Designing a Sustainable(Green) Stone Floor Maintenance Program

Designing a Sustainable (Green) Stone Floor Maintenance Program
By Frederick M. Hueston PhD



Walk into any stone, terrazzo or janitorial chemical supplier and you will find an endless selection of cleaners, sealers, restorers, etc to keep you terrazzo and stone floors looking new. The problem is many of these chemicals can be harmful to the user, occupants and the environment. How does one design a program that is not only sustainable and safe but to also keep your terrazzo and stone flooring in like new condition?

Fortunately there is an effective way to not only maintain these surfaces but also to keep them looking new. The following guideline will show you how to develop a sustainable maintenance program. This is especially important for schools, hospitals and other buildings were children and people sensitive to these harmful chemicals are present everyday.

The dangers of floor strippers, finishes etc have been studied by many organizations including universities, etc. Here is a partial list of those studies

- Green Seal Report
Floor Care Products: Finishes and Strippers
www.greenseal.org/resources/reports/CGR_floorcare.pdf

-Safe and Effective Use of Floor Finish Strippers
Janitorial Products. Pollution Prevention Project
Sponsored by US EPA
www.wrppn.org/janitorial/factsheet/floor.htm

-Health Hazard Evaluation Report 95-0313-2589, University of Michigan Hospitals, Ann Arbor, Michigan

-NIOSH [1990]. NIOSH criteria for a
recommended standard: occupational exposure to
ethylene glycol monobutyl ether and ethylene
glycol monobutyl ether acetate. Cincinnati, OH:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service, Centers for Disease
Control, National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication
No. 90–118.

-Ruth JH [1986]. Odor thresholds and irritation
levels of several chemical substances: a review.
Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 47:A142–A151.
WHO [1983]. Indoor air pollutants: exposure
and health effects. World Health Organization
Regional Office for Europe. WHO–EURO report
and studies no. 78, Copenhagen, Denmark.



Program Guidelines

Step 1. A good sustainable maintenance program starts with proper identification of the stone. Is it granite, marble, terrazzo or limestone? If it’s marble is it soft or hard? What type of finish does it have? Polished, honed, flamed, etc.? Is the type of stone the proper material for the traffic it is to receive? If not maintenance costs will be higher. If the answer to these questions are unknown, I suggest you contact a reputable stone supplier or restoration company to find out. A complete understanding of your particular stones characteristics is an absolute must for designing a sustainable maintenance program.

Step 2. Once the stone’s characteristics are identified determine the quality of the installation. Are the tiles flat and even? Do they contain lippage (uneven tiles). If so, proper maintenance may prove difficult. The floor should be ground flat, honed and polished using sustainable restoration procedures that utilize non-chemical methods. Are there any cracked tiles? Dirt will have a tendency to accumulate in these cracks. These tiles should be replaced or if replacements are not available at least repaired.

Step 3. What is the present condition of the stone? Has it been coated with waxes, acrylics, urethane or other coatings? If so these coatings need to be ground off to determine the condition of the stone as well as eliminate any toxic and unsafe properties. I have seen stone floors that appear to be in great shape until the coatings are removed to unveil a pitted, scratched mess. If a poor condition is found, complete restoration is necessary before a successful sustainable maintenance program can begin.

Step 4. Once the stone is restored to like new condition, then and only then will a sustainable maintenance program provide good results. This applies not only to the following program but any program. If the stone will be exposed to water, coffee, spills etc, an application of a an approved Green impregnator is recommended. These impregnators are designed to penetrate into the stone, without leaving coatings on the surface and still allowing the stone to transpire(breathe). They contain no harmful vapors or off gases when cured.


Step 5. Daily Maintenance

The three most important tasks that can be done on a daily basis to keep the stone looking new and extending the time before restoration is required are: Dust Mop, Dust Mop and Dust Mop. The most destructive material to most stone is sand, dirt and miscellaneous grit. If these substances could be eliminated, maintenance of the stone would be almost non-existent. A stone floor can never be dust mopped too often. Use a clean, non-treated, dry dust mop at least two to three times a day in high traffic areas and less often in low traffic areas. Walk off mats placed outside and inside an entrance will also eliminate a good portion of sand, dirt and grit. It takes approximately seven steps to remove all loose dirt from the bottom of ones shoes. Walk off mats also need to be removed and cleaned daily. Keep this in mind when purchasing walk off mats. Remember if sand, dirt and grit are eliminated there will be nothing left behind to scratch and dull the stone.

