Interior Quartzite Floor

This quartzite job was in a cool condo out in sunny kihei. Condo is going on the market and needed a little freshening up. In person this floor had a oily build up and was very discolored in the traffic lanes. It took a little work but cleaned up very nice. 

Give us a call for a free consultation 808.870.0222

Aloha! 

EUROTECH Maui 808.877.0222 Pool Tile Cleaning

Swimming Pool Tile Cleaning in Lahaina by EUROTECH Maui



Special thanks for  Production and Edit by Allgooder   http://vimeo.com/allgooder

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Red Dirt and Hard Water Stains Tile Grout Cleaning

Tile and Grout Cleaning - Stain Removal - Red Dirt - Hard Water Stains EUROTECH Maui 877-0222

Before and After

 

Exterior tile can get stained and dirty after exposure to irrigation, sun, salt, red dirt, and pet traffic.  A restorative cleaning process and sealing, helps to give tile flooring a second chance.  Results vary, but our success ratio is high in tile cleaning and restoration.   

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Spring Cleaning Sale - Tile and Grout Cleaning Special

Tile and Grout Cleaning by EUROTECH Maui 808.877.0222

$395 for up to 300 sf of Lanai, Kitchen, Living or Bathroom Floors

• Ceramic or Porcelain Tile and Grout Floors
• Deep Cleaning and Sealing - multi-method cleaning of tile and grout to remove discoloration
• Professional grade natural look breathable penetrating hydrophobic grout sealing

*Results may vary - Limited Bookings Available Daily

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Available Daily from Kihei to Wailea, Lahaina to Kapalua.  All of Maui available on request.

Limitations:

Not all discoloration may be 100% removable. 
 
Additional charges may apply for Stain Removal, excess furniture and/or removal and replacement, upper story, additional area/room/set up, locations beyond Pukalani, Kahului, Wailuku, Lahaina and Wailea. 

Sealing is intended to protect surfaces from within, making them repel penetration preventing deep staining.  Sealing does not prevent buildup on the surface, it prevents penetration of liquids into pores of grout.  Surfaces still require daily and maintenance cleaning. 

Stone Restoration and Tile Care Maui

Marble - Granite - Travertine - Tile - Grout Cleaning Care and Restoration

 by EUROTECH Maui 877.0222



Travertine Marble Stone and Tile Care by EUROTECH Maui


 

Choosing a stone professional to care for and maintain your natural stone is a worthy investment.

All natural stone, whether marble, granite, travertine, slate, or one of the many other types of stone need ongoing care. The National Home Builders Association asserts that you can get a lifetime of beauty and reliability out of stone that is properly cared for.

Proper care includes sealing stone regularly. Proper preparation and choosing and applying the right professional sealer takes time and experience. Learning to perfect an even finish and remove damage takes even more experience.

Waxing and coating natural stone can be a costly endeavor. Those types of finish wear faster and more obviously than a professional polishing. Smearing, smudging, or ugly traffic patterns are more likely with waxes or coatings. Those types of quick fixes may also trap moisture within the stone and compromise the integrity of the stone in the long run.

Maintaining natural stone showers, floors and countertops properly will prevent damage and prolong their life and beauty.

It's our goal at EUROTECH to provide the best stone care solutions for the long term.  Our mission is to recommend the most cost effective solutions for the long run - prevention, protection and preservation. 

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7 Tips to Prevent Stains - Tile and Grout Care

Tile and grout, whether floors, counters or showers are exposed to dirt that can build up, liquids that can stain, and elements that may harm them. These are our top recommendations for caring for tile and grout.

1. Mop with a rinse bucket. Always use a bucket to keep mop heads clean. It reduces the amount of dirty water the floor is exposed to and helps prevent residual films that attract dirt from forming.

2. Squeegee showers and flooring. Keeping water off your tile surfaces prevents waterspotting and hard waterstain buildup.

3. Redirect irrigation away from exterior flooring. In Hawaii, standing water will leave behind a heavy brown or reddish layer anywhere water has puddled and dried repeatedly. Reducing the amount of standing water by redirecting irrigation and sweeping standing water away reduces the staining effect on the tiles.

4. Apply a suitable mildewcide in showers at servicing. Tile professionals may treat shower grout with a product like MicroBan or the green version, Benefect is a good way to prevent and reduce, or at best stop, mold growth.

5. Service Level Cleanings Have regular professional maintenance done regularly, especially on exterior and shower tile. Know the difference between a maintenance cleaning (extraction style which may or may not remove all the deposits) and a service level cleaning which deeply cleans to prepare for resealing.

