Enhancing Colour in a Chinese Slate Floor – Cirencester

Posted on September 10, 2018 by AbzDominise

This client from Cirencester got in contact about his Slate Tiled hallway floor which was now looking dull following renovations to the property by the owner who was a builder. If you have never been I can recommend you pay Cirencester visit, it’s a lovely old market town that dates to the Roman times and is incidentally is the largest town in the Cotswold District.

Chinese Slate Floor Cirencester Before Cleaning

I arrived at the property and could see immediately that the floor had never been sealed properly and so the appearance had just got worse over the few years since it was laid. Dirt had become ingrained in the pores of the slate making it impossible to clean effectively. The client realised that the only way to fix the problem was to have the floor properly treated. We agreed a price for the work and popped a date in the diary to come back.

Cleaning a Chinese Slate Tiled Hallway Floor

As the floor was in the hallway, we needed to protect the stairs and skirting with plastic sheeting before we started. I then started cleaning the tiles with a strong concentration of Tile Doctor Remove and Go, this is a multi-purpose stripper which can remove most coatings and sealers and works best it left to dwell and soak into the stone for a long time before scrubbing it in. This also helps it work on ingrained stains and remove heavy grease build-up. My primary reason for choosing Remove and Go was to remove what was left of the sealer so after applying it to the floor I left it to soak in for ten minutes before being scrubbed it into the tiles with a black pad scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary floor buffer. The dirt soon turned the cleaning solution black and the slurry was extracted using a wet vacuum.

Next, I worked on cleaning up the grout using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, this is good for neglected and heavily soiled areas and it makes short work of cleaning dirty grout. I had to scrub the grout by hand and once I was happy that the slate and grout was as clean as it could be the floor was given several rinses with water to remove the remaining dirt and remove any traces of cleaning products. Once this was done this completed the cleaning process, I was satisfied with our efforts and the floor was left to dry off overnight.

Sealing a Chinese Slate Tiled Hallway Floor

The next day I checked the moisture level of the stone in several areas with a damp meter to check that the floor was dry. The sealer will not cure if the floor is not properly dried out. I chose a combination of sealers to achieve the look we were after. First, I sealed with one coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow this is an impregnating sealer that occupies the pores in the stone thereby preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there. It’s also a colour enhancing sealer that works really well on Chinese slate to highlight all the colours. Once this was dry I followed with three coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which is water-based blend of acrylic polymers that provides both a stain resistant surface seal and a durable low-sheen finish, which was perfect for finishing this floor.

Chinese Slate Floor Cirencester After Cleaning

The customers response was ‘It never looked as good as that’, and he now realised the importance of sealing the floor correctly! I love the natural patterns in this type of floor, it is one of my favourites.

Source: Chinese Slate Tile Cleaning and Sealing Service in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Renovating Riven Chinese Slate Tiles in a Water Damaged Kitchen, Shipdham

Posted on June 4, 2018 by AbzDominise

Slow leaking underfloor pipes are guaranteed to wreck the look of an expensive tiled floor and this is exactly what had happened at our client’s house in the village of Shipdham. The problem occurred in the Kitchen and due to the slow nature of the leak it was some time before the problem was diagnosed and repaired. This resulted in a huge damp problem affecting the riven Chinese Slate tiled floor, damaging the sealer and resulting in white efflorescence salts being regularly deposited across the whole area.

The old kitchen units had been removed and the floor partially excavated to access and repair the leaking pipework, after which a new section of slate tiles had been re-laid. The new and the old sections were noticeable, and part of my job would be to clean the old tiles to a standard where they would blend in with the new.

Riven Chinese Slate Floor Before Cleaning Shipdham

Cleaning a Riven Chinese Slate Floor in Shipdham

The first job was to deep-clean the floor using a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean mixed with a small quantity of Tile Doctor Remove and Go, which would help to dissolve the damaged sealer. This poured onto the floor and left to soak in for ten minutes before being scrubbed into the slate with our rotary machine fitted with a brush attachment. This brush scrubs right into the uneven surface of the tiles and makes light work of what can be quite a physical job. This process releases a lot dirt and old sealer from the tile which is effectively removed using another machine that gives the floor a power rinse at the same time.

The grout lines and parts of the riven surface which were still soiled were cleaned by hand using angle head brushes and Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel, which is a concentrated version of Pro-Clean in gel form which makes it a lot easier to contain in a small area. Having satisfied ourselves that the floor was finally clean, we left it to dry thoroughly overnight with assistance from our dehumidifier.

