Protect and clean stone floors

Natural stone flooring needs to breath.

"Don't use polishes or waxes," said Richard Dasch, president, Rose Restoration International. "They can make it slippery because there's nowhere for the water to go—it's a hydroplaning effect."

The company uses industrial diamonds to maintain marble.

"They are to stone what sandpaper is to wood," Dasch said. "As you use finer sandpaper, you keep closing the pores with ever-increasingly finer paper."

How often the floors should be polished depends on foot traffic and the hotel's location.

"At the beach, where sand is being dragged in all the time, it will dull the surface," Dasch said.

For some floors, the company polishes a different section every night. Areas in front of elevators or doors might be done monthly to weekly, he said.

To care for polished finishes, hire experts for the restoration process, said Stephanie Merkel, v.p., national accounts & marketing, Stuart Dean.

"Experience plays a substantial role in enabling the marble restorative technician to know precisely what methods to employ to quickly and effectively service a marble floor," she said.

Marble, such as the floor at The Westin St. Francis in San Francisco [above], is composed primarily of calcium carbonate, is relatively soft and can be scratched by dirt tracked onto floors from outside.

"Polishing is an abrasive technique which creates a flat, lustrous surface and also seals the stone," she said.

Stone alternative

"Polymer flooring has become more decorative over the last 20 years, and is being used more in commercial applications, including hotels," said Brad Weil, senior product marketing manager, Sika Industrial Flooring.

These products can be a good alternative to terrazzo or other stone flooring.

"Sikafloor Verrazzo and Versacolor produce a highly durable and attractive surface at a third of the cost of terrazzo," Weil said. "They also offer faster installation for reduced downtime and, because grout lines and surface waxing are eliminated, have lower maintenance costs compared to tile or conventional terrazzo."

"Sikafloor decorative systems produce a seamless marble or granite appearance at a fraction of the cost," said Tim Price, regional sales manager. "Even though these systems are designed to last many years, facilities have the flexibility to economically change the look after only a couple of years by simply grinding the surface and reapplying. This can be done to match new carpet or furniture, or to achieve a totally new color palette."

Face LIFTS

Expert tips for floor maintenance

• In high-traffic areas, polished stone should be cleaned daily with a clean rayon or cotton string mop with hot water and quality neutral cleaner. Neutral cleaners have a pH of 7. Acidic and alkaline cleaners should not be used; they will dull the polish of the floor.
• The most important maintenance procedure is drying the marble after cleaning.
• Change the cleaning water and rinsing water often because dirty water leaves streaking and dulls the appearance of the marble.
• For a polished marble floor, dust mop periodically during the day to prevent dirt and gravel from scratching the floor.
• Walk-off mats placed outside and inside entrances eliminate a good portion of sand, dirt and grit. Vacuum the dirt and grit out of these mats daily.

Source: Stephanie Merkel, v.p., national accounts & marketing, Stuart Dean