Care of natural stone flooring should begin with sealing. This is to provide a coating that will not allow water and dirt to penetrate and will preserve the integrity of the stone slabs. Sealing is actually impregnating the surface of the pavement. It is done not only after application, but also periodically thereafter, as the sealing layer wears out and must be renewed once a year.
Sealing improves the strength of the pavement
Gneiss is very preferred as a flooring material because it is beautiful and has a very high strength. This strength is due to its composition, which includes granite.The gneiss stone Ivaylovgrad is very resistant to mechanical impacts and loads – so it is often preferred as a flooring for living rooms and outdoor flooring.
When the surface of the pavement is sealed, it contributes to even greater strength and resistance to any impacts.
With the sealing not only the plates but also the joints are preserved
The strength of the Ivaylovgrad gneiss pavement is due to the sealing, or impregnation, of the entire surface. In addition to the tiles themselves, the joints are also sealed. This leaves no part of the surface that is vulnerable to external influences – mechanical and chemical.
The seal prevents water from penetrating the pores of the stone
The surface of natural stone has pores. The ratio of the volume of the pores to the total volume of the stone is called the porosity. It is different in different types of stone, but in all types of pores are interconnected in a network. If even a small amount of water penetrates this network, this leads to an increase in pores, cracks are formed and the erosion of the material is accelerated.
In addition, the penetration of water into the interior of the stone creates conditions for the development of mold.
With the sealing the external flooring is protected from atmospheric influences and UV
Atmospheric conditions adversely affect the gneiss stone pavement. UV radiation has an additional adverse effect. By sealing the outer gneiss pavement by Valmarg Stone, its surface is also protected from these destructive factors.
How to seal a stone floor
A special preparation is used for sealing. It is applied to the surface and waited until the coating stabilizes.
The preparation contains impregnators that penetrate the surface of the slabs of Ivaylovgrad stone to a depth of 1.5 mm. This fills the pores and forms a coating that prevents the penetration of water, spilled liquids and more.
It is important to seal regularly
Regular sealing protects the pavement surface of gneiss from Ivaylovgrad. Another option for cleaning the surface, if it is not impregnated, is sanding. But it requires the use of a machine, is very time consuming and there is a risk of injury to the material.
The impregnator must be applied correctly
Proper application of the impregnating agent must be even to fill all pores and joints. If not applied correctly, the type of sealing layer has a so-called plastic effect.
Properly applied sealing layer does not hide the beauty of the gneiss material and allows the stone material to “breathe”, while protecting it from any harmful influences and wear.