Sealing Riven Chinese Slate Tiles in a Shipdham Kitchen

On our return the following day, we damp tested the floor and found that the moisture content was a little higher than we would have liked and this would certainly cause a problem with the standard Tile Doctor acrylic sealer which is water based. In our experience water-based sealers are often only successfully applied if the conditions are ideal and the moisture content of the stone is very low. We chose, therefore, to use a slightly different product in the form of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra which is microporous and has a higher acrylic solids content than the standard product, making it ideal in situations where dampness in the tile is an issue but the client wants a sheen finish to make daily maintenance easier.

Six coats of Seal and Go Extra were applied in total, the result had the sheen finish the client wanted and the sealer enhanced the different colours in the slate in the process. The sealer will provide excellent on-going protection and being a fully breathable sealer, it will not be impacted by any damp issues as the floor dries out completely over time.

Riven Chinese Slate Floor After Cleaning Shipdham

With the work completed it the whole floor looked great and it was difficult to spot the repair, our client was certainly happy with the result and made the following comment:

Fantastic service and outstanding results. Our slate floor looks amazing. Very happy
Clair R, Shipdham

Source: Slate Tile Cleaning and Sealing Service in Shipdham, Norfolk

Reclaimed Slate Floor Renovation near Norwich

Posted on April 12, 2018 by AbzDominise

When the old Rowntree Mackintosh sweet factory at Chapelfield in Norwich was closed down and eventually demolished, our client acquired a quantity of the beautiful green/black slate flooring tiles which had formed part of the reception area of the plant. They had laid these tiles edge to edge with no grouting in their large kitchen/dining room extension at their home in the village of Wreningham and the result was perhaps one of the most impressive examples of high-quality slate flooring we have ever seen in any location.

The Slate floor tiles had been protected against oil and fluid spillages with the application of a penetrating sealer after installation at the property but, over the ensuing years, there had been some inevitable degradation of the sealer and the entire area was now in need of a thorough deep-clean and reseal in order to remove the coating of general grime, bring out the strikingly deep colour and restore the stain resistance.

Cleaning a Slate tiled floor

As there was no topical finish to remove, we proceeded to deep-clean the surface of the tiles using Tile Doctor Pro Clean at a less powerful mix ratio of 1-part water to 5-parts cleaner. This solution was applied to the tiles and left to soak in for ten minutes before being worked in using a black scrubbing pad fitted to our rotary machine.

The resulting muddy slurry was then power rinsed off the floor with water and then extracted with our Ninja machine which has a very powerful vacuum. The high pH product was so effective, no further cleaning was necessary.

The whole area was then dried thoroughly using two large industrial fans which dramatically reduced the drying time, enabling us to move onto sealing later that afternoon. We don’t normally recommend cleaning and sealing in the same day as the floor has to be dry before sealing however in this case we were able to progress through the cleaning process much quicker than anticipated.

Slate Tiled Floor in Wreningham During Sealing

Sealing a Slate Tiled Floor

Before sealing the floor was spot tested in different places using a moisture meter. All was well, so a single coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow was applied to the Slate tiles. Colour Grow is a penetrating sealer that seeps into the pores of the stone protecting it from with and as its name suggests also intensified the natural black/green colours of the slate in the process.

Once the first coat was dried I followed up with three coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go, which further enriched the colour and provided a pleasing mid-sheen finish to the floor surface.

The whole process really put the life back in the stone floor and the tiles which were once dull now look vibrant and colourful.

Source: Slate Tile Cleaning and Renovation Service in Wreningham, Norfolk

Slate Tiled Hallway Repaired and Restored following Central Heating Installation in Lancashire

Posted on February 16, 2018 by AbzDominise

Rough Slate is notorious for homeowners to maintain as dirt can quickly become trapped in the rough surfaces. The example on this page is that of Brazilian Semi Riven Slate installed in the Kitchen of a house in the village of Hornby, which while naturally cleft from the rock loses none of its texture and style and yet has a much smother appearance than the typical rough Slates from China. Less processing means it’s not quite completely smooth but it is a lot less expensive to buy than say a honed or polished Slate which is more difficult to maintain due to various polishing techniques required to keep up the appearance. Brazilian Slate is in fact one of my favourite slates to clean and also one of the most rewarding of Slates to seal as the sealer really does bring out the colour and character of the stone.

