Natural Stone, Tile & Grout is Tough to Clean Tile and grout are usually laid in areas of your home prone to high traffic, which get dirtier, faster. Perhaps
you've tried cleaning your stone or tile and grout yourself and gave up because, let's face it, it is very difficult to get
it very clean. It's a great deal of hard work cleaning tile by hand. At Royalty Steamers we use specially formulated
cleaners, and scrubbing as well as high pressure steam to dissolve and force the dirt out of the uneven
texture of the tile and grout. When we're done, you may think you've got a new floor.
Natural Stone like Marble, Travertine, Slate, Granite and Limestone make beautiful flooring but cleaning them safely requires some specialized knowledge. The cleaning of stone can vary depending on the make up of the stone and the type of finish it has. Royalty Steamers knows the safe and proper techniques for restoring your natural stone's beauty. Trust us, it's much cheaper to have it cleaned right the first time than to have to rehone or replace it becuse of an incorrect cleaning process. Royalty Steamers also specializes in the application of products that will enhance the color and beauty of the stone as well as sealing its crack and crevices to help it clean up much better in the future.
Slate
Classified as a "rough" material with a low absorption. Slate can be found both an interiors and exteriors, and rarely have a high polish unless a coating is placed on it. Slate can be a problem for it's high content of clay, especially in wet areas, and can develop efflorescence easily. A good quality silicone impregnator sealer can protect the stone and generated more durability. A color enhanced can be applied also in this type of floor, to create a colorful look of the stone.
Terrazo
The appearance of the terrazzo is more uniform than most natural stone, and is available in tile forms or by pouring application on the slab. Terrazzo is a mixture of Portland cement and Marble chips. These chips can range in size from a fraction of an inch to as large to several inches. The very good side about Terrazzo is it can be ground, honed and polish just like Marble and can be easily mistaken for Granite.
Granite
Granite is an extremely hard natural stone with low porosity, normally given a polished finish. Granite is formed by volcanic action, and is an acid and scratch resistant as well. Granite paving is not usually treated; in this case waterproofing the material is recommended, especially if is laid in places such kitchens or bathrooms.
Travertine
Essentially limestone that has been formed in hot springs. Water movement caused the erosion of the stone creating numerous holes of varying sizes. A polished travertine will have its holes filled with color-matched Portland cement filler. These fillers do not take a high polish and therefore the overall polish tends to look blotchy.
Flagstone
Flagstone is the term given to almost all-stone material cut into thin, irregular shapes. Found extensively on sidewalks, foyer entrance, pool decks, etc..., flagstone can be almost any material but is commonly the SANDSTONE type. Flagstone should not be ground and should only be cleaned and sealed.