Out of all the questions we get asked, I would say the one we hear most often is how to care for stone, not only slate, but everything from granite counter tops to travertine entry floors. Well don’t fret: here is a little tip for natural stone care.

When installing natural stone we strongly recommend a non-sanded grout when using narrow grout joints (? inch or smaller), however, with larger grout joints sanded grout is recommended. Due to grout being made of fine particles of cement, polymers, and color pigments, the grout will penetrate the microscopic pores of stone surfaces. When this happens the color stays in the whole and becomes trapped. Therefore, before grouting we recommend all travertine, slate, tumbled stone and honed/flamed/unpolished granites, marble and limestone to be sealed to protect them from possible grout staining. The application of a good quality sealer should be used and left to dry for at least 24 hours. The same sealing process should be repeated at least two more times after grouting and again left to dry for at least 24 hours between each seal. Stay tuned to ciaotile.com for more helpful stone care tips. .