Sealers provide a protective barrier on natural stone floors and without it dirt can penetrate into the pores of the stone making it more and more difficult to clean effectively. Unfortunately on this floor the new homeowners were unaware on what sort of Stone it was and had no idea how to look after it which resulted in the sealer wearing down prematurely and the floor becoming dull and un-inviting.

Semi-Riven Slate floor Before Cleaning Hornby

Cleaning Black Semi-Riven Brazilian Slate Tiles

To restore the appearance of the Slate floor we started by taping up the edges of the new kitchen units to protect the wood from splashing. This was followed with an application of a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-clean worked in with a black buffing pad fitted to a buffing machine running at slow speed (working at a slower speed results in less splashing). The pads can struggle to reach the edges and corners so these were cleaned by hand.

Once we had finished on the main floor area we then concentrated on the grout using a steam cleaner and more Pro-clean scrubbed in with a narrow stiff brush.

Last step of the cleaning was to rinse the floor with water to remove any trace of cleaning products from the Slate and then dried off the floor the best we could with our high wattage wet vacuum machine and left the floor to dry off naturally over night.

Sealing Black Semi-Riven Brazilian Slate Tiles

The next day we returned to seal the floor checking first that the floor had completely dried. The customer had requested a matt finish however we have worked on Brazilian Slate many times before and we knew how good they can look with this Satin finish sealer. Naturally its the customers decision so we offered to do a test piece and let them decide if they didn’t like it we would strip off the test piece and apply a Matt finish sealer like Tile Doctor Colour Grow instead.

The floor was dry so a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go were applied to one Tile so that they could appreciate how it would look. Luckily the customer agreed with us and so we set about sealing the whole floor with Seal and Go.

To speed up the drying process Air Blowers were installed as we worked and it wasn’t long before the sealer was dry and the customers were able to walk on the floor and inspect every area before we left. I’m please to report that they were over the moon with the floor and my recommendation of sealer.

Semi-Riven Slate floor After Cleaning Hornby

To maintain the slate tiles going forward we always give our customers a free bottle of Tile Doctor pH neutral tile cleaner, which is a little incentive for them to provide some feedback via our website.

Source: Slate Tile Cleaning and Restoration Service in Hornby, Lancashire

Amazing Transformation of a Slate Kitchen Floor

Posted on April 20, 2017 by AbzDominise

This is an interesting example of a Slate tiled floor that was the unfortunate recipient of a solvent-based topical coating which had become contaminated over time which completely altered its appearance. So much so, in fact, that the new owners of the property located in the village ofGamston, had not realised that this wasn’t what the floor was actually supposed to look like!

Slate Floor Gamston Nottingham Before Cleaning

The coating was hiding the natural beauty and character of the high mineral content Slate tiles. A previous tile cleaning company had tried and failed to remove this coating and clean the floor, having no real impact on the condition and appearance of the floor. This is because solvent-based topical floor coatings can only be removed using specialist chemical and mechanical techniques.

I knew that Tile Doctor’s range of products, combined with my knowledge of cleaning techniques, would be effective, and I was booked in to complete the job. Here’s how I did it.

Removing Solvent-Based Coatings and Cleaning a Slate Tiled Floor

To remove the solvent-based topical coating, I applied a heavy-duty coating remover from the Tile Doctor range, known as Tile Doctor Remove and Go. Remove and Go is, in fact, a highly versatile remover, formulated with a long dwell-time to strip away most coatings and sealers, epoxy grout haze, urethane coatings, synthetic finishes, adhesives and even paints.

Once applied, the product was allowed to dwell for thirty minutes. Following this, I agitated the solution with a weighted heavy-duty rotary floor machine fitted with a restorative scrubbing brush. The resulting chemical slurry was vacuumed away and the floor was rinsed thoroughly to remove suspended residues.
Next, working in sections, I forced dried the floor with an air mover and left it to dry off fully overnight so I could come back the next day and seal it.

Sealing a Slate Tiled Floor

The customer didn’t want a polished finish for the floor – instead requesting a natural look – so I opted to seal the tiles using Tile Doctor Colour Grow, which both enhances the natural shades in the stone and provides a matte finish. Colour Grow is also an impregnating sealer, meaning that it penetrates the pores of the stone to fill them with sealer thus providing maximum protection against ingrained dirt and stains.

I applied three coats of the sealer to the floor, leaving 30-45 minutes between each coat. Once dry, the floor could be walked on within 45 minutes. I advised the customer not to subject the floor to heavy use for the next 48 hours whilst the sealer cured.

