Preventing salt damage to stone entrances this winter

With summer coming to an end and winter right around the corner, Cleveland businesses need to start talking about their winter cleaning policies with their maintenance staff. One thing that many businesses do not consider are how the use of salt on ice can negatively affect the natural stone on the outside of your building.

Many companies put down salt in the winter to clear their entry ways and front sidewalks from ice and snow. While using salt to melt ice is common practice, few companies have procedures in place to clean the salt after the ice is melted. Allowing the salt to remain can cause your stone entry ways and molding to become badly eroded. If salt is never cleaned, it can cause irreversible damage to these pieces which can cost hundreds of thousands in repair costs. Without proper sealing, salt water from the freeze/thaw cycle can be absorbed by porous stone and will cause pitting and cracks.

Regularly cleaning the stone with a low pH cleaner will help to prevent salt damage. Use a stone cleaner specific to that type of stone in order to get the best results when cleaning. Sealing the natural stone outside your building will also help to protect it and prevent salt damage. Using a natural stone sealer also reduces the amount of cleaning required and will prolong the life of your natural stone. GK’s Custom Polishing, Inc. is a master distributor of Dupont Stonetech products. Click here to place an order for your company.

Properly cleaning and sealing your natural stone can help to maintain its natural beauty. Call us at (440) 937-4457 or email us at sales@gkspolishing.com for help setting up a maintenance plan for your company. For more information about commercial stone care, visit us at www.gkscustom.wpengine.com.