How Durable is a Stone Flooring for Your Home?

Keeping your home's flooring in great condition is an important part of owning your home. Stone floors are no exception, and a little TLC can keep them looking great for years to come.

How Durable is a Stone Flooring?

Natural stone is an excellent choice for your home because it's durable, stylish, and easy to maintain. However, you need to be careful about the type of stone that you install and the way you care for it. Here are a few tips for maintaining your stone floors:

1. Avoid scouring pads and scrub brushes

Using abrasive cleaners and tools can actually scratch your stone floor. To prevent this, avoid scouring pads and brushes when cleaning your natural stone tiles. Instead, use a soft dust mop and a microfiber cloth.

2. Wash your stone floors regularly

Taking care of your natural stone flooring will help it to last longer and retain its beautiful shine. Performing regular dry sweeping and mopping will get rid of dirt and grit and also help to protect your stone sealer from damage.

3. Be aware of spills

Spills on a stone floor can be very harmful to the surface of the tile. The sand and other particles that form the stain can seep into the porous stone and cause permanent damage to your flooring. To prevent this, be sure to wipe up any stains as soon as they appear to reduce the risk of them getting worse and creating larger areas of damage.

4. Take good care of your gutters

If you have a natural stone roof or siding, it's a good idea to clean your gutters at least once per year by hiring a professional gutter cleaning service such as Gutter Cleaning Overland Park. This will help to prevent clogged gutters and water runoff that can cause problems in your yard or around your house.

5. Use a protimeter to test moisture levels

Before you install your new stone floors, it's a good idea to check the level of moisture in the stone. To do this, you can either hire a professional to measure the moisture or use a simple protimeter at home.

A protimeter can be found at most home improvement stores. It contains two probes that can be inserted into wood or drywall to provide a relative reading of moisture content.

Having this information will make it much easier to determine how often your stone floors will need to be resealed. It is especially important to check your stone's moisture levels in areas that receive a lot of traffic or that will be exposed to a lot of heat or cold.

6. Know your stone types

Each type of natural stone has its own unique characteristics and properties. Some of these include sandstone, limestone, granite, slate, quartzite, marble and travertine.

The best way to figure out which kind of stone you'll need for your flooring is to decide what the main purpose for the floor is and how it will be used. For example, a kitchen or bathroom might be more suitable for a honed or brushed stone finish, while an outdoor patio or walkway would be better suited for tumbled or brushed stone.