Note: Coatings in addition to potentially being hazardous contribute to accelerate wearing of the stone or terrazzo surface by acting as a magnet for dirt and debri. It has been shown in studies that a stone or terrazzo floor without any coating will be easier to maintain as well as more cost effective.


Step 6. Cleaning

All natural stone, both polished and unpolished should be cleaned daily in high traffic areas and less often in lower traffic areas. A clean rayon or cotton string mop should be used with cold to warm water with the addition of a quality Green Approved neutral cleaner or stone soap. Approved Green Neutral cleaners are defined as surfactant type detergents that have a Ph of 7. Acidic and alkaline cleaners should not be used. Be sure to follow the directions very carefully.






Why Does Stone Shine?

All stone is taken from the earth in a raw block form. This block is cut into slices that we call slabs. The slabs are then cut further to a smaller size such as a tile or countertop. It is then polished using a series of abrasive materials. The mechanics are relatively simple. A piece of stone is rubbed with a series of abrasives starting with a course grit size followed by
Finer and finer grit sizes. The scratch pattern left behind from one grit is removed by the next grit creating finer and finer scratches. This process is continued until the scratch pattern becomes microscopic. The process is similar to refinishing a piece of wood, starting with a course sandpaper and ending with a fine sandpaper. The shine is placed on the stone by continuing this abrading process using very fine powders. With sustainable(Green) restoration methods no chemicals are used.



Restoration

Periodically the stone will need to be restored. Perhaps you have not followed a proper maintenance program or the type of stone you have is not suited to the conditions it receives or for what ever other reason it is not responding to maintenance, then restoration is required. How often this will need to be done is difficult to determine. Generally if all the precautions above are followed, restoration may only be needed as often as once per year or as little as once every five years or so. The restoration process re-hones the stone to remove deep scratches and is then re-polished. Do not attempt the re-honing process yourself, this requires a great degree of skill and experience, please call a reputable restoration company who specializes in sustainable methods for this task.

Natural stone was the first building material used by man. Its care and maintenance is one of the oldest tasks performed by our ancestors and was maintained without any of today’s modern chemical products. The above guidelines were developed by our years of experience with this beautiful material and with the addition of sustainable practices will provide many years of beauty.


Written by

Frederick M. Hueston, PhD
Stone University
E-Mail: Fhueston@aol.com
Web Site: www.stoneuniversity.org

A Guide to Selecting Granite Counter Tops

Introduction

Congratulations on considering using granite for your new counter tops. Granite is becoming the number one material used for counter tops in all buildings and it should be. In a recent study by the Kitchen and Bath Association, granite counter tops are being used in nearly 1/3 of all new homes being built today. Granite is a durable material with many advantages over other materials traditionally used.


Granite is an excellent choice for counter tops. It is very scratch resistant. Most granite will not be affected by acidic foods. Hot plates can be placed directly on the surface. Some granites are somewhat porous and can stain very easily therefore proper sealing is a must. Granite is also available in polished and matt finishes. Granite is also expensive but is one of the most beautiful counter tops available.

Granite- Dispelling the Myths


Many of you will use granite for your new counter tops and you will run into many myths when shopping for granite. The following will help you deal with these myths and rumors.

Do not use granite. It is dangerous and can harm you. Granite emits radon and it can also harbor bacteria. Theses are some of the statements that are being rumored lately. They are absolutely not true. Lets take a look at each one of these rumors:

Myth #1- Granite can harbor harmful bacteria!

This statement is simply untrue. We Contacted The Center for Disease Control(CDC) and The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to find out how many cases they had on file where granite has caused any illness or disease as a result of bacteria. They could not find one case, proving that granite will not harbor bacteria. In addition, you would expect one to clean their counter top on a regular basis.

