When the carpet was lifted in this hallway an original Regency limestone floor was revealed. We were confident we could fully restore it to its former glory.
This large limestone floor had got extremely dirty, particularly the grout lines. By cleaning, sealing and buffing the floor looked like new.
This project was in a health spa where the floor is persistently wet. The surface had been damaged as it had been maintained with the wrong products over a long period of time. We cleaned and resurfaced the floor and applied a higher grade sealant that could cope with the wet environment.
Floor Restorer and Limestone
We love limestone floors and restoring them is one of our specialities. By deep cleaning and applying the correct impregnating sealant, we have breathed life back into many a limestone floor, restoring all the natural beauty and colour.
If you are putting new limestone flooring down, choose carefully where you put it and try to see some examples of installations. Limestone is a porous rock and can stain and scratch quite easily, particularly in a hallway where silicas (sand/grit) get stuck to shoes.
A brilliant white limestone or a polished finish will require regular professional maintenance. We suggest a honed finished, especially in high traffic areas.
As some stones and finishes are better suited to high traffic areas, we offer a consultancy service to help you choose the right type of floor for particular parts of your home or business.
History and uses
Limestone is a sedimentary rock made up of layers of calcium carbonate formed from the accumulation of organic matter in shallow seas, which is then turned to stone by millions of years of pressure.
Many limestones contain fossils, and some are made up almost entirely of skeletal material. Other minerals present in the stone give it its various colours. Limestone is hard enough to resist weathering but usually soft enough to be worked by stonemasons and is often used as a building material.
Portland limestone, in particular, became popular in the 19th and 20th centuries for building churches, banks and houses. Limestone was also a very popular building material in the Middle Ages since it is hard, durable, and commonly occurs in easily accessible surface exposures.
Most types of limestone have pale colouring, ranging from warm neutral shades of oatmeal and cloudy white to dappled blue, green and grey, but there are dark shades.
Limestone is cool and elegant and looks great in both classic and contemporary design. It comes in a variety of finishes that can complement and enhance an interior.