Simple steps towards a well managed limestone fireplace

A sparkling off-white limestone fireplace would be a great addition to your home décor and would give the room a stately look. However, good things never come easy. Fast forward a few weeks, and your limestone fireplace will start developing stains and spots from the burnt logs and cinder as well as the drips from the stove door glass. To prevent this, you need to clean the limestone fireplace periodically and avoid build-up of dirt and stains.

Cleaning agents

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The thing about limestone fireplaces is that they are too fragile to be cleaned using cleaning products you use for traditional fireplaces. Acids for example, can destroy the limestone, causing cracks to appear on it. Accordingly, your decision to use commercial cleaning agents to clean the fireplace would cost it plenty thanks to the abrasives present in these cleaners. Even sprays and waxes would do no good in keeping your limestone fireplace clean. In fact, they would only make things worse by causing stains, spots and discoloration; factors which would shorten the life of the fireplace to a great extent.

Limestone is considerably soft and porous, and is prone to damage. Hence, you need to use mild agents, preferably with oleofuge/hydrofuge protection properties that would both keep the limestone clean and prevent it from any damages. So avoid the idea of just diving into kitchen cabinet and using any cleaning product that you come across to clean the fireplace with.

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Your best bet would then be to use something as soft as cotton to clean your limestone fireplace. In this case, a soft cotton towel would do well. Use a very mild, diluted soap solution as well. Soak the cotton cloth in the soap solution and scrub the surface of the limestone. Don’t be harsh, rather scrub slowly, moving your hands in a circular motion as you do so. Avoid scrubbing back and forth forcefully as it may cause scratches on the limestone surface.

While light stains would come easily this way, stubborn stains would take some time to come off. Don’t lose your patience and start scrubbing vigorously. Worse, don’t resort to using other materials like a wool cloth or steel gauze to clean the surface. You will scratch it for sure. All you need to do is keep on scrubbing the stain gently in circular motions for a couple of minutes until it eventually disappears.

Things to avoid near the fireplace

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A limestone fireplace will look all the more stunning with beautiful accessories near it. However, in order to keep your fireplace clean and preserve its life, you would need to avoid placing certain things on or near it. These include:

  • Water:A vase of flowers would look great on a limestone fireplace. However, water along with sunshine can, create dark rings on the limestone surface. These darks rings would become stubborn with time and impossible to clean off.
  • Combustible Material: Placing logs as well as other types of combustible material on the limestone surface can have detrimental effects on the latter. Small sticks, dirt and rocks from the wooden logs can scratch the limestone surface. In addition to this, the black rub marks and liquid stains caused by other combustible materials can also permanently damage the limestone surface.

Sealing a limestone fireplace

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It is considered best for new fireplaces to be sealed properly in order to avoid stains and scratches. Two coats are usually recommended, and you will need to wait for the first coat to dry completely before going for the second coat. You would be doing your limestone fireplace a great favor by sealing it beforehand. So don’t miss out on this tip.

Summary

Limestone fireplaces, although classy, need some extra care and maintenance to look the same for many more years. The tips mentioned above should help you clean and maintain your limestone fireplace better.

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