What Maintenance Is Needed for Limestone Tiles?

Determining the Maintenance Necessary for Your Limestone

Limestone makes for a great home feature in any of its forms, and limestone flooring is one of the most beautiful materials available on the market. Limestone is such a popular option for flooring for many reasons, including its durability, versatility, malleability, and variety of color and texture options. When you decide on limestone flooring, you also commit to the maintenance necessary to keep it in top condition. When properly cared for, limestone can last beyond a lifetime!

There are some signs that your limestone is in need of maintenance. Some of them include obvious physical flaws like cracks and chips and evidently-worn areas. Additionally, your limestone may need care if it has been enough time that you should be engaging in your regular care routine, or if an expert says it should be repaired or maintained. Today, we’ll be looking at some of the ways you should be caring for your limestone on a more daily, weekly, and monthly basis.

Sealing Your Limestone Floor Tiles

Limestone is a naturally porous stone, which means it’s easy for water, dirt, and debris to accidentally end up inside one if its numerous holes and create lasting damage. Sealant gives your stone a protective barrier, and gives you extra time to clean up everything from spills to dirt before damage occurs. Sealing your limestone prevents various particles from ever coming into contact with these open surfaces of your natural stone flooring. Sealing will reduce stains, as well as help prevent wear-and-tear. Your sealant should be limestone-specific, and resealed regularly to ensure its efficacy. 

Vacuuming Your Limestone Flooring

No one loves chores, but regular vacuuming is necessary to preserve your limestone’s surface. When dirt, dust, and gritty materials (especially sand!) are left on your limestone, people may walk on it and drag said dirt along the surface of the limestone. Because limestone is a softer stone, this movement can cause tears and scratches on the limestone, even if they’re only microscopic. While limestone is structurally sound and its strength is unaffected by surface-level wear-and-tear, this motion can still shorten the lifespan of your limestone flooring. It can cause the sealant to wear, allowing more detrimental particles to seep into the floor. Vacuuming ensures that any dirt is picked up, limiting the amount of abrasion. In order to prevent future dirt, consider placing door mats or runners in your home to catch dirt brought in by shoes. Brooms that are soft may also be used in place of a vacuum, but they’re often regarded as slightly less effective because they don’t pull dirt up from the flooring as well.

Clean and Mop Your Limestone Floors

When cleaning your limestone floors, choose a daily or weekly cleaner intended solely for limestone. Limestone is made of a compound called calcium carbonate, which is sensitive to the acidity of normal cleaners, especially those with citrus elements. Every couple of days, mop your limestone floor using warm water mixed with an all-natural stone cleaner. During this process, minimal water is ideal, because water can easily be soaked up by the porous floor. Wring your mop out often, and rinse the floor only briefly with plain water. It’s also best to change the water you’re using frequently enough that residual dirt isn’t tracked back onto the floor.

Impression Carries Top-Tier Limestone

At Impression, we’re proud to offer incredible natural stone options for your home’s next renovation project, and limestone is one of our favorites. Limestone comes in many variants and we carry all of them, as well as marble and reclaimed terracotta options for all of your custom home feature needs. Our team of artisans put excellence first, and we’ll craft a custom piece that perfectly fits your lifestyle and preferences. As the number one limestone fabricator in the area, it’s no surprise that our custom home features made through state-of-the-art stone cutting machinery and French hand carving are ones that you and your family will love for a lifetime. Get started on your next project to turn your house into a dream home by contacting us online, or visit our website to see all of the projects we make and what materials we use!
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