Slate Floor Gamston Nottingham After Restorative Cleaning

The sealer provides a low maintenance finish that should last for many years if proper care is provided. To clean the floor thereafter, I recommended that my very happy client use a damp mop in combination with Tile Doctor pH Neutral Tile Cleaner. The product needs to be diluted correctly and the floor mopped using a second bucket to rinse the mop so that the suspended soils are not deposited back on to the surface of the floor.

Source: Slate Tile and Grout Cleaning and Restoration in Nottinghamshire

Restoring Green Westmorland Slate Tiles in Yorkshire

Posted on April 19, 2017 by AbzDominise

It’s not too common that you find two very different natural stone tiled floors in the same property. However, this is exactly what I discovered on a recent visit to a farmhouse property in Ripley, near Harrogate in North Yorkshire. The owner wanted to restore both their Westmorland Green Slate tiled entranceway and a Blue Moleanos Limestone tiled floor.

Westmorland Green Slate originates from the Lake District in Cumbria – where it has been quarried for many centuries – and is known to be a high quality and popular choice for flooring due to its subtle and pleasant green shades. By contrast, Moleanos Limestone originates from Portugal and is one of more commonly found types of Limestone used in buildings across the world.

But while the two floors were very different, the customer’s objective was the same for both – to restore the appearance of the tiles and return the shine to the stone. Here’s how I did it.

Cleaning and Sealing Westmorland Green Slate Tiles

The first floor I tackled was the Westmorland Green Slate, situated at the entrance to the property. Naturally, given that the tiles are situated in a high traffic area, they were very dirty and required a deep clean.

Westmorland Green Slate Floor Before Cleaning in Ripley

To do this, I applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, which is our high alkaline, multi-purpose cleaner, stripper, and degreaser. The product was scrubbed into the tiles using a scrubbing pad fitted to a heavy-weight rotary machine to strip away any old sealer and remove the ingrained dirt. One I was satisfied with the condition of the floor it was rinsed with water and a wet vacuum used to remove the now soiled cleaning solution.

Once the floor had been left to dry completely, I was able to give the floor a fresh seal in the form of four coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go. This sealer is specially formulated to provide both a stain resistant surface seal and a durable low-sheen finish.

Westmorland Green Slate Floor After Cleaning in Ripley

Cleaning and Sealing Blue Moleanos Limestone Tiles

Whilst waiting for the slate floor to dry I moved on to restore the Blue Moleanos Limestone tiles, which covered a floor area of 20 square metres, but were looking very sad, tired, and lifeless.

Blue Moleanos Limestone Floor Before Cleaning in Ripley

To clean polished Limestone tiles, we typically use a process known as burnishing, which involves the direct application of four different diamond encrusted burnishing pads to grind away old sealers, dirt and stains, before polishing the stone to restore lustre.

First, I used a Coarse 400 grit burnishing pad to strip the floor of the old sealer and remove all grease marks and stains. I had to go over the floor with the pad twice to get rid of some particularly stubborn grease spots.

Having done that, I moved on to focus on building back up the polished appearance of the Limestone by applying the Medium 800 grit, Fine 1500 grit, and Very Fine 3000 grit burnishing pads, with a light spray of water to act as a lubricant with each. This achieved a high-quality satin finish, which I ensured will be protected for the long-term by sealing the stone with Tile Doctor Colour Grow – an impregnating and colour enhancing sealant.

Blue Moleanos Limestone Floor After Polishing in Ripley

It took me three full days of work to clean, polish and seal both floors – and the hard work paid off, as the customer was absolutely delighted with their rejuvenated tiles!

Source: Slate Tile and Grout Cleaning and Restoration in Yorkshire

Deep Cleaning, Sealing a Slate floor

Posted on May 15, 2015 by AbzDominise

This was a straight forward refresh of a Slate Tiled floor that had been installed in the kitchen of a house the village of Malmesbury. You can see from the photo below how the Slate had become dull with wear and how the grout had become discoloured; it was clear that the previous sealer was starting to fail and the tile and grout was now in need of a deep clean and seal to bring it back to life.

