The Stone Cleaning Shop

The Stone Cleaning Shop: sealers, cleaners and stone restoration services

The Stone Cleaning Shop sells sealers and cleaning products for natural and man-made stone, tiles, grout, brick and garden paving slabs, and also carries out cleaning and sealing work on stone floors and patios. Its catalogue is organised around the "Ultimate" line of sealers, a parallel range of cleaners and a service arm for interior and exterior stone and patio restoration.

The Ultimate sealer range

The store lists a broad family of Ultimate sealers, most of them priced at £19.99 or £24.99, with a smaller group at £29.99. The range covers specific materials and surfaces:

• Brick, block paving, concrete and masonry sealers at £19.99, described as trade best sellers.
• Indian sandstone, flagstones, marble, travertine, slate, sandstone, terracotta and quarry tiles, limestone, ceramic and porcelain tiles, granite, patio slabs and quartz.
• Speciality finishes: a satin penetrating sealer, a wet-look gloss sealer, a non-slip sealer, a high-traffic sealer and enhancer, a high-traffic gloss sealer, a colour enhancer and a limestone fireplace sealer.

Several product descriptions state that the sealers are recommended by The Guardian, and the site quotes a review by Stephanie Zia referring to a top-quality sealer that needs only one coat. The company states that its sealers can work with a single coat lasting up to 15 years, and that the Ultimate Stone Sealer in matt invisible finish is intended for new, unsealed stone. The quartz sealer is described as food safe, waterproof, stain resistant and non-toxic, and is positioned for worktops, unglazed ceramics, porcelain, clay pots and china. The travertine and slate sealers are listed at £24.99, reduced from £39.99.

Cleaners and maintenance products

Alongside the sealers, the shop sells a cleaning range at £19.99 per product:

• After Care Cleaner, a natural-based gentle system with natural oils for cleaning, protecting and maintaining stone, marble, terracotta and travertine.
• Extreme stone cleaner, an extra-strength heavy-duty stone floor cleaner.
• Patio black spot remover, aimed at lichen-caused black spots, which the company says removes and prevents regrowth for at least six months.
• Pre Sealer Cleaner, a neutral cleaner for surface grease and dirt on natural and man-made stone.
• Sealer Remover, a multi-purpose stripper for water-based sealers, epoxy grout haze, urethane coatings, synthetic finishes, adhesives and paints.
• Ultimate Cleaner For Sandstone, formulated to clean without harming the sandstone surface.
• Ultimate bio wash, a penetrating biocide solution for mould, algae, moss and lichens on external walls, ponds, floors and driveways.

Cleaning and sealing services

The company offers stone and patio cleaning and sealing services for customers who want their floors and patios restored, using its own cleaners and sealers. The service covers interior and exterior natural stone and patio work, and the site presents examples of recent jobs. Bookings are handled by telephone.

Technical guidance on sealer types

The site explains three families of sealer. Topical sealers, made from polyurethanes or acrylics, sit on the stone surface and can change its look or slip resistance; they resist stains but wear quickly in high-traffic areas, are not breathable and are not effective against salt attack such as efflorescence and spalling. Penetrating sealants based on siliconates, fluoro-polymers and siloxanes go slightly deeper, alter slip resistance somewhat and protect against surface spills, though they do not last as long as impregnating products. Impregnating sealers use silanes or modified silanes, penetrate deeply to repel water and oils from within the material, and some protect against salt attack, efflorescence, spalling, picture framing and freeze-thaw damage. The company recommends impregnating sealers for long-term protection against weathering and traffic, advises against applying topical coatings for at least three months after first sealing, and points to its matt invisible Ultimate Stone Sealer for new unsealed stone.

Buying and support

Purchases can be made online at any time, with payment by PayPal, Mastercard and Visa debit. The company also handles orders and technical enquiries by telephone, and offers bespoke sealers such as solvent-based formulations on request.