Hard Floor Care – Natural Stone Floors

Hard Floor Care – Natural Stone Floor Information Among the many types of natural stone used for flooring, probably the most important are granite, coarser varieties of limestone, sandstone, quartzite and slate. Marble is a natural stone, but is important enough to be considered in a separate section. Natural stones are generally laid in slabs which vary in area and thickness according to the type of stone and requirement. Some are used for flagstones, which can be made from any rock which can be easily split along the natural bedding plane. Natural stones are used extensively in churches, public building, institutions, markets, farmhouses, dairies and other areas subject to heavy foot traffic. They are usually laid on a screeded concrete sub-floor and bedded in a mortar of cement grout, which appears at the joints between the stone slabs. Granite is extremely hard and has a crystalline structure. Colors can range from white and silver to dark grey, with occasional shades of green, blue and black. It can be polished to a high gloss finish. Limestone, consisting primarily of calcium carbonate, is generally light grey, with occasional cream, yellow and pale brown shades. Red and white streaks sometimes can give the appearance of marble and certain types are found in blue colors, at times with brown markings. Quartzite, like sandstone, is formed from sedimentary deposits of sand grains. These were cemented together with silica and transformed, under extreme pressure during earth movements, into one of the hardest rocks knows. Color ranges from silvery grey-green to olive and gold shades. Flakes of mica often represent and reflect light so that the surface appears to sparkle. Slate is metamorphic rock generally found in somber colors that vary from blue-grey and green to blue-green. Slate has a very fine texture, not typical of other natural stone. The natural stones are hard. Quartzite being extremely hard and sandstone the softest. All of these stones are noisy and cold. Resistance to abrasion is very good and all are extremely hard wearing. The chemical resistance of natural stone depends on its composition. Granite will resist alkalis, acids, oils and water. Limestone will resist alkalis and water but is damaged by acids and stained by oils and grease. Sandstone has good resistance to water but can be damaged by strong alkalis and stained by oil and grease. Quartzite is very resistant to acids, alkalis and other chemicals in general use. It is one of the most chemically resistant of the natural stones. Slate is also practically immune to all common chemicals and is completely resistant to water and not affected by alkaline detergents. Granite tends to wear smooth and to be slippery in worn areas. Limestone, sandstone and quartzite are not slippery. Slate also has very good slip resistant properties, when both dry and wet. All natural stone floors require thoughtful and careful selection of the proper cleaning supplies and/or janitorial supplies.   Search For Cleaning Supplies And Cleaning Products On Our Online Store

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