6. Regular sealing of grout - On a porcelain or ceramic tile, the glaze protects the tile itself, so sealing is really to protect the grout from water or oil based staining. We recommend impregnating sealers or penetrating sealers.

Sealing does not prevent dirt from accumulating in the grout joints, but it does prevent water from dissolving the dirt and penetrating it deep into the grout. It prevents the deep stains that permanently discolor grout.

7. Consult a Professional - Preventing damage to tile glaze is also important. The older the tile is, the more fragile the glaze or protective finish on the tile becomes. Once the glaze is compromised, the tile is on its way to being in need of replacement. Be sure to advise your professional about the age of tile and any patches that seem rough or don't match the original finish of the tile. This damage may not be apparent prior to cleaning if deposits are heavy.

Your shower, floor or counter top tile and grout will look better and last longer with these care tips.

Written by Lance Racoma

http://ezinearticles.com/?Tile-and-Grout-Care---7-Tips-to-Prevent-Stains&id=7014685

Why Seal and Maintain Natural Stone and Marble?

Natural stone including marble, travertine, and even granite are extremely porous. This natural porosity can be addressed simply by regularly maintaining and resealing the flooring, countertop or shower surfaces.

What does resealing do? The goal of sealing stone is to prevent liquids from penetrating and soaking into the stone. The recommended method for resealing natural stone is to "impregnate" the material with a high grade sealer, meaning it works from within the stone, not at the surface. The stone finish is unchanged and the seal within the stone is "invisible." Properly sealing requires the time for proper penetration and saturation.

How do I know if my stone needs sealing? Recently I spoke with a customer whose granite counters would darken whenever they put wet dishes on the counter. That is an extreme case of sealer wear. It is highly recommended that resealing is done well before signs of the surface taking on water appear. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. As a general rule, you'll want to service all your stone between every one to three years.

What about daily cleaning? A residue free neutral stone cleaner is recommended. Using anything that is too soapy on a porous surface, like grout or stone, can act like a dirt magnet. So going residue free is your best option.

What about polishing? The surface of the stone must not be overpolished, and must not be waxed. Overpolish is most often caused by lack of experience or technique. Using waxes can result in unattractive wear patterns and can also act like the dirt magnet discussed above.

What about maintenance cleanings? Your surface may require a semi-annual or annual inspection. Between sealings, a professional cleaning can go a long way to keeping natural stone looking its best. Its more extensive than daily cleaning, and less extensive than service cleaning and resealing. Maintenance cleanings are part of an ongoing care program to keep stone and grout in great condition.

This photo demonstrates a floor which had discoloration and deposits worked into the pores of the stone. The floor was service level deep cleaned and resealed and is ready for a maintenance care program.

Tile & Grout Cleaning - Why Get on a Maintenance Program?

Your tile wants ongoing care. Waiting until it looks like "it really needs it" can save you a few dollars upfront, but it can cost a lot to have a restorative cleaning.* Especially exterior lanai and pool deck tile can be permanently discolored by water stains, and red dirt baking in the sun.

The answer is to put tile surfaces: shower, countertop, interior and exterior floors, on a regular maintenance program that starts with a deep cleaning and sealing. After a six month inspection, a recommendation can be made based on how the surface looking.

Once the surface is put on a maintenance program, it stays fresher and cleaner, makes your daily cleaning a breeze and because of the touch up sealings, extends the amount of time between big services.

*Restorative cleanings happen when a maintenance program has not been applied

RESTORATIVE CLEANING
This is an example of a tile restoration cleaning performed on an older pool deck. The baked on red dirt and hard water required restorative cleaning. One might want to use a pressure washing service, but using too much pressure would destroy the glaze on the tiles. The best answer is to call in a stone and tile specialist, like Eurotech Maui.

Now the pool deck is ready for a light maintenance program which will preserve the results and keep the tile looking great.

CONTACT US

CALL 808.877.0222

for Service

Marble Granite Travertine Tile Grout - Cleaning Polishing and Sealing by EUROTECH

*Special thanks to Sean Jones at AUTO TRIM HAWAII for the new Van Signs http://www.autotrimhawaii.com/contactus.htm

Professional Stone Care

Tile & Grout Cleaning

• Cleaning



• Sealing



• Polishing



• Restoration and Resurfacing

Inspections - Maintenance Programs - Consultations

Marble and Natural Stone require ongoing specialized care to protect and preserve its beauty and lifespan. Stone Care professionals are trained in the best methods and stay on top of the latest products and technology to promote natural stone service life.

Call (808) 877-0222 for Service

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Tile and Grout Floor Cleaning - Kihei, Maui

These were some dramatic results from a tile floor cleaning done in June 2011. It took multiple steps to get the stained grout cleaned, but it was returned to its orginal condition.

