Basalt stone is an Igneous Volcanic rock, found in lava flow after a volcano erupts. Once cooled down it makes for an excellent hard stone, if somewhat pitted. As such Basalt has become a popular choice for hard floors. Generally Basalt is easier to maintain than Granite, which can be very expensive to re-polish due to its hardness, Basalt as a rule can be maintained quite easily using a set of Diamond pads.

Floor Tile Cleaning

If you have the use of a 150 RPM (or slightly higher) buffing machine restore the honed finish by burnishing the floor using a No.1 Red burnishing pad to take off the old sealer and ground in dirt, add water to the area and then go over each tile with the pad 3 or 4 times, then remove the dirty water using a wet vax and rinse the floor. Next take off the coarse pad and apply a No2 Blue burnishing pad and repeat the process followed by the No.3 Yellow burnishing pad.  Again remove the water with a wet Vax machine and then scrub the grout joints with Pro-Clean diluted 1:5 parts water. Leave to fully dry and then complete by applying a No. 4 Green burnishing pad and polish with a squirt of water. When fully polished protect the floor by applying a sealer as per instructions below.

 Alternatively spray undiluted Tile Doctor Remove and Go onto the stone (use as directed), leave to dwell for ten to fifteen minutes (if necessary add more product to prevent it drying out) then agitate with a scrub brush or a black buffing pad fitted to a buffing machine.  Add water as you go to lubricate the process and then use a wet Vax to extract the soiled solution from the floor.  Rinse thoroughly with clean water to make sure the floor is neutralised of any chemicals. In normal circumstances allow 24 hours for the stone to dry out before sealing, a damp meter can be used to verify when the stone is dry.

Wall Tile Cleaning

The best way to clean and polish Basalt wall tiles is with a hand-held polishing machine using a set of six inch Burnishing pads, we find using chemicals less effective on vertical surfaces and can lead to staining. The process is thus, spray the No.1 Red Burnishing pad with water then apply to the wall tile until the dirt and old sealer had been removed. Then switch to a No.2 Blue Burnishing pad and repeat the process followed by a No. 3 Yellow Burnishing pad straight after. This method is also the best way to treat the build-up of Limescale as the acidic cleaners commonly available for this will actually damage the Basalt.

If the grout is in need of attention then clean the grout at this point using Tile Doctor Duo Clean which is a very effective grout cleaning product as well as treating mould. Make sure to thoroughly rinse the tiles after using Duo Clean to remove any trace of chemicals otherwise it may impact the sealer when it is applied.

Leave to dry overnight and then finish with a No. 4 Green Burnishing pad until a nice light sheen has been achieved, this will tighten up the pores of the Basalt thus making it easier to seal and maintain. See below for sealing instructions.

Sealing Basalt Tiles

  When the tiles are fully dry apply either one coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow to enhance the natural colours of darker Basalt’s. If however you area sealing a white or off-white Basalt and you not wish to darken the stone apply a single coat of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which provides a natural look finish. A second coat of sealer may be required if the stone is very porous.

For architecturally specified sealers we recommend Tile Doctor Pro-Seal which is a water based impregnating sealer suitable for all types of honed stone including Basalt.

Regular Maintenance Cleaning of Basalt

For regular cleaning use a sealer friendly cleaning product such as Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which has been especially formulated for the regular cleaning of Sealed Stone and Tile surfaces keeping them fresh.

If you have applied a burnishing pad system it makes it much easier to keep these tiles clean by using a No. 4 Green burnishing pad on the stone every two to three months depending on wear. This process will improve surface tension (which is not to be confused with the amount of sealer residing in the stone), thereby tightening the pores in the stone to improve the overall appearance and finish of the floor.

PLEASE NOTE: Sealers break down after 2-3 years (depending on usage) and will need to be re-applied.

Recommend Basalt Cleaning Products

When using our products please take time to familiarise yourself with the directions on the back of the bottle first.