Welcome To Quality Tile Care

Limestone Tiles Cleaning, Restoration and Sealing Experts

There are many methods to clean Limestone Tiles, we have tried all of them and combined them all together to get the best possible results in every situation possible! Remember never to use acidic cleaners on Limestone Floors!

First to deep clean, remove acid stains and polish limestone tiles you will need:

1. Rotary machine 
2. Wet vacuum 
3. Diamond burnishing pads 400, 800, 1500 and 3000 grits

Our limestone tile cleaners recommend a slower speed rotary machine as it makes much less mess then the high speed one and is easier to work with in general. It's a bit trickier with the walls as the machines are normally high speed but the process remains the same.

To restore the polished even finish by burnishing the floor using the diamond pads system, we start off with a 400 grit burnishing pad to take off the old sealer and any ingrained dirt. Water is needed as a lubricant to use the pads so add some water to the area and then go over each tile with the pad 3 or 4 times, this will be followed by removing the dirty water using a wet vacuum and then the floor needs to be rinsed. There are of course exeptions where some resin based topical sealers are used or if there is deep ingrained dirt, then it's recommended to go down to 200 grit and then follow it up with 400 grit.

Next the coarse 400 grit pad gets removed and a medium 800 grit pad gets applied, then burnishing and rinsing process gets repeated, followed by the fine 1500 grit. Again we remove the water with a Wet Vax machine. After the third pad grout lines get cleaned. We use a non acidic stone/grout cleaner to get the dirt softened and then scrub the grout joints with a grout brush, followed by removing the soiled water again.  

After grout cleaning we leave the Limestone floor to fully dry and then complete by applying a Very Fine 3000 grit pad and polish with a squirt of water. It's important to polish thoroughly and not leave any water marks on the floor. When fully polished protect the floor by applying a sealer as per instructions below. 

For more unusual Textured Limestone Tiles  we use the best high-alkaline cleaners and sealer strippers on the market to remove the old sealer and cleaning heavily soiled texture areas and grout. Products will be left to dwell in and then scrubbed with a strong scrubbing pad or a brush fitted to the machine. After scrubbing all soiled chemical water will be removed with a wet vacuum and then rinsed many times with clean water. 

It is extremely important to seal your limestone floor or wall tiles, because sealer acts as a shield against future stains and dirt build-up. Even more so it's important so seal the grout which most of the tilers are not doing when the floors are getting laid down. When sealing a floor it is important that tiles as completely dry. We always check the floor with our damp tester before sealing. Below are the sealer options:

• Polished limestone tiles need to be sealed with an impregnating sealer - it is a solvent based matt sealer which penetrates in the surface and allows stones to breathe. Impregnating sealer performs well in wet areas including bathrooms, wet rooms and swimming pool surroundings. It's also suitable on floors that have no damp proof course. When the Limestone Tiles are fully dry from cleaning, we apply colour an enhancing impregnating sealer to enhance the natural colours of darker Limestone’s. If however you are sealing a white or off-white Limestone and you do not wish to darken the stone apply a clear impregnating sealer, which gives no visual effect to the stone. It's best if you apply 2-3 coats if the tiles have never been sealed before and 1-2 coats if they have been sealed previously. Also make sure to wipe off any sealer that didn't absorb into the stone surface.
• Topical sealers can only be applied to a textured Limestone surface as it won't stick properly on polished limestone and leaves a tacky finish. Textured limestone however looks good with a topical sealer but it's not our first choice of sealer. We use a water based acrylic topical sealer - it forms a durable film on top of the surface, enhances tile appearance and produces a sheen. Topical sealers are not recommended to be used outside or in wet areas. Normally limestonetiles take 2 - 3 coats of the topical sealer. The conditions for sealing have to be perfect and the floor needs to be hoovered as everything will be trapped under the sealer. Topical sealer will help you with everyday maintenance, as it's very easy to clean it. Right cleaning products are essential though.

With us you can be sure your floor will be sealed with the right sealer suited for your needs. We will talk you through all the pros and cons of each sealer type. Also small sealer testers can be completed for visual decision making.

To keep the shine, you need to buff the floor with the last 3000 grit pad after every 3-6 months, depending on a wear. 

This process will improve surface tension (which is not to be confused with the amount of sealer residing in the stone), thereby tightening the pores in the stone to improve the overall appearance and finish of the floor. If you are not able to do the maintenance then our professional limestone cleaners offer maintenance plans to keep your floor in a pristine condition.

For everyday cleaning of Limestone or any other Natural Stone tiles, a pH Neutral cleaners are recommended. The pH scale ranges from 1 to 14 and is a measure of a solution’s acidity or alkalinity. A pH of 7 is neutral; a pH less than 7 is acidic; and a pH greater than 7 is alkaline. By using pH neutral cleaners you won't be damaging the sealer as pH neutral cleaners are much weaker and safer enviromentally.

DO NOT USE ANY ACIDIC CLEANERS ON LIMESTONE TILES!

If you have any questions about the maintenance of your limestone tiles then let us know and we will be happy to help.