Outdoor Maintenance of Natural Stone: Tips and Solutions

 

Here are some tips to guide you in maintaining your natural stone paving. We have simplified your maintenance routine by offering practical and effective tools. No more tedious chores and harsh chemicals, our cleaning kit is here to make your life easier.

 

1. Routine maintenance

Natural stone does not require particularly complicated maintenance. This primarily involves regular cleaning using just a brush and a jet of water. These basic tools are sufficient to maintain the beauty of your paving. With these simple maintenance steps, you can easily remove dirt, debris, and unwanted stains.

 

2. Anticipate: protect

We recommend protecting your slabs with a water-repellent treatment, such as PROTECTION W from the Lithofin brand. Hydrophobing a stone means applying an invisible, waterproof protective layer to its surface to make it water-resistant. Liquids no longer penetrate, stains no longer mark, and maintenance becomes much easier. This treatment will keep the natural stone clean longer and preserve its beauty over time.

This treatment is carried out after the floor, and especially the adhesive and mortar, are completely dry. It is recommended to allow several months for drying, depending on the thickness of the mortar and the slab, as well as the temperature. This product is water-based, making it easy to apply to a clean surface with a brush, roller, or sprayer.

For installation in winter, it is not uncommon to wait until spring to treat your stone.

In highly trafficked areas such as around a barbecue or bar, it is possible to use MN FLECKSTOP, which is an oleophobic water repellent that also protects against oil, grease, and common stains.

Treatments should be reapplied as soon as the product's effectiveness diminishes. This timeframe varies greatly depending on the porosity of the stone and its exposure (approximately every 2 to 3 years).

 

3. Deeper cleaning

After a long, rainy winter, it may sometimes be necessary to use specialized cleaning products to remove moss and algae growth and perform a more thorough cleaning.

 

·         ALLEX : A concentrated anti-moss agent to be mixed with 1 volume to 9 to 10 liters of water. It can be sprayed on all surfaces such as render, stone, bricks, etc. This product works for 2 to 3 weeks, allowing algae and moss deposits to dry out, which can then be rinsed off with a jet of water or left for the rain to do its job. This economical system avoids damaging materials and joints during high-pressure cleaning.

 

·         OUTDOOR CLEANER : To be used neat on the floor for all organic matter (moss, algae, bird droppings, crushed fruit, leaves, flowers, etc.). Allow the product to act, then rinse with a jet of water. If stains persist, you can also clean with a brush.