is important to narrow down the styles and materials that will work best in your particular environment. You may have seen in a magazine or on T.V a look that you really love, but will it truly work in your home? Softer stone, like travertine, can be easily scratched and damaged by pets’s nails or by heavy foot traffic for example. You need to have realistic expectations of what you are looking to add into your home, and how much time you are willing to dedicate to its care.

“People come in with various degrees of tile knowledge and anticipation of what they want,” Childs said. “We try to guide them through the process as a bridge between the client and their contractor, a bridge between the possibilities in tile and the finished product. We make sure [the contractor] doesn’t install a tile indoors that’s meant only for outdoors, for example, and we make sure it’s what the client wants.” – See more at: Atlas Marble & Tile Provides The Foundation For A Beautiful Home 

Most home decorating centers or contractors will have an in-depth understanding of the benefits and limitations for the available materials and will ask questions about your home and the look you are trying to achieve. This will help guarantee your selection will be on track with your overall design goal. Durability and functionality are of the utmost importance when selecting high traffic/high use areas like floors, counter tops, baths/showers etc.

Granite is considered to be the most durable natural stone counter top available. It is resistant to scratches, cracks and chips, making it perfect for everyday use. It is also very easy to maintain. Whereas marble is also very strong and resistant to damage, it is more porous than granite and therefore stains much more easily. If you choose marble for your countertops, you will need to be prepared to provide it with regular care and attention!

When it comes to choosing between marble and granite in terms of appearance, it really falls down to personal taste. Some people prefer granite as it looks more natural. It is also available in a wide range of colours and patterns, ensuring there is something suitable for every colour scheme. On the other hand, marble is popular due to its luxury aesthetics. It is most often found in black or white. The great thing about marble and granite is that they look beautiful in both modern and traditional settings. Check out the full article from Civil Engineer here.

 Whether it is for your kitchen, bath or flooring, you will find the right look and feel with the wide range of available colors, durability and luxury of natural stone. Enlisting the help of a professional will guarantee the right fit for your home and style.

The post Helpful Tips from the Experts: Selecting the Right Natural Stone Type for Your Home appeared first on Orlando Stone Works.

Travertine or Terrazzo: What's the Difference

 

Travertine Floor After Our Professional Refinishing Service

 Is there a difference between travertine and terrazzo?  Both are heavily used in Italy and other places as building materials, and obviously both start with the lettter 'T', however that's where the similarities stop. Terrazzo is a composite material that is either poured or precast that is made of chips of different materials such as marble, quartz, or granite to name but a few.   It's then ground to a uniform and level surface.

Travertine, on the other hand, is not a composite material.  Travertine,or calcium carbonate, actually is a form of limestone found by mineral hot springs that forms quickly, and hardens nearly as quickly.  The key difference between the two tile types, however, is how you take care of them.

 

Terrazzo Cleaning and Travertine Cleaning

First off, if you wish to clean your terrazzo, use a neutral pH commercial cleaner that's made for terrazzo. Household cleaners often have alkali, or acid which can seriously harm the non stone portions of your terrazzo.  The same holds true for travertine. Travertine, however, requires extra care.

Remove dirt with a canister or handheld vacuum.  Don't use an upright vacuum, as the wheels can scratch the travertine.  Vacuum at least once a week or call in a travertine cleaning service.

What you don't know can hurt your floor.  Too many times, people buy some miracle product only to find that their tile is stained and damaged.  And unfortunately, there's a lot of bad advice out there, like cleaning your floor with lemon juice for example.  If you don't know what you're doing, don't take a chance, call in a stone care service.

source: Travertine Cleaning Vs. Terrazzo