Before you got your natural stone floors installed, Mother Nature took great care of it. Now that it is in your home, this responsibility now rests heavy on your shoulders. As beautiful as natural stone floors are, especially when laid down well, it is very easy for them to be ruined if one is not experienced in the ways of their ideal care. This holds even more true during the summer season, during which your floors may be exposed to more damage.
However, before we get into how to protect your natural stone floors, there are a variety of reasons why you should invest in natural stone floors during this summer.
Apart from bestowing a beautiful natural look to your home and being durable for lifetimes, natural stone floors are an excellent option if you want to keep your house cool in summer. So instead of worrying about high energy bills due to excessive use of air conditioner this summer, cool flooring may be the most sustainable and affordable alternative. This is not just an assumption that we pulled out of thin air to convince you to invest in natural stone floors – we can back up this fact with science.
Different flooring materials have their own distinct heat conductivity. This means that heat transfers from your body to the flooring surface at a rate proportional to its conductivity. Thus, the higher its rate of heat conductivity, the faster the heat will transfer from your body to the surface, hence resulting in you perceiving the surface as cooler. Thus, natural stone floors can work well both indoors and outside during summer. Using stone floors in both your interior and exterior can help create a seamless flow between your indoor and outdoor area.
Now that we know the benefits of stone flooring in summer, how does one care for their natural stone floors during summer?
Put out your rugs
The less you clean your stone floor, the less the chance of wear and tear dulling your floor’s vibrance. Since in summer you’ll probably have the kids running in and out of the house, it is key to stop the dirt and grime in its tracks. However, you do not have to worry about your floors as long as you put out a rug about 5 steps near anywhere that leads to stone floors. This, for example, can be at the entrance into your home or maybe outside in the garden. A mat or rug, with a non-sleep under – surface, will not only ensure that dirt stays of the floors but also keeps your floors nice and beautiful, just like you always want them to be. Also, ensure that you dust your mats frequently so as to prevent dust from getting on to your floors.
Lower your blinds
Direct sunlight is one of the biggest enemies your natural stone floor can face. It results in a gradual loss of your floor’s shine, resulting in dull floor surfaces. This, however, can be remedied with the simple act of drawing the blinds to keep that direct sunlight off your beautiful floors especially on hot afternoons.
Use less water when cleaning
Seeing as summertime will often result in increased traffic in your home, courtesy of the children and guests, your home is definitely more prone to getting dirty. This means you have to clean your floor more often. It is, however, worth noting that water is another enemy for stone floors. Thus, when cleaning, you are advised that when cleaning your floors, use a damp mop that you have completely wrong to reduce the amount of water getting on to your floors.
Use a sealant
Natural stone floors are porous. This means that dust and other particles can easily enter the stone, disrupting its structure and making it more susceptible to cracks and staining. It is therefore advisable to protect your stone floors using a good sealant that should be applied once every three years by a professional.
These are just a few of the steps you can take in order to care for your natural stone floors this summer. This, of course, follows that you do your basic stone care practices such as frequent vacuum cleaning, and avoiding strong bleaches and such like cleaning compounds. Instead use gentle cleaners, designated for use on natural stone.
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