How to Clean a Hardwood Floor Part 2

Part two of our series on how to clean a hardwood floor explores what to look for in a cleaning service.

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Hardwood Floor Cleaning Services: Check Them Out

Whether or not you are looking for a hardwood floor cleaning service in New Braunfels, TX  or not, and no matter where you are in the world, there are certain things to look for in a service.  First off, before you arrange an appointment, write down some questions.

How much is it to clean a hardwood floor?  Do they charge by square footage, or do they charge a flat fee?  How much experience do they have?  Do they do other services in addition to wood floors?  This last one is important because sometimes it helps to find a cleaning service that can do other things too.

For example, in addition to hardwood floors, they may also do bathroom remodeling, or do work with tile and grout.  You may have a one stop service when you're done.  However, there is another thing you want to do when you're getting ready call a service in.  You want to check out their reputation.  There are several sources for this.  You want to read online reviews for the business, but use caution.  Overwhelmingly positive reviews could be fake, particularly if they are obviously written by someone who is using English as a second language.  You also want to take a hard look at universally negative reviews for a couple of reasons as well.  It is either that they are the victim of a negative smear campaign by one of their competitors or probably more likely, they really are bad at what they do.  But how do you know which one to pick?

Hardwood Floor Cleaning: Trust Your Feelings

How do you find a hardwood floor cleaning service?  Well, let's say you have found a service by searching online.  They have a nice mix of reviews, so it appears natural.  Don't blithely schedule an appointment though.  Call them.  You want to talk to the owner.  How does he respond to customers?  Is he friendly and professional or rude and hostile?  While phone etiquette isn't everything, sometimes it can be a telltale sign that something is wrong if he's rude.   Ultimately though, when in doubt, trust your feelings.  If you feel the price is too high, unless you live in a one horse town, you can go to someone else.

So remember, when you want to get cleaning done, ask some questions.  Do your homework by checking out their reviews, and ask your friends and family.  That way you know you've found the right hardwood floor cleaning service.

For more information on hardwood floor cleaning, be sure to read part one and part three as well.

Lone Star Tile and Grout Cleaning
4019 Stahl Rd, Suite 202
San Antonio TX 78217
(210) 637-5050
More Info on Wood Floor Cleaning

How to Clean a Hardwood Floor

Do you know how to clean a hardwood floor?  We do.  So we hope these tips will come in handy.  Part one of a three part series explores some general tips.

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Hardwood Floor Cleaning: What You Shouldn't Do

When you want to clean your hardwood floor, it's important to know what to do as well as what not to do.  First off, use caution when picking store-bought products.  A great many of them have oil or wax in them.  While waxing and applying an oil to a hardwood floor may sound like a good idea, you have to know that over time, these products leave a lot of residue on your floor that will get gummy and attract dirt.  After a while your floor will start to appear dingy and worn out.  If you're like most people, you think the solution is more polish.  It isn't.  In addition, there are some floors such as teak that already have a high oil content.  If you add a product that is oil or wax-based, it will not only make your floor dingy, it will also likely make it permanently slippery too.

On the flip side of this, be sure to read the ingredients.  If there is anything acidic or harsh chemicals in the mix, don't use it to clean your hardwood floor.  For example, we once had a client who used a  product from a store that actually contained bleach that was supposedly "safe" for any surface, including hardwood floors.  Suffice it to say the label was wrong.   The bleach not only stripped away the polyurethane coating, it did what bleach often does, it well, bleached his floor.  What was a $2,500 floor was now a bunch of driftwood.  So to sum up, what you shouldn't do includes anything with harsh chemicals or anything wax and oil based.  Another thing to add to the "Do Not List" is don't wet mop your floor.

How You Should Clean Your Hardwood Floor

How you should clean your hardwood floor is actually easier than you might think.  First off, place throw rugs at each entryway into a room with hardwood flooring.  These rugs will help to capture dirt, and most importantly, fine grit that can scratch your hardwood floor.  Any boots or shoes that could scratch up your floor should be removed.  Usually flats, or sneakers are fine, however, with sneakers they can leave scuff marks, so be careful even with them.

Sweep your hardwood floor at least once a week with a soft dustmop or a simple straw broom.  Sweep outwards out of the room and ultimately into a dustpan or outdoors.  You can also clean your hardwood floor with a little bit of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle, and a non lint cloth.

So remember, taking care of your floor is always a good idea.  So know what to do AND what not to do.  That way you will always be able to maintain and clean your hardwood floor between visits.

For more information on hardwood floor cleaning and refinishing, be sure to read part two and part three as well.

Lone Star Tile and Grout Cleaning
4019 Stahl Rd, Suite 202
San Antonio TX 78217
(210) 637-5050
http://www.lonestartileandgroutcleaning.com

Natural Stone Care Part 3: Granite Cleaning

Part three of a series on stone care explores granite cleaning.

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How to Clean Your Granite

Granite is one of the hardest stones around.  What a lot of people don't know, however, is that it isn't just one type of stone.  Granite is actually a composite stone.  As a result, granite has some stone pieces in it that are harder, and some that are softer.  If you wish to clean your granite, like all natural stone, don't use harsh chemicals.  Use dish washing soap and water for cleaning.  You may also wish to seal your stone after you're done cleaning.  Here is some more information on granite .

