Natural stone is a popular building material for many reasons. Some of these reasons are practical and some are aesthetic. If stone is to keep functioning and looking its best, it needs appropriate care. With that in mind, here’s a quick guide to some of the types of stone commonly used in construction and how to care for them.
Granite
Granite is famous for its strength. It can be the only choice for places with extreme weather conditions. Possibly the most famous example of this is the city of Aberdeen in Scotland. For most of the year, the city has deep cold, high winds, and heavy rains, but it also gets very hot in summer. It’s therefore constructed almost entirely out of granite.
Granite is also prized for its beauty. It’s often used to create interior design features, particularly in kitchens and bathrooms. Again, these are places that can have extreme conditions and hence benefit from the use of a robust stone.
Sandstone
Sandstone is a popular building material because it is easy to work with but still fairly robust. That said, sandstone is vulnerable to erosion. This is typically due to the effects of water and/or wind. This means that it’s unsuitable for use in places with particularly harsh weather. It also means that it needs to be regularly maintained and cleaned with suitable care by a professional cleaning company.
Gritstone
Gritstone is basically a particularly robust form of sandstone. It is one of the more durable forms of sandstone but essentially needs the same treatment.
Limestone
Like sandstone, limestone is easy to work with. When properly worked, it’s very durable although it can be susceptible to modern pollutants especially acid. These days, limestone tends to be used for applications such as tiling rather than for exterior walls.
The exception to this is if a builder wants a construction to develop an aged appearance very quickly. This could be because an older building is being extended or because the building is in a historic area. Limestone is highly prized in these situations because it develops an aged patina very quickly.
Like sandstone, limestone needs regular maintenance and suitable cleaning to keep it in top condition by a professional cleaning company.
Other stones
Many other types of stone are used in construction. They can be used on their own or to make other building materials such as brick, concrete, and tiles. Each type needs appropriate maintenance and care. For example, brick cleaning can be very different from regular stone cleaning.
Stonework Aftercare
Whatever type of stonework you have, it’s important to implement a regular schedule of appropriate stone cleaning. This isn’t just so that it stays looking good, although that is a clear benefit. It’s also to prevent dirt from either causing or hiding damage.
Graffiti is a special hazard. The presence of graffiti can act as a lure to vandals. At best, this could lead to more graffiti. At worst, it could lead to further vandalism. This means that graffiti removal should always be seen as a top priority.
With any form of stone cleaning, it’s important to take the right approach for both the type of stone and the type of dirt. This could mean wet blasting, grit blasting, steam cleaning, or JOS and TORC cleaning. A reputable stonework cleaning company will be able to guide you on this.
Token Cleaning Services is a premier cleaning company with a fully-equipped fleet of vehicles, and a team available 24/7. We can promptly provide professional cleaning services that include brick and stone cleaning, drain cleaning, graffiti removal, steam cleaning and window cleaning services for commercial, industrial and domestic clients as required.
Get in touch with us today to talk through your needs. Why not Chat to us online, call us on 01279 422752 or send a message to office@tokencleaning.com. Further information about our full service range can be found on our website.