Tile floors and grout benefit from a Maintenance Program which includes a service level Deep Clean and Re Seal and periodic light maintenance cleanings.

Stone and tile care professionals utilize an array of cleaners and methods to address deep penetration of oils, grime, deposits and buildup.

CONTACT US

Call 808.877.0222 for service.

What is the recommended Service and Maintenance for Tile and Natural Stone?

See our articles on:

Benefits of Tile & Stone Maintenance
FAQs - What kind of sealer and when?

FLOORS - MAINTENANCE PROGRAM

• Interior and Exterior Flooring Maintenance Program
  SERVICE CLEANING & SEALING - Always start with a Service Level of cleaning. This means a deep cleaning that pulls out deposits and discoloration of stone, tile and grout - properly preparing the surface for sealing. It takes several steps of scrubbing and agitation and pressure extraction and drying to get the floors ready for sealing. This should be performed every 2-5 years. The determining factor for frequency is a bead test. Check your sealer condition on the grout lines or natural stone with a bead test in multiple areas, which shows if your sealer has deteriorated or if it is still protecting the floors. If water does not clearly bead, get a service performed by a professional.
  
  LIGHT MAINTENANCE CLEANING - May be performed every 6-12 months and may only require traffic area light scrub and a pressure extraction. The sealer should still be intact. This level of service is for floors which have only a surface level of deposits and are on a maintenance program. The light maintenance cleanings will delay the need for service level cleanings.

SHOWERS - MAINTENANCE PROGRAM

• SERVICE LEVEL CLEANING & SEALING - Start with this level of service and then begin a maintenance program. The soap scum and deposits will be removed and surfaces deep cleaned. The grout integrity may be reviewed and skim coated. The grout may be treated for discoloration. The shower may be polished or rehoned (if natural stone). The shower walls and floors will be properly dried and resealed with a breatheable penetrating sealer. This service should be performed approximately every two - four years, depending on daily cleaning practices, maintenance, and shower and sealer condition. We recommend stain-proofing (permanent bonding 10 year sealer) tiled shower floors.



• LIGHT CLEANING - This maintenance level of service may or may not include the walls but always includes the floor. It will involve a cleaning and touch up sealing of the shower floor, and may include deposit removal on the walls. We recommend this step to be performed annually as it will delay the need for costlier service level cleanings.
  

COUNTERS - MAINTENANCE PROGRAM

• Cleaning, polishing and resealing of countertops may be performed every 3-5 years.



• Annual maintenance on kitchen granite may include removal of the buildup around the faucets and a touch up sealer around the sink areas and/or the range.

Professional Tile and Stone Care - An Investment that pays

Why is Professionally Maintaining your Natural Stone and Tile Cost Effective?

1. Preserves and Extends the lifespan of the material

• Proper preparation and sealing will prevent staining

2. Prevents future costly repairs and restorations

• Much like auto maintenance, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Regular cleanings and sealings are like doing your oil changes. Maybe you can get away with skipping it, but that may cost much more in the long run.
• Trained tile and stone professionals will use the correct agents, sealers, and process. For example, marble, ceramic tile, and granite have differing limits for withstanding pressure cleaning. To much pressure can cause damage. Porcelain tile, marble and granite would require different products and methods. The wrong cleaner may not clean or could cause damage. Use a stone and tile professional.
• Using too much pressure on unsanded grout can cause grout erosion.

3. Saves time and labor - makes cleaning easier

• Unsealed surfaces hold deposits differently than properly sealed surfaces. Treated stone and grout makes daily cleaning quicker and easier.

4. Prevents purchasing unnecessary cleaning products


5. Makes your rental property more desirable and may have tax benefits (see below).*

• May Provide Tax Benefits: "A repair keeps your rental property in good condition and is a deductible expense in the year that you pay for it. Repairs include painting, fixing a broken toilet and replacing a faulty light switch. Improvements on the other hand, add value to your property and are not deductible when you pay for them. You must recover the cost of improvements by depreciating the expense over your property's life expectancy. Therefore, from a tax standpoint, you should make repairs as the problems arise instead of waiting until they multiply and require renovations."* See FULL article by George D. Lambert at http://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/06/rentalowner.asp *We do not provide tax advice. Ask your accountant about qualifying repairs and tax benefits.

Floor Cleaning - To Bleach or Not to Bleach

The question of what to clean floors with comes up on almost every floor service we do. Whether or not to use bleach is another FAQ. Here are some basic guidelines to keeping stone and tile floors clean:

Keep doormats inside and outside of doorways if possible to trap dirt.