"Granite has been extensively used as a dimension stone and as flooring tiles in public and commercial buildings and monuments. Aberdeen in Scotland, which is constructed principally from local granite, is known as "The Granite City". Because of its abundance, granite was commonly used to build foundations for homes in New England. The Granite Railway, America's first railroad, was built to haul granite from the quarries in Quincy, Massachusetts, to the Neponset River in the 1820s. With increasing amounts of acid rain in parts of the world, granite has begun to supplant marble as a monument material, since it is much more durable. Polished granite is also a popular choice for kitchen countertops due to its high durability and aesthetic qualities. In building and for countertops, the term "granite" is often applied to all igneous rocks with large crystals, and not specifically to those with a granitic composition." [READ MORE]

Get Stone Sealing

Whenever you get granite cleaning done, make sure you also get stone sealing done as well.  Why? Well, it helps to protect your stone and keep potentially damaging liquids out.  The sealant that we use is an impregnating sealer, which means it sinks into the pores of the granite and forms a spill proof barrier.

So remember, granite is a stone that, like all other types of natural stone has it's own care instructions.  However, like all stone, just remember a few things.  First off, never use anything acidic, or any harsh chemicals.  Next, clean up any spills immediately, even if your stone is sealed.  And when you don't know what to do, call a stone care service in Cibolo.

Be sure to read part one and part two for more information on natural stone care.

Lone Star Tile and Grout Cleaning
4019 Stahl Rd, Suite 202
San Antonio TX 78217
(210) 637-5050
http://lonestartileandgroutcleaning.com/san-antonio-stone-care/

Natural Stone Care Part 2: Marble Polishing and Care

Part two of a series on natural stone care explores marble polishing and general care of this remarkable, fossilized limestone.

Happy Independence Day from Your Marble Care Experts

Happy Independence Day from Your Marble Cleaning Pros in New Braunfels | Call Us Today | (210) 637-5050

Before we get too deep into the basics of marble and marble care, we just want to wish you and yours a safe and happy 4th of July.

In our last article, we covered travertine care.  Getting proper care for your marble tile in New Braunfels, TX depends on a lot of factors that interconnect.    First off, here is some basic information about marble.

Marble is not just white.  A lot of people think that marble is the white, grey veined stuff that's used in floor tiles in posh places such as hotels.  However, marble can be in a large number of colors from green to gold to even red.  Most marble is found in either Asia, Europe or the Americas.

Here is some additional information about marble: "According to the United States Geological Survey, U.S. domestic marble production in 2006 was 46,400 tons valued at $18.1 million, compared to 72,300 tons valued at $18.9 million in 2005. Crushed marble production (for aggregate and industrial uses) in 2006 was 11.8 million tons valued at $116 million, of which 6.5 million tons was finely ground calcium carbonate and the rest was construction aggregate. For comparison, 2005 crushed marble production was 7.76 million tons valued at $58.7 million, of which 4.8 million tons was finely ground calcium carbonate and the rest was construction aggregate. U.S. dimension marble demand is about 1.3 million tons. The DSAN World Demand for (finished) Marble Index has shown a growth of 12% annually for the 2000–2006 period, compared to 10.5% annually for the 2000–2005 period. The largest dimension marble application is tile.
Marble production is dominated by 4 countries that account for almost half of world production of marble and decorative stone. Italy is the world leader in marble production, with 20% share in global marble production followed by China with 16% of world production. India is third ranking with 10% of world production, followed by Spain in fourth ranking position with 6% of world production. The other marble producing countries of the world represent the remaining other half of world marble production" [SOURCE]

Marble Cleaning Tips

Do not ever use anything acidic on marble.  This includes things like bleach, lemon juice, or vinegar.  While damp mopping is fine, never wet mop marble.  Microbes can be in the water, and can eat away at your stone, or in the case of some municipal water sources, there can be trace amounts of chlorine.

When in doubt, you never want to experiment with marble.  Make sure you call a licensed professional that knows how to do natural stone care for any marble cleaning.

Be sure to read part one and part three of this series for more info on natural stone care.  

Lone Star Tile and Grout Cleaning
4019 Stahl Rd, Suite 202
San Antonio TX 78217
(210) 637-5050
Contact Us

Natural Stone Care Part 1: General Travertine Care

Part one of a series on natural stone care focuses on travertine.