Cleaning a Slate Tiled Floor

To get the floor clean and remove and remaining sealer a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-clean was brushed over the floor and left it to soak in for around twenty minutes. A grout brush was then used to scrub out all grout lines and get them clean. A black scrubbing pad was then attached to a rotary machine and the entire kitchen floor was scrubbed. This process generated a fair amount of slurry as the remaining sealer, dirt and grime came out of the pores of the tile. This was then removed using a wet vacuum and the floor rinsed thoroughly with clean water.
At this point it became evident that the tiler who installed the floor previously had left grout smears on the surface in some places (aka grout haze) and this was removed using a solution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up applied with a black pad and thoroughly rinsed again to remove any trace of cleaning product. The floor was then dried as much as possible using a wet vacuum and left overnight.

Sealing a Slate Floor

We returned the next day and tested the floor for damp by using a damp meter to ensure it was dry enough to seal; the test came back OK so we proceeded to seal by applying five coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go which adds a nice subtle sheen to the tile and will protect it from staining for some years to come.

Source: Professional Stone and Tile Cleaning service in Wiltshire

Restoring Slate Tiles in Historic Stratford

Posted on April 15, 2014 by AbzDominise

This beautiful Brazilian Slate tiled floor was installed in the cellar of a house in Urmston, Manchester; the slate has never been sealed as so as you would expect it dirt soon became ingrained into the pores of the tile and it lost its appearance.

Brasilian Slate Floor in Urmston before cleaning

Cleaning slate Floor Tiles

I gave the floor a good deep cleaning using a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-clean which is an alkaline cleaner safe to use on natural stone such as Slate; I should mention this is an industrial strength product and it’s very good at removing general dirt, grime and even grease. I let the product soak into the tile for five minutes before scrubbing it into the slate using a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine. Pro-Clean was also used along the grout lines to get them clean, although this had to be scrubbed by hand with a stiff brush. Finally I gave the floor a through rinse using hot water to make sure that no chemical remained on the tile before sealing and then left for the evening so the floor could dry.

Sealing Slate Floor Tiles

The next day I checked the floor was dry and then began to seal it using five coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which provides stain protection and leaves a nice shiny finish.

Brasilian Slate Floor in Urmston after cleaning

I think you will agree the Brazilian slate tiles look much improved.

Source: Stone and Tile floor restoration services in Greater-Manchester

Beautiful Slate Kitchen Cleaned and Sealed

Posted on March 4, 2014 by AbzDominise

These photographs are from that lovely old period property in the village of Harston near Cambridge, you may recall an earlier post where I worked on the Victorian Tiled hallway. These photographs are from the Slate Tiled Kitchen floor which they asked me to clean and re-seal as well.

Harston Slate Tiled Floor Before Cleaning 1

Harston Slate Tiled Floor Before Cleaning Closeup Kitchen 2

Cleaning the Slate Tiled Floor

The process for cleaning and sealing slate is very similar to Victorian and Quarry tiles so this was as they say a bread and butter job for a Tile Doctor. The beauty of working in a kitchen is I was able to remove the kick boards instead of having to protect the skirting boards with tape. Once the preparation was done a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was applied and left to soak into the Slate tile for a while before being worked in using a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. Pro-Clean by the way is an alkaline cleaner so it’s safe to use on tile and stone unlike some acidic products which will cause damage over time.

As before I re-applied Pro-Clean on any stubborn stains and also gave the grout lines a good scrub with a stiff hand brush to make sure they were clean. Once happy with the general condition of the tile it was time to use the spinner tool which applies hot water under pressure effectively rinsing the floor whilst removing the water at the same time with suction. This does a great job of rinsing the floor and removing any trace of cleaning product before sealing, this is important to ensure a good finish when sealing.

Sealing the Slate Tiled Floor

The spinner tool does a good job of removing liquids from floors however the tile was still damp so it was left to dry assisted with air blowers until dry. Now normally I would use Tile Doctor Seal and Go to seal slate tile however the customer wanted a matt finish for this surface so it was sealed using two coats of Tile Doctor Ultra Seal which provides a more natural look it’s also recommended for use in food preparation areas.

Harston Slate Tiled Floor After Cleaning 1

Harston Slate Tiled Floor After Cleaning Closeup Kitchen 2

Source: Specialist Slate Tile Cleaner in Cambridge

Removing Sealers from Chinese Slate Tiles

Posted on January 29, 2014 by AbzDominise

I was asked to strip and re-seal these interesting Chinese Slate tiles that were installed in the kitchen floor of a property in Hale Barns, Cheshire. It seems the tiles had been re-sealed over the years without giving them a deep clean first resulting in dirt and grime being sealed in between layers of old sealer making them impossible for the customer to clean.

