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How to Make Natural Stone Floors Less Slippery

How to Make Your Natural Stone Floors Less Slippery

“Slippery when wet” signs aren’t ones you’d ever consider keeping as part of your interior decor, but should you? We tend to imagine slippery stone as the shiny pavers found in front of commercial buildings, but the truth is, our home’s stone can possess risk as well. Natural stone floors aren’t inherently dangerous (and actually have a plethora of benefits), but depending on their composition, finish, and external factors, may be quite slippery. It can be especially dangerous in a few situations: running around a stone pool deck, spilling liquids onto the stone tiling of a kitchen, or walking up a stone driveway during a rainstorm. 

Honed stone is best in situations where slipping is an imminent danger. Honed or sand-blasted stone typically has a smooth-but-textured finish. It doesn’t possess much sheen and won’t reflect light like traditional stone features. Its more abrasive surface makes it better for wet areas, but it may also require more upkeep than stone floors with different finishes.

With that said, many homeowners believe that avoiding a hyper-polished aesthetic will remove risk, but stone’s finish is not always what causes slipperiness. In fact, one study showed that it’s actually a stone’s innate composition that ultimately changes its overall ability to be gripped. What this means is that choosing polished limestone over normal limestone may not totally mitigate all danger. Additionally, stone floors that become wet in any capacity are always the most dangerous and may lead to slips and falls. Let’s take a look at how to make your floors less slippery — without limiting your home feature options.

Types of Non-Slip Treatments

Non-slip treatments are those topically applied to stone in order to provide traction. By using non-slip treatments on your home’s natural stone, you’re increasing the safety of your home. Non-slip treatments are beneficial especially for homes with pets, children, or those with trouble walking due to age, disability, or injury.

Normal Stone Non-Slip Treatments

All-purpose non-slip treatments are best for indoor, non-polished stone tiles. These products can be applied without the help of a professional using a spray bottle, mop, or specific applicator. Non-slip treatments are formulated to avoid changing the appearance of your stone, so you don’t have to worry about their finish nor color being affected. Applying non-slip treatments can be a little time intensive the first time around, but treatment lines typically have a “maintenance” product for simpler, on-going application.

Indoor/Outdoor Non-Slip Treatments

Deck grip is that which is used both indoors and outdoors. It’s ideal for stone features that surround water, such as pool decks, patios, balconies, and outdoor pathways. It’s often used in mudrooms or screened-in porches as well because these spaces tend to endure the elements to some extent. Typically, these treatments possess UV resistance, chlorine resistance, and chemical resistance, allowing you to continue using your stone spaces as intended without worrying about slips and falls.

Polish Non-Slip Treatments

Polish grip may be one of the most popular types of natural stone treatments. Polish grip preserves the natural sheen of your shiny stone floors but greatly reduces the propensity to cause slips and falls. It’s used most commonly on marble, granite, and porcelain. 

Add Stone Flooring to Your Home With Impression

At Impression, we help turn houses into dream homes through our custom natural stone home features. Among them is stone flooring, which brings natural warmth and character to your property. Beautiful and sophisticated, this material doesn’t require too much upkeep, even when you account for non-slip treatments! Get in touch today to see how we can transform your home with the stone flooring right for you.

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