Our Services
Sandstone cleaning and natural stone restoration done right means removing embedded grime, mineral deposits, and biological growth without etching or weakening the stone's surface. Solomon Moss Tiling handles sandstone floors, flagstone patios, travertine tile, and full stone surfaces across San Diego — 5-star rated across 31 verified reviews. Owner Solomon Moss personally oversees every stone care project, and our fixed-price scopes mean you won't get a surprise invoice when the job's done.
Stone tiles hold up for decades when they're maintained correctly. They fail fast when they're not. The wrong cleaner on sandstone or travertine doesn't just discolor the surface — it opens the pores, accelerates staining, and can cause irreversible pitting. We don't guess at products. We assess the stone type, finish, and existing condition before any solution touches the surface.
Sandstone is one of the most porous natural stones in common use. That porosity is what gives it warmth and texture — it's also what makes improper sandstone cleaning so destructive. Acid-based cleaners, which work fine on concrete or grout haze, will dissolve the calcium-silicate binders that hold sandstone together. We've seen floors ruined by a single application of the wrong product. pH-neutral, stone-safe solutions are the baseline, not the upsell. Beyond that, dwell time, agitation method, and rinse thoroughness all determine whether the clean holds or recontaminates within weeks.
Cleaning natural stone isn't a single process — it's a different protocol depending on what's in front of us. Sandstone and flagstone are highly absorbent and need low-pressure extraction after cleaning. Travertine stone cleaning requires filling open pores before sealing or the sealer bonds unevenly and peels. Marble and slate each have their own pH sensitivities and finish requirements. We work with porcelain, ceramic, natural stone (marble, travertine, slate), and large-format and mosaic tiles — both indoors and exterior surfaces. If it's stone, we've cleaned it.
Flagstone cleaners you'll find at a hardware store are almost always too aggressive for regular maintenance and too weak for a genuine deep clean. Exterior flagstone picks up organic growth — algae, moss, lichen — that bonds to the surface over time. Standard flagstone cleaning with a pressure washer knocks the surface off but leaves the root system intact; it grows back in weeks. We use targeted biocide treatments followed by controlled extraction, then apply a breathable penetrating sealer that lets moisture vapor escape without letting liquid water or staining agents back in. That's how a flagstone cleaner result actually lasts.
A crack in stone — whether it's a hairline in travertine tile or a structural fracture in a sandstone floor — doesn't stay small. Foot traffic works the edges, moisture infiltrates, and what starts as a cosmetic flaw becomes a loose or broken tile. We assess whether a crack is surface-level or substrate-driven before recommending any repair. Surface cracks get filled and color-matched. Substrate movement requires Schluter-Ditra uncoupling membrane if tile is being reset — that's our standard on most floor tile installations because it's the only reliable way to prevent crack transmission from the subfloor up through the stone.
Sealing is not a substitute for cleaning — that's the most common misunderstanding we run into. Sealing dirty stone locks the contamination in. The correct sequence is always: clean thoroughly, let the stone dry completely (24–48 hours minimum for sandstone), then apply sealer. We use penetrating impregnator sealers for most natural stone because they don't alter the surface appearance and don't peel. Topical sealers are appropriate for specific applications but require more maintenance. We'll tell you which is right for your stone and your use case — not whichever product carries the higher margin.
Solomon Moss runs these projects directly. You're not getting a subcontractor who's never met the person who quoted the job. Our scope covers sandstone floor cleaning, flagstone patio cleaning and sealing, travertine tile cleaning and regrouting, stone tile crack repair, and full natural stone restoration on kitchen and bathroom surfaces. We don't offer grout sealing as a standalone service. And we won't tell you a stone needs full replacement when cleaning and sealing is the honest answer — that's a conversation that costs us a bigger job but gets you the right outcome.