SET IN STONE
Kevin Hooper of Specialist Stone Care shares his exclusive industry know-how and top tips for maintaining public sector flooring.
Specialist Stone Care is the interiors division of the exterior cleaning and restoration stone experts Thomann-Hanry. Led by industry professional Kevin Hooper – with over 30 years’ experience in the industry – the company has inherited decades of experience of cleaning interior stone and frequently focus on the maintenance of flooring, often in areas with high footfall.
The internal flooring at One New Change, a high-end shopping centre in the city of London, managed by Land Securities, was treated and restored by the team and public sector buildings such Australia House and Fishmongers’ Hall have also used Specialist Stone Care.
When it comes to public sector buildings, the efficiency of ongoing maintenance is of paramount importance, more so in these relatively austere times. Once the floor in the building has been restored, how easily it can be maintained is critical in terms of cost efficiencies – once treated, the floor should be easy to clean and manage. This is when a sealant works particularly well, even more so in buildings with high footfall. Depending on the floor there are different solutions to consider but applying a good quality seal means less time is spent maintaining surfaces once the treatment is complete. This means a win on cost as well as long term visual appearance.
28 | PUBLIC SECTOR
appearance of the stone which is the main reason they are not as widely used as impregnators. If a natural stone has been used, it will usually want to remain looking natural.
Alternatively, and as the name suggests, an impregnating seal literally impregnates the stone, soaking down through the material leaving behind particles which change its absorption properties, protecting the floor from damage and staining.
A huge advantage
All porous building materials such as marble, travertine, granite and limestone are like hard sponges and will readily absorb damaging agents such as water, water-borne salts and oil based stains. This reduces the usefulness of the material, but using a sealant prevents this.
There are two types of seal which can be applied to stone floor, a surface seal or an impregnating seal. Depending on the type of finish required each offer slightly different solutions.
A surface seal creates an impervious barrier to the stone surface, which stops anything touching it directly. This protects the floor from virtually any type of staining with the exception of strong acids and, as the surface is protected, it also stops a certain amount of wear.
The main disadvantage with a surface seal is that it completely changes the
of an impregnator is that it causes very little change to the appearance of the stone whilst providing a high degree of stain resistance. Here AquaFend G works very well and, depending on footfall, will only need re-applying about every eight years.
The only disadvantage of impregnating seals is that they do need professional application, and when applied incorrectly, offer little or no protection. This unfortunately only becomes apparent on the stone once it has been stained. The investment in proper application, in this case, can certainly lead to long term gain.
The public sector covers a wide scope of buildings and each need will be on an individual basis. Seeking good advice from the outset is always highly recommended.
www.specialiststonecare.co.uk www.tomorrowscontractfloors.com
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