So you have natural stone; now what? The next step is to seal it and keep it sealed to ensure it ages well and doesn’t lose its luster. However, types of sealers become the next big question? We at Statements recommend a penetrating/impregnating sealer for most natural stones. Penetrating/impregnating sealers are a no-sheen, natural looking sealer that can be water based or solvent- based and are also good for interior or exterior applications. These can usually be found at your local hardware store.

When choosing a sealer make sure the brand you have chosen is formulated to provide maximum stain protection for stone products. Most of the time these sealers will be a little more expensive, however, this is one of the few cases when it is worth spending a little bit more. Sometimes the less expensive sealers are watered down which doesn’t help you at all.

Now you have your sealer; check. You put on your first coat, let it dry 24 hours, then repeated the process all over again; check. Now you have nothing to worry about, and you live happily ever after. Not so fast! This is often a misconception. Actually, if you want your stone to stay looking its best, depending upon the stone, you should reseal once to twice a year. It’s not hard and requires just the same process you did the first time except one coat should do it.

See? Sealing is not scary, it’s just necessary to keep your stone just as beatuiful as the day it was installed. Stayed tuned for more helpful stone care tips.

So, what’s the difference?  Most often when we use the descriptors, gauged, semi-gauged, or un-gauged tile we’re referring to slate tile. Most of our slate falls into the category of semi-gauged which means that it has undergone a grinding process that levels out one side of the tile creating a relatively flat surface. Once installed, semi-gauged tile creates a smoother, more level floor because the thickness of each tile is fairly consistent.

Ungauged tile, on the other hand, is much less refined and varies greatly in depth from tile to tile. By definition, ungauged tile is textured on both sides and has not been machine-altered in any way. It is often hand-split and boxed right at the quarry which means a greatly reduced price for the buyer. So, if you’re flexible with the look and feel of your tile, ungauged slate will save you 50-100% of the cost of it’s gauged counterpart. Although a bit raw in look at feel, unguaged stone offers greater design possiblities during installation because either side can be installed face-up depending on the amount of color variation you desire.  Installers should note that unguaged tile generally requires more work to install.

If you want a smooth finish, you’re in the market for gauged tile. When tile is gauged it has been honed on one side creating a surface that has a consistent texture and thickness. Because the manufacturing process requires more effort, gauged tile almost always comes with a higher price tag.

So, there’s your tile lesson for the week. You’re choice between gauged, semi-gauged and ungauged tile will depend on your budget and the design aesthetic you’re looking for. Ciao!

Unlike your typical factory-edged tile, rectified tile has been cut to size after the firing process. This process creates a precise, 90 degree angle edge and, as a result, can be laid with a tighter grout joint than unrectified tile (as small as 1/16″). If you’re wanting a smooth, sophisticated and continuous look on your floor or walls, choose rectified tile. You’ll find these rectified tile lines (among others!) in our showroom: Buxy, Groove, Broadway II (18″x24″ only), Zebrano, and Bloom II ceramic wall and porcelain floor tile.

Another common question that I am asked in our showroom is whether or not ceramic tile is suitable for countertop use. Here’s my answer: it depends. Really, it does!

More often than not, my answer to this question is no. Here’s why: There are two major characteristics of ceramic tile that typically deem it unsuitable for a countertop that will receive much wear and tear. First, ceramic tile is less dense than porcelain tile (and some natural stone as well) making it a less durable surface for activities like chopping and dicing, or the accidental dropping of kitchen utensils on top of. Secondly, ceramic tile often has a glazed surface (a handpainted or screenprinted matte or gloss finish) that can more easily be chipped, scratched or damaged in some way. Because the body of most ceramic tiles does not match the color of its glazed finish a chip or scratch creates an obvious aesthetic flaw. So, for heavy use surfaces like kitchen countertops or master bathroom vanities, I recommend using porcelain or natural stone.

There are some exceptions to my loose “rule”. Ceramic tile can be used on light-use countertops such as a powder room vanity or a kitchen desk. Our handcrafted line, Flying Tigress, is a great choice for light-use countertops as are Solid and Bloom. Check them out!

To follow up and expand on my first article, “Introducing, Natural Stone!”, this article will focus on the care and maintenance of natural stone–something which puts unecessary fear into the minds of many homeowners who value the beauty of natural stone but do not want to A) ruin it and B) spend long hours caring for it. For all of you busy bees out there, I understand! This article is for you.

