Bluestone Sealing Vale Park - the Town of Walkerville

The name "bluestone" is not a geological term and does not fall within any distinct category such as igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic. The name "bluestone" represents different rock types, so for example bluestone found in the UK can be different stone altogether when compared with the 2 prominent varieties of bluestone found in Australia. In Victoria, bluestone generally refers to a basalt, formed from the rapid cooling of lava, whereas in South Australia the name bluestone is generally given to a form of slate. Bluestone can be used indoors and out – for cladding, paving, stairs, coping, kitchen and bathroom counter tops, pool surrounds, garden edging, commercial and domestic flooring and retaining walls. Bluestone has a high degree of slip resistance. Victorian bluestone will generally be black or grey, while bluestone slate has a more beige colour.

Bluestone flooring is porous and prone to scratching, staining and fracturing. Bluestone also needs to be allowed to breath instead of being covered by synthetic sealers or urethane. Our experienced technicians offer the best solutions to protect your bluestone by using highly penetrating impregnating sealers.

The primary cause for polished stone floors becoming dull is foot traffic. Prolonged foot traffic grinds and packs in dust, sand, and grit. Although the scratching that occurs is very fine, it eventually covers the majority of the surface and over time dulls the finish to the point where it loses its reflective properties. To make your stone surfaces smooth and reflective, we employ the use of high speed polishers.

All natural stone is porous to different degrees. To protect your bluestone an impregnating sealer should be applied which is similar to a topical sealer but doesn't create a film on top of the stone, instead it sits within the stones pores.

The idea of using sealers on stone surfaces is to prevent water from penetrating the porous structure of bluestone, which eventually leads to stains, cracks, weathering, and deterioration. Sealing your tiles and/or grout helps prevent & reduce staining by providing a barrier against stain carrying substances.

We provide specialised sealing, cleaning and restoration solutions for all bluestone surfaces

To schedule your appointment or to obtain a free estimate, call 1300 771 201 today or use our online enquiry form

We cover all Adelaide Airport suburbs, all the Town of Walkerville area and all surrounding suburbs to Vale Park

Bluestone can be highly porous - although porosity will vary from piece to piece a tablespoon of water on a bluestone surface will be absorbed in seconds.

To provide the best possible protection from oil and water-based stains; to maintain the look and slip resistance of your bluestone and to prevent damaging moisture from being trapped within the stone, it is recommended to seal your bluestone with a high quality, invisible, fully breathable impregnating sealer.

Sealing will keep most stains suspended at the surface, sealing is the first important step towards protecting your bluestone against stains

Two main sealing options for bluestone tiles

• Deep Penetrating Impregnating Sealer

(Transparent Finish/Colour Enhancing Finish)

• Topical Sealer

(Gloss/Satin/Matte Finish)

A deep penetrating impregnating sealer protects bluestone and grout from water and oil based stains by chemically reacting with the surface pores using nano-technology, creating a breathable protective barrier. An impregnating sealer protects the bluestone surface and grout from absorbing stains while also resulting in cleaning and maintenance becoming much easier. Australia's Deepshield™ range of impregnating water based sealer's, offer long term benefits lasting for up to 10 years while Deepshield™ Gold, based on the latest fluoro-bond technology lasts for up to 15 years.

A penetrating impregnating transparent sealer enters the pores of your bluestone and, once cured will not change the look of the tile or stone whereas a penetrating colour enhancing sealer is designed to enhance and enrich the natural look of stone surfaces.

Tile Cleaners® technicians are Vale Park's experts at applying all types of sealer and will ensure your bluestone looks its absolute best. Our technicians can apply a topical sealer when especially required to create a high gloss, satin sheen or matte finish to your surfaces. Topical sealer is also helpful in situations where your old solvent based sealer can not be completely removed or when required to hide certain types of damage. Topical sealer's usually have a life expectancy of around 3 years.

Correct preparation is required to ensure a premium finish is achieved for your bluestone floors. If your tiles have been previously sealed, especially if it was over 10 years ago, try to provide detail of the type of sealer that was used for our specialists to ensure the best match is made.

• Any surface to be sealed should be clean and looking just as you want it before it is sealed - it may be impossible to remove stains after sealing without once again having to strip the sealer. Acidic cleaners should not be used on bluestone as they will cause damage.
• Bluestone must have no other coating such as wax or a topical sealer before it's sealed, so any such coating must be removed before sealing.
• Floor must be thoroughly dry before applying any sealer.

Our cleaning and sealing services restore your bluestone tiles & grout to their best possible condition, and protect them for years to come

We cover all Adelaide Airport suburbs, all the Town of Walkerville area and all surrounding suburbs to Vale Park

Bluestone can be difficult to maintain if a proper maintenance cycle is not put in place from the point of installation. As it is usually not polished, the problem of scratching is not as big an issue as it is with marble, however if proper barrier matting is not introduced even a honed surface will lose its attractiveness. The most important factor to consider with the maintenance of bluestone is the possibility of staining.

Do's:

• Clean spills right away
• Seal bluestone floors since it's natural stone
• Place a mat at each doorway
• Use a Microfibre mop to clean floors
• Clean floors regularly

Don'ts:

• Never use bleach, ammonia or vinegar to clean Bluestone floors
• Don't use cleaners that are acidic
• Never use an abrasive cleaner or scouring pad.

We provide specialised cleaning, stripping & sealing solutions for bluestone floors.

Our equipment can handle both domestic and commercial jobs

We cover all Adelaide Airport suburbs, all the Town of Walkerville area and all surrounding suburbs to Vale Park

• Building Cleaning
• After Building, Renovation Clean
• Insurance Companies
• Side Walks
• Store Fronts
• Power Wash Awnings and Signs
• Gum and Tough Stain Removal
• Strip Malls
• Units/Condominiums
• Town Houses

We provide specialised cleaning, stripping & sealing solutions for all bluestone floor and wall tiles

Our equipment handles both residential and commercial cleaning jobs, leaving your bluestone spotless and hygienic

To schedule your appointment or to obtain a free estimate, please Call 1300 771 201 or use our online enquiry form