A customer from Bath was in touch at the start of the year about their Black Slate floor tiles that ran throughout the lounge and kitchen. The floor had become hard to keep clean and the Slate looked grubby, tired and the white grout yellow with dark staining in places.
It was clear to me the sealer had worn off and was no longer enhancing or protecting the slate and grout. Natural stone such as Slate needs to be sealed to prevent dirt from becoming ingrained in the pores which was the case here. To resolve I recommended a deep clean to remove any remaining sealer and flush the dirt out of the stone and grout, then sealing to protect the floor going forward.
I took measurements and worked out a detailed breakdown of the costs which was emailed over to the customer later that day. This was accepted and a date to start what would be two days of work was agreed.
Deep Cleaning a Natural Black Slate Tiled Conservatory Floor
Cleaning started by mopping the floor with a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and then leaving it to soak in and break down the dirt for about ten minutes. The solution was then scrubbed in using a rotary machine fitted with a coarse 120-grit silicon brush. These brushes are ideal for riven stone like Slate as the brush gets into the crevices of the stone as well as the grout.
It was a large area so the work was done in sections cleaning the floor with the machine as above and then rinsing and extracting with a wet vacuum. The section was then inspected and the process repeated as needed. Tough grout stains were spot treated with more Pro-Clean and a stiff brush.
After more rinsing and extracting the floor was treated to an acid wash by applying Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up. This is mopped on to the floor and then worked in using a poly brush. The acidic formula of this product further cleans the floor removing old grout smears and other mineral contaminates leaving the floor really clean, it also neutralises the floor after the use of Pro-Clean earlier which is alkaline.
After a final rinse with water the floor was dried as much as possible with the wet vacuum and then left overnight to dry off.
Protecting a Black Slate Tiled Floor
The next morning the floor was checked with a moisture meter to confirm it had dried which it had. It’s always a good idea to check this as applying a sealer to a damp floor can result in a patchy appearance.
The sealer I used on the floor was a combination of Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal and Colour Grow which are mixed before application. This blend works makes the X-Tra seal more workable and really enhances the deep dark colouring in the stone. Two coats were applied left to soak into the stone and then the excess polished off by hand.
Once done the floor looked transformed, the Slate looked like new and the white colour had returned to the grout. The fresh sealer will ensure dirt remains on the surface making it much easier to keep clean and my customer was impressed with the difference.
For aftercare cleaning I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a gentle but effective cleaner that won’t harm the sealer. Many of the floor cleaning products you find in supermarkets etc are not for use on sealed stone, they contain strong chemicals such as bleach etc which will strip off the sealer prematurely so best avoided.
Source: Brazilian Slate Tiled Floor Cleaning and Sealing Service in Bath Somerset
Based in Sturminster Newton, Lucas is an expert in tile, stone, and grout maintenance. As a trusted agent of Tile Doctor—the UK’s largest professional tile, stone, and grout restoration network Lucas has access to specialist products and proven techniques to tackle a wide range of cleaning and restoration challenges. Whether interior or exterior, domestic or commercial, you can rely on expert care and outstanding results.