How can homeowners prolong the life and beauty of their tile or stone surfaces, and what is the difference between tile and stone cleaning and restoration?

The first step is to prevent residue buildup that can leave kitchen and bathroom countertops and showers looking dull or dirty by selecting the right home cleaners, according to Krikor Akoubian of Aquakor and Mark Calvillo of Stone Pro.

“When you have a high polish stone, you want to use something that evaporates,” Calvillo said. “You don’t want to leave a residue behind that’s going to prevent you from seeing that beauty.”

Related: Floor Restoration Versus Replacement With Aquakor

While regular home cleaning is important, it’s time to call a professional company like Aquakor when white discoloration builds up on the surface of granite countertops or showers.

“Granite is a much denser and much harder material (than natural stone), so buildup is more likely,” Calvillo said. “You’re going to have a white mineral deposit, you’re going to have possible stains.”

For superficial issues like this, Aquakor staff crystallize and remove residue caused by grease or oil. However, damage like scratches or etching makes a restoration necessary, according to Akoubian.

Commonly mistaken as water spots, etching creates dull spots as a result of spills from acidic liquids like wine or orange juice.

“Water spots is something that people always ask about,” Calvillo said. “When you look at travertine or a softer stone, people will look at something and call it a water spot, and it’s a dull spot that could be an etch. That’s sort of a burn, if you will, on marbles and travertines.”  

To fully restore surfaces, Aquakor staff use diamond pads and powders and Stone Pro products to repair damage, followed by an oil- and water-repelling solvent sealer, Akoubian said.

Combined with the correct sealer, proper maintenance– from regular at-home cleaning to occasional professional cleaning to full restoration services –is the best way to prolong the natural beauty of stone and tile surfaces, according to Calvillo.

“I think the overall care, the ongoing maintenance– that’s huge in prolonging the life of the stone, the polish,” he said. “Also you want to seal it and protect it so you can prevent staining, because you want it to look beautiful forever.”

Aquakor is a Santa Clarita home cleaning company that offers a variety of professional cleaning and flooring installation services for SCV homes. Cleaning services include: countertop cleaning and polishing, carpet cleaning, tile cleaning and polishing, marble cleaning and polishing, stone cleaning, travertine cleaning, porcelain cleaning and hardwood cleaning. Flooring installation services include: laminate installation, hardwood installation and carpet installation. For more on Aquakor, go to www.hometownstation.com.

AQUAKOR
13327 Paxton St.
Pacoima, CA 91331
661-904-1493