Is Your Stone Ready For Your Next Entertaining Event?
Every hostess must take many things into consideration when preparing for a party or gathering in her home. The peace of mind that comes from good preparation.
How to Prepare Your Stone For Your Party
Depending on what kind of natural stone you have, the clean up of the surface will vary depending on which material it is. However, preparing your natural stone surfaces ahead of time is much easier because the procedure for preparing is the same no mater what type of stone surface you have.
Preparing your stone surface for a gathering in essence means that you have a properly sealed surface that will resist any kind of spills that can penetrate the pores in the stone and leave a stain, or in the case of calcium carbonate containing stones, possibly an etch as well. How can you tell if your stone has a sufficient seal on it?
Determining whether your stone is sealed acceptably you simply need to do a "seal test" to see if the stone is absorbing liquids or if it is repelling them. If you put water on the surface of your natural stone and after a few minutes it is darker after you wipe up the water, then you stone surface is absorbing liquid and it should be resealed. If your stone has not changed in color form the "seal test" then you can proceed to the cleaning and polish step. However, a dark result, means that you should properly seal your natural stone before the event that you are planning to host. Let's briefly look at why this is the recommendation.
Why Sealed Stones Are Recommended For Entertaining
The reason for encouraging sealed stones for entertaining friends during special events is very simple. When a natural stone gets spilled on the faster you can get the spill cleaned up, the less chance there will be of staining. While entertaining, there is more of a chance that one of your guests (or you yourself) will accidentally spill a stain-causing liquid on your stone surface. If this happens and your stone is not freshly sealed with a premium grade sealant, it will absorb the liquid quicker. Additionally, not all guests will let their host or hostess know that a spill has occurred. That means that a stone that is not freshly sealed could have a liquid sitting on it long before it actually gets cleaned up. So, having a freshly sealed surface is better because it will repel the liquid much longer.
How to Seal Your Natural Stone
Each stone will require a different amount of sealer, but the process is the same. You will just have to adjust the number of coats you apply based on how much sealer your stone is absorbing. Basically, though the process is as simple as:
- Clean the stone.
- Remove any existing stains so you do not seal them in.
- Apply the sealer.
- Allow the stone to absorb the sealer.
- Allow the stone to dry completely.
- Follow up with our polish.
Steps 3 and 4 can be repeated to the degree that your particular stone needs sealed. For detailed information on how to apply, check the HOW TO USE tab on the product page for our
natural stone sealant product page.
Respond Quickly to Stains That Happen at Your Event
Being ready to entertain your guests involves two things. 1) Having your stone protected with an approved sealer (which we have already discussed), and 2) having stain removal products on hand in the event that you experience a stain or liquid that breaks down sealant.
The type of stain removal products that you need will vary depending on what kind of natural stone you have for home furnishings. Our website provides details on which products you need in order to treat your particular kinds of stones for stains. Depending on the kind of stain you have, the treatment will be different. But the key to being prepared for your party or get-to-gether is to have the proper stain removal products on location so you can react to stains quickly instead of allowing them to remain in the stone for a longer period of time.
After reviewing these recommendations on preparing your natural stone for entertaining your party guests, you have all the knowledge you need to have your stone surfaces prepared for entertaining. Being well prepared leads to peace of mind. And, peace of mind results in a great party and great memories that last forever.
|
