Common Stone Floor Problems

Common problems

Of course, the first thing about coming up with a proper stone floor maintenance routine is to determine the current condition of your floor. Please, read on to find out how to handle more common problems. Of course, a specialist company can diagnose all issues and provide you with a more specific list of activities to address the problems, plus they will be able to advise you on things that might not be immediately noticeable.

Surface damage pertaining to scratches, dents, cracks, stun marks and spalling. Smaller gaps can be repaired by filling with suitable materials, while those of larger size cannot be typically fixed, meaning the floor block will have to be replaced. The usual way of getting scratches, stun marks and deeply penetrating gaps caused by sharp impacts on the surface are repaired by having them ground with diamond abrasives, although sometimes this may not be possible and the only alternative is replacement. Spalling relates to smaller or larger pieces of the stone getting chipped off from the surface. Depending on their size, they can be repaired with proper filling agents or you might need to have the floor block replaced.

Dull spots on a stone surface caused by spilled liquids (usually acidic) can be addressed by polishing with polishing powder, while heavily etched areas will normally have to be resurfaced with diamond abrasives.

Stains can be usually fixed with proper poultice that is applied to the stained area and left to dry to draw the blot out of the stone surface and into itself. Sometimes this is not possible and the only option to dispose of the stain is to have the area ground and resealed.

Yellowing is typically caused by two different factors. First, it pertains to the mineral and metal content of the stone that tends to oxidize over time. If this is the case, then the only option is replacement, since the problem relates to the natural chemical composition of the stone. More often, yellowing results from dirt and agents used for treating the floor and in this case the damage may be repaired by grinding the surface, stripping the coat and resealing the floor.

Surface unevenness and floor lippage is addressed by grounding the area with diamond abrasives.