how to clean granite floor after laying/construction

[blrguy]

How to clean the granite flooring after all the work is completed (painting, cement, pop etc which is stuck on the floor). All this would make it lose its shine. How do we clean it?

Acid wash: I hear this is harmful, but the tile layers vouch by this. I guess this is because it is easy for them.

Isnt acid wash harmful for the stone/polish? Afteraffects of acid?

Pl. comment.

[ardesarchitects]

Hi Blr guy,
The acid used is not a strong acid, its very much safe .The very general practice used in India to clean the tiles and granite. If it is marble there shouldn't be any acid used, only girding and polishing.
The acid is diluted and then used to wash the floor, this is one of the best way to remove cement stains and other stains .

Regards
Ar.Praveen.N
Ardes Architects and Interior Designers
ardesarchitects@yahoo.co.in

[Ravi h.g.]

Hi,

we are using floor protector for tiles, no POP(POP requires skilled labour, time consuming, disposition of debris after completion is a major problem, while removing / scrapping operation, chances of getting scratches to tiles, construction site becomes shabby, uncomfortable, dusty, unhygienic)

it can be easily laid and removed by any person / layman, thus preventing damage to tiles, maintains the site clean and hygiene. sheets are re-usable at another site many times, keeps environment clean.

one can use in residential buildings, commercial buildings, industries. available in 6" * 4" and various thickness.

its economical, sheet form, no dust, multiple time usage etc..

regards,
Ravindra Kumar hg

[ardesarchitects]

Hi Ravi,
i think floor protectors will be a good options for project works (one time investment),Since it can be used many times .For an individual residence i think pop will be the cheapest option .Any way laying , cleaning of pop is all included in tile layers cost.
Few precautions while laying pop.
*Try to add some fiber material like coconut fiber, this gives additional strength to pop to last long
*Dont put pop in lumps ,it comes off the floor very easily
*People should not walk at least for one hour after laying pop
*For easy removal you can lay news papers on floor and then apply pop, this is used in places where there is no human traffic like kitchen platform, wash basin platforms etc.....

Regards
Ar.Praveen.N
Ardes Architects and Interior Designers
ardesarchitects@yahoo.co.in

[Ravi h.g.]

Hi Praveen,

POP for residential might be cheapest. but with floor protectors have its distinct advantages and economical too and lot of time is getting to our advantage.

regards,
Ravindra Kumar hg

[site.sale]

what is POP, would like to understand this a bit more.

If it is reusable and makes the construction more green, would be wise for even individual owners to get the protectors (and then resell it back), like they do for the shuttering etc. I guess someone might have thought of it already.

[blrguy]

what is POP, would like to understand this a bit more.

If it is reusable and makes the construction more green, would be wise for even individual owners to get the protectors (and then resell it back), like they do for the shuttering etc. I guess someone might have thought of it already.

POP - Plaster of Paris or Gypsum. It gets set once you mix with water & hence cannot be re-used.
Not sure of how thse protector sheets cost, but Gypsum too would cost like 10rs per kg in bulk & you would need 20-30kgs for a decent sized floor covering (like 1500sft) ~ 3K of gypsum for 1500 sft coverage. How much would the re-usable sheet cost?

[site.sale]

so they spray POP on the floor to protect it, and how do they remove it - would it just come off without much effort or does it need to be scraped etc. If so - won't those things cause scratches? (Please excuse my naive questions).

[blrguy]

so they spray POP on the floor to protect it, and how do they remove it - would it just come off without much effort or does it need to be scraped etc. If so - won't those things cause scratches? (Please excuse my naive questions).

Well, after the stone laying is complete, they typically spread out newspaper to cover up the entire floor & splash the POP paste over it to form a 1/2 inch thick layer. Within 30 mins, it hardens & then after, yuo can continue with other works (painting etc). Later, since the paper is put, most of the POP can be pulled out - as flakes - and thrown out. The floor need to be washed to clean it up (hence my question on how to clean).

Because of their unprofessional approach combined with walking around when pouring & immdtly after that etc, there is a tendency of this POP to get stuck to the floor, thus forcing a process of cleaning again.

If only they were to do the job of laying in a better way
1. Clean up the floor the moment they complete the laying process. I gave them sponge & water to wipe up the muck & dirt after laying, but they never agree to do it, saying we shall clean it later anyways.
2. Its easier to wipe up the wet cement mixed slurry coming out after laying - but they agrue saying the floor should set, & hence shouldnt be disturbed - even for wiping it - IDIOTs

ACID USE FOR GRANITE FLOOR IS BAD! - IT SHOULD ONLY BE CLEANED WITH WATER. They try to use acid because their job is easier.They screwed up the flooring - a patch - in our house, but luckily in the utility area at the back. Now the rest of the house is not cleaned as I got wild & kicked them out for their idiotic approach of putting acid - even diluted - for cleaning.

[Ravi h.g.]

Hi,

floor protectors comes with diff thickness. average cost per sft is in Rs 10 - 15. for a 30X40 site, if u take for 500-600 sft will be sufficient. basic size is 6"X4". if anybody needs it , feel free to contact me at "butechvc at gmail dot com"

regards,
Ravindra kumar hg