Travertine Basics

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First off, travertine is a type of limestone. Travertine is used in a lot of different applications.  More specifically: "Travertine is often used as a building material. The Romans mined deposits of travertine for building temples, aqueducts, monuments, bath complexes, and amphitheaters such as the Colosseum[13] , the largest building in the world constructed mostly of travertine. Other notable buildings using travertine extensively include the Sacré-Cœur Basilica in Paris and the 20th-century Getty Center in Los Angeles, California, and Shell-Haus in Berlin. The travertine used in the Getty Center and Shell-Haus constructions was imported from Tivoli and Guidonia. Travertine is one of several natural stones that are used for paving patios and garden paths. It is sometimes known as travertine limestone or travertine marble; these are the same stone, although travertine is classified properly as a type of limestone, not marble. The stone is characterised by pitted holes and troughs in its surface. Although these troughs occur naturally, they suggest signs of considerable wear and tear over time. Some installers use a grout to fill the holes, whereas others leave them open — travertine can be purchased "filled" or "unfilled." It can also be polished to a smooth, shiny finish, and comes in a variety of colors from grey to coral-red. Travertine is most commonly available in tile sizes for floor installations. Travertine is one of the most frequently used stones in modern architecture. It is commonly used for façades, wall cladding, and flooring." [READ MORE]

If you have travertine, depending on where it's installed in your home, it may need some highly specialized care.  Travertine installed as a counter top in a kitchen, for example, won't need the same care that travertine in a shower will need.

Travertine Cleaning and Sealing

Getting travertine cleaning is always your first step in caring for your stone.  It will help to get the dirt out of the pores in the stone.   Once you've cleaned it, we recommend sealing it.  Travertine sealing helps to keep stains and spills from seeping into to the stone.

So remember, don't guess when you're dealing with natural stone.  So whether you have travertine, marble, limestone, or any other type of natural stone, call a tile cleaning service for help with it.

This concludes part one of our series.  Be sure to read part two and part three as well for more information on natural stone care.   

Lone Star Tile and Grout Cleaning
4019 Stahl Rd, Suite 202
San Antonio TX 78217
(210) 637-5050
http://www.lonestartileandgroutcleaning.com

Bathroom Remodeling

If you want to remodel your bathroom, it may not be as expensive as you think...

Bathroom Remodeling

Bathroom remodeling in San Antonio | (210) 637-5050

Bathroom remodeling starts out with what appears to be a good plan.  That is,until you get estimates on how much it will cost.  What makes bathroom remodeling so expensive is when you are looking at taking out existing items like tile and grout as well as removing a bathtub or sink.   You could be stuck doing a remodeling project in pieces, and run the risk of having colors not match. In addition, removing sinks, toilets and bathtubs effectively makes the bathroom in question unusable for an indefinite period of time.  You may wish to look at another option.

Tile cleaning alone can remove soap scum and mildew as well as restoring your bathroom tile to a like new appearance.  It can also remove any discoloration from the grout as well.  But how do you keep the tile and grout clean?

Renovating Your Bathroom With Grout Sealing

Remodeling is all about details.  Most people just clean the tile and grout on the bathroom floor but what about the shower tile? Cleaning shower tile and grout requires a different focus than other tile does.  For example grout joints start deteriorating which leads to cracked tiles if you're not careful.  You also want to seal tile in the shower to keep the grout intact as well as your tile looking beautiful.

If you seal your grout, it keeps stains out and can last for years without any touch-ups needed.  You can also do grout color sealing on your bathroom tile, giving it a fresh new look.  And no one will be able to tell that your bathroom remodeling cost a lot less than a regular remodeling job would have, and with much less inconvenience.

Lone Star Tile and Grout Cleaning
4019 Stahl Rd, Suite 202
San Antonio TX 78217
(210) 637-5050
http://www.lonestartileandgroutcleaning.com

Natural Stone Care and Types of Stone Part 2

Part two of a two part series on natural stone care explores where different stone comes from and the chemical composition of it. This is good information to know to take proper care of your floor and/or your counter tops...

Natural Stone Care: Slate Tips

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Slate requires much different stone care than sandstone does. Slate comes from shale in old clay beds. Slate is fine-grained, used on roofs, as tile or in some cases used to make furniture. Slate is often cut into thin sheets. Slate is made of a combination of muscovite, quartz, and some other trace minerals like hematite and tourmaline. Slate is usually gray in appearance, but can take on many different hues. Slate mined in North Wales for example can be gray, purple, or green. Although slate is both fireproof and fairly durable, it is also susceptible to chipping and cracking because of its fine nature. NEVER clean slate with acid based chemicals, as this will cause your stone to deteriorate. A stone care service would be able to properly polish your slate as well as recommend some tips.

Sandstone: A Different Level of Stone Care

Sandstone, on the other hand, is a much softer stone, relatively speaking. Sandstone has been widely used around the world in constructing buildings such as temples, cathedrals, and other buildings. Since it is porous, having a company apply impregnating stone sealer is imperative. Sandstone is treated with this sort of sealer when it's produced and you want to keep up the waterproof seal. To clean sandstone, wash it with warm water and dish soap. Rinse with fresh water. Don't let the water stay on there too long in case there are any gaps in the stone sealer. If you know how, grind your stone with a a 50-grit diamond-polishing pad. Grind the sandstone while it is still wet from being rinsed. If you don't know how to grind sandstone, you may actually want to call in a San Antonio stone care service.


Lone Star Tile and Grout Cleaning
4019 Stahl Rd, Suite 202
San Antonio TX 78217
(210) 637-5050
http://www.lonestartileandgroutcleaning.com

Natural Stone Care and Types of Stone Part 1
Natural Stone Care and Types of Stone Part 2