Earlier this year I paid a visit to the beautiful village of Chatsworth to visit a client who had asked me to look at the Sandstone Hearth and Mantle that enclosed their fireplace. The hearth was grubby with dirt and soot from the log burner and the large stone mantle was soot stained and marked with candle wax.

Sandstone Hearth and Mantle Before Cleaning Chatsworth

We discussed the problem areas and I went through the cleaning options. I was confident of removing the staining and worked out a quote to carry out a deep clean of the stone. The client agreed the price and the works were scheduled.

Sandstone Hearth and Mantle Before Cleaning Chatsworth

Deep Cleaning a Sandstone Fireplace Hearth and Mantle

On arrival I prepared the area surrounding the fireplace by laying dust sheets and taping around the hearth. The protection would prevent any damage to the adjacent timber floor and ensure they wouldn’t get splashed during the cleaning process.

To deep clean the Sandstone several coats of Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel were applied with a large brush and left it to soak in. Being a gel, this cleaning product is very easy to manage and ideal for working in small areas, it also sticks well to vertical surfaces such as the mantle.

After about fifteen to twenty minutes the gel was then agitated and scrubbed into the stone with a stiff brush to release the staining. I also spent quite some time scraping away the candle wax that had dripped onto the hearth and mantel top.

The stone was then wiped to clean away the slurry and the process repeated until I was satisfied that the stone had come up as best it could. I then sprayed it with water to remove any remaining Oxy-Gel.

The Sandstone hearth and mantle were then inspected and stubborn stains were treated to a further clean using different grits from a set of hand-held diamond blocks.

Sealing a Sandstone Fireplace Hearth and Mantle

The fireplace was then left to dry which didn’t take long due to the use of low moisture cleaning products and small amounts of water. Once dry I applied two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer which is an impregnating sealer that adds protection and improves the colour of natural stone.

Sandstone Hearth and Mantle After Cleaning Chatsworth

The client was delighted with the finish.

 

Source: Sandstone Fireplace Hearth and Mantle Cleaning and Sealing Service in Chatsworth