How to Cut Small Slate Tiles

There are a variety of ways to cut small slate tiles but the process will be made easier with the use of the right tools and equipment. Observe proper safety precautions when using power tools to cut small slate tiles.

What you'll need

• Slate cutter
• Thin snips
• Pencil straightedge
• Masonry table
• Portable circular saw
• Safety goggles

Step 1 – Cut Small Slate Tiles with Slate Cutter

Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes during the entire procedure. Use a pencil and a straightedge to mark a line on the back of the slate tiles. Place the slate tile on the slate cutter and lower the handle to cut a straight line. You may use tin snips to create curves or small cuts on small pieces of slate tiles.

Step 2 – Cut Slate Tiles with Circular Saw

Mark a straight line on the back of the slate tiles with a pencil. Place the slate tile on the masonry table and use a circular saw or angle grinder (with a diamond edged blade) to cut through the straight line. Never use a hack saw to cut slate tiles as this will result in poor quality tile cuts.

Take extra care when handling power tools and observe proper safety procedures when working with cutting equipment.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

Deep cleaning Black Slate tile

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: Black slate tiles cleaned in Portsmouth

How to Grout Mosaic Tiles

Mosaic tiles are a fantastic way to add character and flair to your bathroom tile design. These mosaics are comprised of smaller tiles arranged in a variety of patterns in 12 inch by 12 inch sheets. The size of the tiles can vary and the entire pattern is held together by a mesh backing.

The unique layout of mosaic tiles produces many grout lines, so grouting is an important step in achieving a clean look. Fortunately, all you need for a successful grout job is clean water, a clean sponge, a steady hand, and plenty of patience. The following will provide you some tips to help you grout your mosaic tiles.

What you'll need

• Bucket
• Grout float
• Tile sponge
• Latex gloves
• Squeegee

Step 1 –Mix the Grout

Properly mixing the grout is an important step that is often overlooked. There are two types of grout: sanded and un-sanded. Sanded grout is stronger than un-sanded grout and is recommended for tile floors. Un-sanded grout is commonly used for tile walls. Grout that has too much water is difficult to control and work into the grout lines. Grout with not enough water becomes thick and pasty and dries out quickly, making it difficult to remove.  Make sure you don't mix all of the grout at once, since it will dry out in your bucket. Instead, mix smaller portions based on the size of the area you have to grout. Add the grout mix into a bucket an gradually mix in water until the grout is the consistency of cake batter. You can ether mix the grout by hand or use a special attachment that will fit on most drills.

Step 2 – Lay the Grout

Installing the grout for mosaic tiles requires a little more care and attention than grouting traditional tile. The layout of these tiles means there are numerous grout lines to fill, so spreading the grout evenly across the entire surface is important. Scoop out a portion of the grout using the rubber float. If the grout was properly mixed, it should hold to the wall.  Next, turn the float on a 45° angle and use the edge to spread the grout over the tile. The grout can be worked into the lines using the edge of the float. When you’re finished, all that should be left on the wall is a thin file of grout residue. Let the grout sit for about 15 minutes before you begin wiping it down.

Step 3 –Wipe-Down the Tile

Wiping down the mosaic tile will require a bucket of clean water, a tile sponge, a squeegee, and some latex gloves. Fill the bucket with clean water and dip the sponge into the water, taking care to wring out the excess water. The sponge should be damp, not sopping wet. Carefully wipe down each of the lines making sure they’re even. Switch the side of the sponge after the first wipe and rinse the entire sponge after the second wipe. It’s important to remember to constantly clean the sponge and water to achieve the best results. After you’ve cleaned the grout lines and removed the excess grout, give the wall a once over to remove grout film.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com 

Cleaning Kitchen and Hall Tile and Grout

This Porcelain hallway and kitchen floor in Teddington, Middlesex, had extensive soiling in the grout lines and some staining on some of the Porcelain tiles from drink spillages. Porcelain is very robust material but like any surface the sooner you clean-up a spillage the less staining you are likely to experience.

Cleaning Porcelain Tile and Grout

To clean the tile and grout I applied a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, which is an effective Tile and Grout cleaner, with a mop and left it to soak in for a while before working it into the floor using a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad and a stiff brush along the grout lines. The soiled cleaning solution was removed using a wet vacuum and rinsed down with clean water. This process was repeated until I was satisfied the tile and grout was clean. I then waited for the floor to dry before applying a coat of Tile Doctor Grout Sealer to the grout lines in order to help make future maintenance easier, this type of Porcelain did not need sealing so only the grout would benefit from this preventative measure. The process is very straightforward and can be sprayed onto the grout line wiping off the excess from the adjacent tile within a few minutes.


I think you will agree from the photographs that the grout which was very prominent has now almost disappeared restoring the floor to its original appearance.



Source: Tile and Grout maintenance