Blog Stone Maintenance Tips & Information
Steamer and Covid-19
Here at Stone Restoration Works, we have heard a number of concerns due to the Coronavirus that is sweeping through the nation. Colorado is among the states that have a higher amount of cases per the CDC. This would be concerning for anyone especially if you have a generational family in the household. We ourselves are a family-owned and operated business. So, you can be assured this is of concern to us. In light of this, we want to inform you not just of what we are doing as a company but also what we are able to do in helping you stay safe in your home.
As a company, we are taking every precaution possible in order to not catch COVID-19. This means you can count on us sanitizing everything in our place of work and ourselves when out on the job and in public. The CDC has put out very specific instructions on how to ensure one does not catch it or spread the virus. We are making every effort to follow such guidelines. We never want to endanger our technicians, nor our customers.
Our work typically is all about cleaning and restoring natural stone whether that be your flooring, countertops, shower, or elsewhere. What you may not know is that our machines aren’t just cleaning it and making it look brand new, but we are disinfecting it. The type of machine that we use is called Steam Vapor with TANCS. It works primarily by spraying pressurized steamed out of a nozzle that has a nylon brush attached to the end of it. There have been studies done on how effective it is against the viruses that are harder to kill. In these tests they looked to see how the Human Coronavirus 229E and harder-to-kill viruses, like Canine Parvovirus stood up against our machine. We are happy to say that the first virus mentioned was killed in a matter of 3 seconds. While the other harder-kill-viruses were killed in just 7 seconds. Meaning that our steam cleaning process kills these viruses where used.
We are proud to get to help homeowners stay safe from COVID-19 by helping to disinfect their home. You may be thinking that you are able to disinfect your home just fine with the cleaners you have. The truth is that many don’t know that for them to be effective, the cleaner has to sit there for a couple of minutes in order to kill viruses. This means that the majority of homes aren’t as clean as you think they are. It is better to take the extra precaution and give us a call today or fill out our online request form. We are happy to help make sure your home is clean and disinfected!
By Stone Restoration Works 3-19-2020
Should You Retile or Simply Regout
At Stone Restoration Works, we love tile. From slate tile flooring to a marble tile fireplace surround, it just has so many applications. And while tile itself can last you generations, the grout in between? Not so much. And when you start to see your grout becoming dingy and slimy and damaged, your gut reaction may be to schedule an entire tile replacement. But not so fast! Before you jump to that solution, we want to explain how replacing old grout instead can save you money in more ways than one.
Besides just being an eyesore, cracked and crumbling grout can present serious problems, especially in the shower area. Grout helps to seal off and protect the materials underneath your tile. When that layer of protection fails, it allows room for damaging elements to make their way in, such as water.
For example, if water creeps in behind your shower surround without you noticing, dangerous mold can develop and thrive. On top of that, that water can soak into your studs and other vital elements behind your walls, causing them to rot. All of this can ultimately result in potentially harmful health repercussions and expensive damages. You can save yourself the headache of dealing with all of those issues by simply replacing old grout once you notice it starting to wear.
Particularly when it comes to wet or greasy areas, like the shower or a backsplash, it is worth considering upgrading to epoxy grout. Unlike cement-based grouts, epoxy grout is not porous. Therefore, it is an especially good choice for areas that are exposed to more moisture and grime. Because of its poreless nature, wiping up spills and other gunk is a breeze. In addition, epoxy grout is water resistant. In contrast, traditional grouts can become compromised and weakened if exposed to water for prolonged periods of time. With epoxy grout, you do not have to worry about that at all. So overall, upgrading to epoxy grout can end up saving you money in the long run.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with wanting new tile altogether. But if you love your tile and are just tired of looking at the stained and cracked grout surrounding it, give Stone Restoration Works a call! We can fix whatever grout ailments you are experiencing. Grout cleaning, sealing, and repairing, we do it all.
By Stone Restoration Works 3-5-2020