Chinese slate floor Hale Barns Cheshire before

Cleaning Chinese Slate Floor Tiles

To remove the many layers of sealer and get the tiles clean I let them soak in a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is a coatings remover for the stripping of sealers from floors that is safe to use on Tile, Stone and Grout. This was worked into the tile and grout using stiff brushes followed by steam cleaning the floor. The resulting soiled solution was removed and the floor washed down with clean water to reveal the bare stone; stubborn areas were re-treated using the same process before leaving the floor to dry before sealing.

Sealing Chinese Slate Floor Tiles

Once I was satisfied the floor was dry it was sealed using Tile Doctor Seal and Go which is a highly recommended sealer for slate that leaves an attractive low sheen finish and smooth surface, it’s also a water based sealer so there is no smell.

Chinese slate floor Hale Barns Cheshire After

Source: Slate Tile Maintenance in Cheshire

Maintaining Black Welsh Slate

Posted on January 26, 2014 by AbzDominise

The photographs below are taken from a job in the village of Whilton near Daventry where we were asked to clean and seal a black Welsh Slate tiled floor that was installed in a Kitchen and adjacent dining area.

The customer was concerned that the floor was very dull and proving difficult to keep clean additionally she was having a new kitchen fitted and didn’t want to replace the floor but wanted to achieve a shiny finish that was easy to maintain.

Welsh Black Rough Slate kitchen Before Cleaning 1

On the initial survey I found the sealant was of a poor quality and had all but worn off allowing stain and soil to seep into the grout and stain the tiles, stains which were difficult to remove with normal household cleaning products.

Cleaning Welsh Slate Tiles

After fully masking up the areas to protect the skirting boards and wooden steps I carried out a deep clean with a dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go worked in with a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad in order to strip the floor and remove the old wax sealer and tackle the ingrained stains and grime. Additionally the grout lines were scrubbed using stiff hand brushes to bring them back to an acceptable appearance. The soiled cleaning solution was removed using a wet vacuum and then washed down with clean water so we could see the areas that needed further work and repeated the process.

Once I was happy with the overall appearance the entire area was given a thorough rinse and wash to remove any chemical and neutralise the floor before sealing. We left a dehumidifier in place to assist in the drying process as we wanted to ensure the tile and grout was fully dry prior to application of a sealer.

Welsh Black Rough Slate kitchen after Stripping

Sealing the Slate Tiled Floor

We came back two days later and checked the floor was dry which it was so we proceeded to apply the sealer for which we chose Tile Doctor Seal and Go which is a water based sealer (no smell) that is recommended for Slate tiles and provides good stain protection with a low sheen finish that really does bring the floor alive. It took five coats before the slate tiles were fully sealed.

Welsh Black Rough Slate kitchen After Cleaning and Sealing 1

Welsh Black Rough Slate kitchen After Cleaning and Sealing 2

Source: Slate Cleaning specialist in Northamptonshire

Cleaning Riven Slate Tiles

Posted on September 4, 2013 by AbzDominise

These Riven Slate tiles at house in Tring Buckinghamshire had been laid five years earlier and the original sealant had worn off especially around the high traffic cooker and fridge areas. This has led to dirt getting trapped into the pores of the tile and the whole floor becoming rather dull.

Cleaning Riven Slate Floor Tiles

We started with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is an alkaline tile cleaner designed for use on tile, stone and grout. It was scrubbed into the tile and grout lines to give the floor a deep clean and then rinsed with clean water. To strip the remaining sealant we used Tile Doctor Remove and Go spread throughout the floor and then left for 45 minutes to soften the sealant, then with the use of an aggressive black pad fitted to a rotary machine the remaining sealant was stripped from the tile. The last step was to rinse the floor with clean water to remove any cleaning products and neutralise it before sealing, it was then left overnight to dry.

Sealing Riven Slate Tiles

The next day we came back to seal the floor, the customer had previously requested a matt finish for the floor so Tile Doctor Colour Grow was chosen as the sealer, this product provides the desired matt finish but also lifts the natural colours in the stone as well as providing the necessary stain protection going forward.

Source: Riven Slate Tile cleaning in South Buckinghamshire

Restoring a Slate Kitchen Floor

Posted on August 27, 2013 by AbzDominise

This beautiful slate floor installed in the Kitchen of a house in Southampton had tons of character but unfortunately years of use had left it looking rather washed out and was overdue for a deep clean and re-seal.