Daily Cleaning
Sweep and vacuum a lot more often than mopping.

If and when you mop, keep a bucket of clean rinse water and use a clean mop head. Dirty mops and dirty mopwater are the leading culprit of dirty grout and stone.

Use the right floor cleaning products: When you are doing daily cleaning, bleach is NOT recommended. Whether it is natural stone or ceramic tile, you'll want to avoid bleach and bleach based products. The constant exposure to bleach will damage stone and break down grout over time. Bleach also destroys most penetrating sealers that are used on grout and stone. We recommend using a neutral stone and tile cleaner for daily cleaning. We like Rinseless Cleaner because it doesn't leave behind a soapy residue. Residue buildup can make the floors look worse over time than they should.

Deep Cleaning and Stain Removal
NEVER use bleach on natural stone as it could leave a permanent mark that needs professional restoration. When you have a one time stain removal, bleach is okay for ceramic tile. But, be sure the material is really ceramic tile and not a natural stone. If you are going to use bleach on ceramic tile and grout, we strongly recommend triple rinsing the bleach to prevent any damage and to preserve the sealer as much as possible. Bead test the grout after cleaning to see if the sealer is still in tact. If water quickly soaks into the grout, we recommend a professional sealing. On natural stone, you should always contact a professional to address stains. The risk of damaging natural stone with do it yourself stain removal is too high to make it worthwhile.

So, use a non-residue stone and tile cleaning product for daily cleaning. And get professional recommendations when you're dealing with stain removal and setting up a floor maintenance program. We want to help you make your floor lifespan and clean appearance last as long as possible.

CONTACT US

Natural Stone and Tile - Restoration vs. Replacement

Everything has to be replaced sooner or later right? In a perfect world, everything would last forever - youth, beauty, summer and our flooring and countertop surfaces. When it comes to replacing flooring and countertops, tile and natural stone surfaces, it might make sense for you to consider restoration before replacement. The National Association of Home Builders says natural stone floors can last a lifetime if they are cared for properly.




Restoration will extend the life of your floor, wall or countertop for 5-15 years. Extending the life of your surfaces is not only cost effective, it helps the environment.

• Cost Effective - Generally a fraction of the cost of replacement. Replacing surfaces equals Demolition, disposal, plus new materials and installation.


• Less time out of service - the work is usually quicker to complete than replacement


• Greener - Avoids costly and environmentally unfriendly disposal of the original material. Avoids the byproducts and environmental impact of manufacture, fabrication and installation of new materials


• Tax Benefits - Rental property repairs (restorations) are deductible in the year they are performed. Renovations (replacements) must be depreciated over multiple years. *we do not provide tax advice - see your accountant for advice.

Replacing your tile or stone floors and counters makes sense if the surface doesn't match your renovation designs. But, if you work around the existing material, restoration may be the best, most cost effective choice for you. For a professional assessment of your surfaces to determine whether they are a good restoration candidate, call us at 808.877.0222

Restoration Photos: Portfolio

Notes on Refinishing

"Reduction benefits the environment

The goal of "Reduction" is to reduce the amount of new goods that we buy and consume. When you refinish your old bathtub, sink, cabinets or countertops, they look almost brand new and there is no need for replacement and there is no need to dispose of them, thereby benefiting the environment.

When we refinish cabinets for instance, we decrease the need to cut down new trees, process and transport them for manufacturing into the beautiful kitchen or bathroom cabinet. Refinishing cabinets, porcelain or acrylic surfaces reduces pollution, saves money and time and importantly the environment." - Quoted from: http://refinishingstars.com/best_green_remodeling_alternative.html

Reference: National Assoc of Home Builders Quote

Woman awarded $5.67 million in slip-and-fall case. Greasy Floor Issue

Woman awarded $5.67 million in slip-and-fall case - Mauinews.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Visitor's Information - The Maui News

The end of this article mentions that greasy floors at this Dairy Road, Maui McDonalds restaurant were partially to blame for this accident and lawsuit. Another good reason to have floors on a deep clean maintenance program.

Travertine Cleaning - Tile and Grout Stain Removal

This is a sample cleaning performed in Kaanapali, Maui, Hawaii. The red dirt on the patio was baked on and required special cleaning processes to remove the staining. The owner had attempted to pressure wash with high pressure as you can see in the grout lines in the sample cleaning area. It minimally reduced the discoloration and so we did a profession deep cleaning.

This would be a great candidate for stain proofing the stone with a permanent sealer. Stain proofing would make future cleanings much easier and prevent the deep staining that occurred here. I'll be blogging some of the stain proofing information here soon.