Hard floors include a wide variety of different types of surfaces from both man-made and natural origins. The below is not exhaustive, it is merely our intent to provide helpful information on the major hard floor surfaces that you might find in your home or office.

Concrete Floors

Plain concrete flooring is generally unattractive in appearance and very drab if left untreated. If the floor has not been sealed, dirt, oil, and grease can easily penetrate and discolor the surface. Before we apply any form of seal to the concrete, it is extremely important that the floor is cleaned, and thoroughly dried.

Clay and Ceramic Tile Floors

Clay tiles include all types of floor tile having a basic clay composition, which ranges from cheap quarry to the more expensive vitreous or semi-vitreous tiles. They are either glazed, having a glossy surface fused upon their face, or they are unglazed with a duller appearance. This is a very common type of floor in most households across the country.

Perhaps one of the most common cleaning problems is the removal of hard water deposits and soap scum from washroom and shower floors. Both the deposits left by hard water and soap scum are alkaline; due to the lime content, they cannot be removed with normal types of detergents. Our specialists cleaning equpment and fluids allow us to apply a deeper clean to your floor and also rinse clean following a treatment.

Natural Stone Floors

Marble, granite and limestone are one of the most common floor and tile types in the commercial sector. In most situations it should not be necessary to seal natural stone floors. However, it is recognized that in some circumstances a seal may be desired to protect the cement or grout and occasionally to add gloss to the surface. If the floor is subject to heavy traffic it may require resurfacing on a stringent maintenance schedule.

Slate

Slate can be found both indoors and out. An excellent characteristic of slate is that it is waterproof, thus slate can be used for bathroom floors, driveways, pool areas, etc. For the same reasons slate is resistant to stains, which makes slate flooring an ideal choice for the kitchen where drips and stains are common. So, slate flooring, from a cleaning point of view, is the best choice since it doesn’t need a lot of fussy cleaning procedure.

Flagstone

Flagstone is a term given to almost all stone material cut into thin, irregular shapes. It is found extensively on sidewalks, foyer entrances, and Pool decks. Flagstones require maintenance, particularly in high traffic areas where its recommended that regular maintenance is undertaken.

Soapstone

Soapstone is one of the softest materials, which is composed of the mineral talc. For this reason it makes an excellent carving material and can be found on fireplace surrounds and hearths. For maintenance purposes, it is treated like marble. Soapstone isn't cold like ceramic floors so is ideal for kitchen or bathroom floors. When combined with in-floor radiant heat it can warm a room very efficiently.

Sandstone

Sandstone is a sedimentary material that consists of sand crystals cemented together with natural clays. Sandstone floor tiles are one of the most durable and handsome natural stone tiling options that provides a timeless, classic look. Getting the right finish to a sandstone floor is important. Sandstone can have an absorption rate of between 1% - 6% which leaves it vulnerable to damage from liquid stains, mold, micro-bacteria, and even warping in extreme cases. For this reason it is generally not used in bathrooms, kitchens, subgrade rooms, or exterior locations. That said, sandstone makes for a beautiful looking floor.