Southampton Slate Tiled Floor before Cleaning

Cleaning Slate Tiled Floors

I set about scrubbing the floor using a hot water dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean Tile and Grout cleaner combined 50:50 with NanoTech UltraClean which adds tiny abrasive particles to the solution to make a more effective cleaning product. The solution was left to dwell on the floor for a while before being scrubbed into the tiles with a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad; a stiff hand brush was used along the grout lines. The soiled solution was removed using a wet vacuum and floor thoroughly rinsed down with clean water. Pro-Clean works as a stripper as well as a cleaner and so any remaining sealer was also removed using this process, had that been a problem I would of resorted to Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is a much stronger coatings remover.

The soiled cleaning solution was removed using a wet vacuum and this was followed by washing down the area thoroughly with clean water; any stubborn marks were revisited with a repeat of the same process until we were happy the tiles were clean.

Sealing Black Slate Floor Tiles

This process took most of the day so we left the floor to dry overnight and came back the next day to seal it using Tile Doctor Seal and Go, a highly recommended sealer for Slate which provides good stain protection with a low sheen finish, slate is quite porous and it took five coats before it was fully sealed.

Southampton Slate Tiled Floor after Cleaning

I think you will agree the floor is transformed, the natural colours of the slate have come through and the low sheen has given the floor a nice health appearance.

Source: Transformation of a Slate Tiled Floor Kitchen

Slate tile maintenance

Posted on August 21, 2013 by AbzDominise

This was a straightforward black slate tile clean and seal in a large kitchen of a house in Portsmouth, the tile and grout were in good physical condition and just needed of a deep clean.

Cleaning Slate Tiled Floor

The first step was to give the tiles a really good clean using a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was left to dwell on the tile for a while before being scrubbed into the floor using a rotary machine fitted with a black pad. It was a large area so we worked in sections and used a stiff brush along the grout lines to get them clean.

The soiled cleaning solution was removed using a wet vacuum before washing down the area thoroughly with clean water; any stubborn marks were revisited with a repeat of the same process until we were happy the tiles were clean.

Sealing Black Slate Floor Tiles

We left the floor to dry overnight and came back the next day to seal it using Tile Doctor Seal and Go, a highly recommended sealer for Slate which provides good stain protection with a low sheen finish, slate is quite porous and it took five coats before it was fully sealed.

The black slate looked amazing when we had finished, the customer was certainly happy with the result.

Source: Cleaning and sealing Black Slate floor tiles in Hampshire

Dealing with Limescale on Slate

Posted on August 20, 2013 by AbzDominise

Recently we were asked to resolve an unusual problem with Limescale deposits on Black Slate floor tiles installed in a WC at a house in Hove on the East Sussex coast. You can see from the photograph below how Limescale has left an unsightly white haze and water marks on the surface of the slate tile.

Cleaning Limescale from a Slate Tiled Floor

The first step was to remove the Limescale and any other sealer products from the floor using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean scrubbed into the floor using a rotary machine fitted with a black pad, we also used a stiff brush along the grout lines and in those hard to reach areas around the toilet. The floor was then rinsed thoroughly with clean water and any stubborn areas revisited with a repeat of the same process until we were happy the tiles were clean. Had the Limescale proved harder to shift we would applied a stronger product such as Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up which can remove mineral deposits.

Sealing Black Slate Floor Tiles

I think you will agree the slate tiled floor looks transformed as well as being much easier to clean.

Source: Cleaning and sealing Slate floor tiles in East Sussex

Maintaining Chinese Slate tiles

Posted on August 12, 2013 by AbzDominise

On this page you will find a good selection of photographs taken during the cleaning and sealing of a Chinese Slate tiled floor in the village of Kingsthorpe, Northampton. The floor had been installed in the kitchen and the lounge and both the slate and the grout was in need of a deep clean.

Cleaning Chinese Slate Tiles

The first thing we do is to protect anything that can’t by moved by wrapping it in a plastic sheet once this was done we set about scrubbing the slate tiled floor with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and a rotary machine fitted with a black pad, we used a grout brush to clean out the grout lines and then rinsed the floor thoroughly with clean water.

It’s not until the floor has been washed down that you can spot any stubborn or missed areas so it’s not usual to have to repeat this process until a satisfactory result is obtained. We had both the kitchen and lounge to do and this took most of the day, before leaving for the evening we switched on an air blower to help the floor to dry.

