Caring for your natural stone table

Stone is a durable yet porous material that will last forever if properly maintained. Our stone tables made with Travertine or Marble come factory polished and will require further sealant application to maintain its protective finish. Regular cleaning and covering when not in use should be part of your maintenance routine.  

Your local tile shop can advise and provide product for sealing, stain removal and general care and maintenance. At Outdoor Elegance we use and recommend products from the "Aqua Seal" family. You can find extensive information and guides on these at www.aquaseal.com.au

Some of the relevant Aquaseal products are available from your local Outdoor Elegance store and in our online shop here 

 

Sealing your stone table

Sealing is the most important measure you can take to maintain your table. Without a sealer staining can occur almost instantly. Sealers are formulated to provide stain resistance in porous surfaces whilst maintaining its natural look. For a table kept in a fully exposed outdoor environment we recommend resealing every six months. A table that is regularly covered should be resealed every 12 months.

Recommended products

• For an easy to apply sealer with maximum stain resistance we use and recommend Aqua-Seal Gold available here in our online store
• Over time you may wish to go a step further and rejuvenate the stone. To seal as well as enhance, darken and highlight the colour Aqua Seal offers "Enhance n' Seal"

How To Use: - Quick Guide Only

1. Clean the surface to be sealed and allow to dry. 
2. Wipe surface dry with clean paper or cloth towels 
3. Apply Sealer to clean sponge. Remove any excess 
4. Thoroughly work in the sealer to the stone surface 
5. After 5-10 minutes wipe surface completely dry ( Do not  allow product to dry on the surface!!) 
6. Stone surface sealed with no visible residue 

Find the full Aqua-seal Gold technical sheet here

Find the full Enhance 'n Seal technical sheet here

 

General Cleaning 

Cleaning your stone top on a consistent and regular basis will aid in a longer lasting stone top. For easy day-to day maintenance of your Stone Table top:

1. Brush off loose dirt & dust
2. Create cleaning solution of warm clean water and mild soap.
3. Use a soft, clean cloth ( one that wont bleed colour ) or sponge
4. Rinse thoroughly until all soap residue is removed.
5. Dry thoroughly after cleaning with clean cloth to prevent water spots.

Even if your stone table top has been sealed, spills need to be cleaned immediately to prevent staining or damage to the stone. Always blot spills with a clean, soft cloth. Wiping could spread the spill. Repeat blotting with a dry cloth until spill is totally absorbed. Rinse with clean, warm water and wipe dry.

 

Recommended products

• For a deeper heavy duty clean we recommened Aquaseal's Xtremeclean, Its no acid formula is a cleaner and degreaser and useful for dirt, grease, mildew and algae build up. 

How To Use: - Quick Guide Only

1. Clean the surface to be sealed and allow to dry. 
2. Wipe surface dry with clean paper or cloth towels 
3. Pour product into a container and dilute as per the instructions
4. Apply the solution to the surface using a sponge
5. Allow to dwell then agitate with the sponge or brush.
6. Remove dirty solution and rinse thoroughly with water

Find more detail on Xtremeclean including detailed use instructions here

Stain Removal 

  Should stains occur there are options to treat them. To judge which product is most suitable to treat your stain we recommend refering to the Aqua Seal Stain Removal Guide.

Recommended products

• Common stains on outdoor dining tables may include grease, oil, tea, coffee and wine. For these Aqua Seal recommends Pultice Plus. This is an easy to use pre-mixed paste. 

 

How To Use: - Quick Guide Only

1. Apply ‘ Aqua Seal Poultice Plus’ to the stained area ( overlap stain)
2. Allow to dry then remove with plastic spatula.
3. Mist Clean water over dried residue
4. Scrub with white nylon pad, then rise & wipe dry
5. After stain has been removed, seal with Aqua Seal-STS sealer.

  

Etch & Scratch Removal

 Surface problems such as etch marks and light scratches on calcium bases stone like our Travertine and Marble table tops can be treated. 

Recommended products

• Aqua Seal Re-Shine is a stone repolishing cream perfect for small areas that need attention like you will find on table tops. It restores shine and treats etch marks & scratches. 

 

How To Use: - Quick Guide Only, Step by Step how to remove etch marks & bring back shine:

 

1. Acid based contaminations will etch, eg: wine etch on calcium based stone.
2. Apply a small amount of ‘Aqua Seal: Re Shine’ directly to etch
3. Add water & buff with soft cotton or terry towel until slurry nearly dries
4. Re-wet with plenty of water
5. Polish dry completely with absorbent towelsShine restored

 

Helpful Hints

• Coasters should be used to help prevent stains, scratches & etch marks
• All spills should be wiped up immediately to help avoid staining or etching of the stone surface
• Avoid abrasive or acid based products
• Cover your stone table with an outdoor furniture cover when not in use
• Test first, you should always do several test areas when applying care products to your furniture in inconspicuous areas to determine desired results.

 

Important Note

The range of products and methods noted above are for treating your table by hand in a normal household environment. It is important to note that while you can reseal and reshine your table it will not be possible to get the table top back to the high gloss polished finish as it came brand new. This finish is possible to achieve in a factory with industrial equipment.

 

Warranty

Outdoor Elegance provides a 3 Year Warranty from date of purchase on stone tables which includes the Luna and Milano collections. Care & Maintenance must be followed for warranties to apply.  Warranty excludes wear & tear, misuse, stains, spills, scratches, tile separation and variations the colour of stone tiles.

As this is a natural product, cavities and fractures occur in the stone and to even the surface they are filled with synthetic resin of similar or complimentary shades to the tile colour. You also may have variations in the polishing and sealant on the table surface . This is all normal and part of the character of the table, it is not a fault and as such is not covered by warranty.