Myth #2- Granite contains harmful radon gases!

This again is another myth that is untrue. This claim was investigated by Donald Langmuir, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Chemistry and Geochemistry at the Colorado School of Mines and President of Hydrochemical Systems Corp. Mr Langmuir response can be found at http://www.natural-stone.com/radonmyth.html

Myth #3- Granite is difficult to clean!

Also, not true. Anyone who works with or owns a granite counter top, knows it is very easy to take care of. Cleaning requires wiping with a good stone cleaner. There are even disinfectant cleaners now available for both granite and solid surfaces. ISI members provide complete cleaning instructions with all counter top we sell and install.



What to look for:

Now that you have decided on granite it is now time to visit the shop and choose your counter top. As we mentioned not all granite is the same and you should look at the slab or slabs that your granite counter top will be fabricated from. The following are some tips that should help avoid any problems.

SLAB SELECTION

Your new granite counter top will be made from a slab of granite. A slab is a large rectangular piece of stone that your counter top will be cut from. Slabs come in various sizes and basically two thickness(3/4 and 1/1/4 inches).
Once you have selected the type of granite you like, then you will need to examine the slab very carefully. Look for imperfections, such as nicks, pits, etc. Some of these imperfections can be filled Check to make sure the granite is not scratched.
If we already have your template made, we will take the template and place it on the slab. This will give you a real good idea on how the counter top will look. If there are any unusual natural flaws, the template may be arranged so that these flaws are not on the counter top when complete. Now is the time to discover these flaws, not when the counter top is already cut.


Things to discuss with us before the slab is cut.

There are several things you need to discuss with before the slab is cut.

Seams: How thick will the seams be? A seam is where two pieces of stone meet. An extremely wide seam will be unsightly. Seams should be no wider than 1/8 of an inch.

Our shop will place the seams in areas that will provide full support of your new stone countertop.

Cabinets: Before we can measure or template your countertops, the cabinet installer must have the cabinets set and leveled. This is the responsibility of the cabinet installer.

Sinks, cook tops and fixtures. Before your counter top is fabricated it is important to have your sink, cook top, etc and all the fixtures you plan on using. Once we cut the openings for the fixtures and appliance it is too late. Even if a template is available, many times the fixtures and appliances will change and the template will not work. The only way to avoid this is to have the actual sink, cook top and fixtures available.

Door Pulls and cabinet hardware: It is important that the cabinet’s door pulls and hardware are installed. The reason for this is to make sure that the pulls are easily accessible when the counter tops is installed.

Overhangs: If you plan on having a large overhang on any of the counter tops there is a limit as to how much the counter tops can overhang without any additional support. Your fabricator should be able to guide you on the proper overhang limits. For overhangs larger than those recommend you should have them properly supported to withstand a persons weight. This means placing metal or wood brackets under the counter top.



Installation of your new counter tops:

There are also several things you will need to discuss with us about the installation of your counter tops. Of course this is best done before the counter tops is installed.
Here is what we will discuss with you that will make a smooth installation:


Fixture installation: Normally the installation of the fixtures is performed by a plumber. Most plumbers are professionals and know what they are doing, however many plumbers are not familiar with stone. The number one problem with installation of fixtures is the use of plumber’s putty. Plumbers putty is used on the fixtures to help seal them. Plumbers putty will also stain very easily. Make sure to tell the plumber to use a non-staining putty. Once the counter tops is stained with plumber’s putty it is very difficult to remove.


Acceptable repairs: Many times during fabrication or installation the stone may chip. It is common practice to repair these chips with a polymer type filler. This is considered acceptable by the stone industry as long as the repair does not effect the structural integrity of the stone and that the color of the repair does not detract from the appearance of the stone. Remember stone is a product of nature and it may have naturally occurring holes, chips, etc.



Fred Hueston is a nationally known stone expert and is the founder of The National Training Center for Stone & Masonry Trades and Stone University

http://www.ntc-stone.com/ http://www.stoneuniversity.org/