Sealing the Slate Tiled Floor

We came back the next day and checked the floor was dry, fortunately the air blower had done its job and we were able to get on with the sealing the floor.

To seal the floor five coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go were applied using a paint pad applicator. Seal and Go is recommended for Slate tiles and provides good stain protection with a low sheen finish that really does bring the floor alive.

Source: Cleaning and sealing Chinese Slate in Northamptonshire

Slate Tile Cleaning in Staffordshire

Posted on July 22, 2013 by AbzDominise

This slate tiled floor was installed in a Kitchen in Burton on Trent, Staffordshire. The owner of the house felt it was time to get it cleaned and re-sealed so gave us a call.

Cleaning black slate floor tiles

We set about cleaning the kitchen floor with a mixture of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean mixed 50/50 with Tile Doctor Nano-tech Ultraclean which was worked into the pores of the slate tile using a slow speed rotary machine fitted with a Polyscrub scrubbing brush which can reach down into grouting as well as scrubbing the floor. I then used a wet vacuum to remove the resultant soiled solution before rinsing the floor down twice with cold water, this also neutralises the floor prior to sealing.

Sealing Slate floor tiles

I left the floor overnight to dry then came back next day and used a damp test meter to verify the floor was dry and ready for sealing. Once happy I proceed to apply three coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go which as you can see from the photograph below has really brought out the natural colours in the slate. I used a water test after the third coat was dry to see if the water would form bubble on the surface thus indicating it was dry, which it did thereby indicating the floor was fully sealed.

Overall the job took two days and I’m happy report the customer was amazed with the outcome and very pleased.

Source: Professional Slate Tile Cleaning in Staffordshire

Removing Paint and Plaster from Slate tiles

Posted on June 11, 2013 by AbzDominise

If your hiring a decorator beware, for some reason were seeing an increase in floors splattered with paint due to a lack of care. This was certainly the case on this Riven Slate tiled floor in Bury, Greater Manchester where decorators had made a right mess of this floor with plaster and paint.

Cleaning the Slate Tiled Floors

I started the cleaning process by applying a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a multi-purpose cleaner/stripper safe to use of natural tile and stone. The Pro-Clean was left to soak in for a while before being worked into the floor with a rotary machine fitted with a black pad; this worked well and removed all of the plaster and most of the paint. The remaining suborn paint spots were dealt with individually by applying Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is a specialist coatings remover. The last step was to rinse the floor down with water three times in order to wash away any remaining chemical and neutralise they floor before sealing.

Sealing Riven Slate Tiles

I left the floor to dry overnight and came back the next day to seal it using five coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which provides good stain protection and a low sheen finish. You can see from the photographs the improvement in the floor.

Source: Riven Slate Tile Cleaning in Bury

Slate Flagstone Cleaning

Posted on April 21, 2013 by AbzDominise

These Slate flagstone tile were installed in a conservatory in the town of Fareham. The flagstones and grout were reasonably clean and in good condition but the previous sealer had all but worn off and they were looking dull and in need of revamp.

Slate Flagstone Cleaning

As the previous sealer had all but worn off I decided not to apply a dedicated coatings remover product such as “Remove and Go” but instead use a strong cleaning solution to remove the remaining sealer and clean the floor in one go. For this I choose a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean mixed with 50/50 with Nanotech Ultra-Clean which adds tiny abrasive particles to the mix. The cleaning solution was applied to the floor with a mop and then left to dwell for 20 minutes before being agitated with a buffing machines fitted with a black Scrubbing pad and stiff brushes along the grout lines.

The soiled solution was then removed using a wet vacuum and the floor rinsed with clean water and left to dry. We could see at this point that the job was a success and we had successfully managed to clean the floor and remove the sealer in one go.

There was no history of what had been used to seal the floor previously so it’s important to ensure all the old sealer had been completely removed as the old sealer could have been incompatible with the sealer we wished to use and resulted in an unexpected finish.

Sealing the Slate Floor

We sealed the slate flagstones with a single coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which really helps bring out the deep colour from within the slate. To finish and build up the lustre and richness of the colour we then applied seven coats of Seal & Go which add a nice low sheen to the surface of the tile.

For general cleaning and to get a long life out of the sealer we recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner, diluted 1:30 with water and applied with a microfibre flat mop, rinse with water and then remove with a clean microfibre flat mop.

Source: Cleaning and Sealing Slate Tiles in Fareham