Everyday customers come into the showroom looking for just the right tile for their home or commercial space. I see many furrowed brows and looks of caution when I mention natural stone as a great option for floors, walls, bathrooms and kitchens. Perhaps you heard about what happened to your cousin Mary’s marble countertop or your Uncle Larry’s travertine shower pan and made a pact with yourself to never buy natural stone. Before you right it off completely, let me dispell some myths about natural stone care and offer a brief education about how to keep your your stone looking swell for decades. Here you will find my suggestions for sealing, cleaning and regular maintenance of natural stone. Read on, and then decide whether it’s the right product for you.

Natural stone needs to be well-sealed upon installation. This is something that needs to be done at the time of installation and periodically thereafter depending upon the quality of sealer that you use. To test whether or not your natural stone is well-sealed, put a few drops of water on the surface of the stone and leave it alone for 10 minutes. If the water remains beaded on the surface, it’s in good shape; if it has soaked in, it’s time to reseal your stone.

Use a penetrating sealer to reseal your stone. Also called an impregnating sealer, this type of sealer penetrates the pores of your natural stone. Instead of sitting on top of the stones surface (called a topical sealer which we do not recommend) a penetrating sealer works its way into the stone so that other liquids will not settle there. To make this a bit more complex, there are many types of penetrating sealers, each with it’s specialty:

hydrophobic sealers repel water based liquids

oilphobic sealers repel both oil and water based liquids

microbial sealers discourage the growth of molds and bacteria in the pores of natural stone.

So now that you know what type of sealer to use, you need to know how often to seal your stone. Before I go any further, you should know that there isn’t a set formula for resealing natural stone. The need to reseal your stone depends on the quality of the sealer you have been using (use a high quality sealer such as Stonetech Heavy Duty sealer), the type of natural stone you have, the location of the stone in your home and how much it is used (and/or abused).

With this in mind, always buy a high quality stone sealer to seal your stone initially and then follow the manufacturer’s instructions after that! Some sealers will call for resealing once every year; others will claim to keep your stone sealed for 10 years or more. In any case, pay attention to the surface of your natural stone to make final decisions about whether it’s time to reseal it. If your stone is on a kitchen countertop and receives a lot of wear and tear, it will most likely need to be sealed more often than a countertop or backsplash in a powder room which see much less use. If your stone is in a wet application like a shower or steam room, it will also need more frequent resealing especially if it’s a more porous stone like limestone or travertine. As you can see, there are not any hard and fast rules when it comes to resealing natural stone. However, as you live with your stone, you’ll begin to understand how and when to care for it.

If the idea of resealing your natural stone once a year sounds daunting, there are stone cleaners that clean and seal at once, alleviating the need to put a distant date on the calendar and evacuate the house for a weekend. These products are a good option for those of you who would prefer to seal and clean as you go. Here at Statements, we use Stonetech Pro’s Revitalizer to do the job.

When it comes to cleaning your natural stone, remember to use a neutral-pH stone cleaner. Remember the pH-scale? Well, if you don’t, that’s okay. Just remember this: only buy high-quality stone cleaners with a neutrual pH (neither acidic or alkaline) because both acidic and alkaline liquids are liable to etch or discolor the surface of your natural stone. Many drugstore stone cleaners are acidic or alkaline, so read those labels and call the manufacturer to double check on the products pH rating. Once you’ve bought your cleaner, it’s best to use a very small amount of cleaner and lot’s of hot water. Because soap is made to attract dirt, you do not want to use much of it and you need to rinse off any left over soap fromthe surface of your stone once it’s been cleaned. This is true for cleaning any surface in your home.

For more in depth information about cleaning, sealing and restoration of natural stone I recommend these helpful sites:

https://www.stonetechpro.com/

http://www.marble-institute.com/

http://www.thetiledoctor.com/maintenance/cleaningstone.cfm

Lastly, much of this information has been gleaned from Statements stonecare expert and partner, Denise Frakes of Blue Sky Services. She and her husband Dallas have been in the stone care industry for over 20 years and specialize in cleaning, sealing and restoring damaged stone. For Denise’s helpful stone care tips, please read this: Blue Sky Services Stone Care information. If you’d like to contact Dallas or Denise directly, they can be reached at 253.927.2240 or 253.946-2056.