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! 

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

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Why Use a Pro?

When it comes to resealing your natural stone surfaces and grout (for tile), getting professional results will go a long way in protecting your investment. The National Home Builders Association says granite and marble floors can last a lifetime, with proper care and maintenance.

Proper care and maintenance includes regular resealing (service level clean and seal) and maintenance cleanings (surface level cleanings) for upkeep. See our article on Maintenance Programs here.

1. Professionals understand the make up of the type of stone you are sealing. Professional stone care experts get extensive training in the different types of natural stone and how to take care of them.

2. The surface is properly prepared. Eurotech thinks this quote is true, even in the area of stone care “Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.”

3. Choose the right sealer. When it comes to sealers, you get what you pay for. Professionals have access to sealers that are professional grade. It takes training and experience to know which top of the line sealer will work best on which material on which type of surface. Some sealers are rated for 3-5 years and some are rated for more than 10 years.

4. Proper saturation. Wiping or spraying a sealer on a surface may not effectively protect a surface. Professionals will use techniques to ensure full saturation and maximum protection.

5. Excess. One problem caused by 'quickie' resealing jobs is residue that causes a buildup pattern. Professionals are trained to address the problem of excess sealer residue and won't cause them when they do your initial application or a routine resealing.

In summary, your stone care professional has spent numerous hours getting extensive training and expertise in cleaning, polishing, and maintenance of natural stone. At Eurotech, we follow our industry closely to stay on top of the best methods and the best products available. The experience in working with many types of natural stone in many applications cannot be replaced by guesswork.

Protecting the investment that was made in installing your natural stone or tile is certainly worth taking the time to consult with an expert. To reach a Maui stone care expert from Eurotech for a free consultation call 808-877-0222.

Should I put a topical sealer on my stone or tile?

The short answer is: It depends.

There are, of course, certain applications where you'd want a total protective layer that a topical coating style sealer provide. We've seen many jobs that wear great and hold up all the way through that 5 year + mark.

When weighing out the pros and cons though, keep these guidelines in mind:

Natural stone needs to breathe. If moisture gets trapped within natural stone, it can cause spalling and issues that are serious problems.

Coatings may wear unevenly in traffic areas.

Coatings must be stripped the next time you reseal, so be sure to count that cost into your budget when you put the initial coating on. Choosing a topical style sealer on will require an ongoing maintenance program that includes stripping or removal. Stripping requires expensive chemicals and expertise to complete properly, and generally doubles the time that a job would take with a penetrating sealer. Failing to properly remove and prepare the surface of any existing sealers will cause flaking and peeling of your new coating. Proper preparation is key in the maintenance resealings.

If you're planning on doing a stripping and resealing job yourself, your most difficult task will be getting the sealer out of the porous grout lines. If you don't get it all the way out prior to resealing, it will be a nightmare later.

That being said, ask your professional if a penetrating or a topical sealer is best in your situation.

Penetrating sealers make use of chemicals whose molecular structure is much smaller than acrylics and epoxies. Their smaller size allows them to penetrate the surface. They are also more sophisticated in their design as they contain fusion forming particulates that seek out compatible molecules in the material they are applied to. Like magnets sticking together, these compatible molecules fill in the microscopic capillaries of the material they are applied to, forming an impenetrable barrier. Most penetrating sealers do not enhance color. They also do not appear glossy and typically do not increase the slip factor. Penetrating sealers are not known to peel or flake. Because they fuse with the material below the surface, penetrating sealers last longer than film forming sealers."

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.