Stripping Layers of Sealer from Slate Tile

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.

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.




Source: Slate floor tile Maintenance Tips

Color Matching Tile

Matching tile to the rest of the furnishings, or appliances, in the room you want to replace it can be done with a few simple tips.

Match with Fabric Swatches
Take some fabric samples with you to the tile store and set them up against the tiles to see which ones match, or compliment, the fabric. Since the tile you purchase for your room is a considerable expense, take you time in choosing the right color, or texture. Most designers will recommend that you choose neutral colors for your tile instead of trying to keep pace with the modern trends. 

Take Pictures
Take some photographs of the room from every corner, and different angle that will show how your room is set up and all the furnishings, and appliances, that are included. Bring these pictures to the home center with you and lay them out against the tiles. 

Take Samples Home
Most home centers will allow you to take a few of their samples to your home to lay down in the area it will be used. Put them in different sections, corners, and around the furniture to see how they look in the actual room. It is one thing to look at them in the store, but another thing all together to see them in the actual environment they will be in.


Source: www.DoItYourself.com

Cleaning Shower Tile and Grout

This Ceramic Tiled shower cubicle in a house in Hale was overdue a deep clean, the Ceramic Tiles were in reasonable condition but the grout lines had discoloured and become stained from the dyes in shampoo’s and soaps and the silicone needed to be replaced.

Cleaning Shower Tile and Grout

To clean the grout I decanted a strong 2:1 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean into a spray bottle and sprayed the solution on the tile and grout working in small sections. I think I’ve mentioned this before but in case you were wondering mixing the cleaner with air makes it lighter and allows it to stick onto vertical surfaces better. The solution was then worked in using a stiff scrubbing brush by hand before being rinsed off with water; this process was repeated until all the tile and grout was clean and then left to dry. If you’re doing this work yourself then you should know that Tile Doctor produces a product that comes with a spray attachment called Oxy Pro that is ready to use and can save you some time. The next step was to take a sharp knife and remove and replace the silicone strip between the tile and the shower tray.

Grout Colouring

Although the grout was cleaner following the scrubbing it was still showing some staining so to improve it further a white Grout Colourant was applied, fortunately the tiles were large format and the grout lines minimal. The product we use is epoxy based and forms a thin impermeable barrier over the grout so not only does it look good it protects the grout as well; it’s very easily applied using a small brush along the grout lines and you just wipe of the excess so it wasn’t long before the grout was looking like new. I think you will agree from the photographs the finished result looks like a new installation, certainly my customer was very pleased with job I had done.






Source: Grout Cleaning Tips Site

Stripping Tile Sealer

Tile sealer is used to set tiles into concrete and on concrete board in bathrooms. The sealer is a compound that is similar to grout that forms an adhesive bond to the surface and the tile.

If you want to change the look of your bathroom or other area where tiles were set with tile sealer you will need to first remove the old tile are find a stripper to remove the remaining sealer and clean the wall before the new installation can take place.

Commercial Stripper
You will need a solution consisting of tri-sodium phosphate (TSP). TSP is used to remove the sealer and lift the excess material from the walls. You should start by removing the tiles from the wall with a lever or crowbar type tool. You can use a vacuum to clean up any loose debris and clear the wall before applying the TSP solution.

A tile and paint store can provide you with an industrial grade stripper sufficient to remove the sealer.

Prepare the Wall Surface
Allow the solution to dry and remove any remaining debris from the wall. You will need to patch any holes or cracks that may appear during the removal process and make sure that the wall is clean before retiling.



Source: www.DoItYourself.com

How to Remove Dried Tile Adhesive

Removing tile adhesive is one of the most difficult jobs that a do-it-yourselfer may ever have to take on. Tile adhesive is a lot like concrete, and it can be very difficult to remove once it is hard. If you are taking up existing tile to replace it with something else, you will need to thoroughly remove all of the tile adhesive to create a flat, even surface. Follow the steps below.

What you'll need
Hammer
Chisel
Electric hammer with chisel
Scraper
Power scraper
Respirator
Gloves
Goggles
Buckets
Floor grinder

Step 1 - Get Some Help

When you take on this project, you should most likely try to recruit some help. This is not a job that you want to tackle on your own if you are doing significant any amount of square footage. If you are only doing a small bathroom, you could potentially do it by yourself.

Step 2 - Preparation

This project is going to create a lot of dust. If you can wet the floor down a little bit before you start, it can help reduce the amount of dust in the air, but not all of it. Because of this, you may want to wear a respirator so that you can breathe freely during the process. You also need to wear gloves and protective goggles.

Step 3 - Hammer and Chisel

One of the ways that you can try to do this job is with a hammer and chisel. If you are doing a small area, you could do the whole thing with a regular hammer. However, if you are doing a larger area, you should most likely rent an electric hammer with a chisel. This will make the process a lot easier and save you a great deal of time.

Step 4 - Scraper

Another way that you can try to remove the adhesive is with a scraper. You could get a manual scraper blade for this job or you could rent a power scraper. Again, if you are doing a large area, go for the power scraper as it will make the job quite a bit easier.

Step 5 - Grinder

You could also choose to use a grinder for this job. You should be able to rent a floor grinder at a local tool rental store. The grinder will go in a circular motion and it will break the adhesive up off the floor. This will create a fair amount of dust.

Step 6 - Clean Up

Throughout the process, you should try to clean up as best as you can. This will create a lot of small pieces of adhesive that will have to be removed from the room. Put these pieces in large buckets so that you can carry them out after you are done with the job.


Source: www.DoItYourself.com

How to Best Cut Self Adhesive Tiles

Self adhesive tiles are a type of tile that many people install because they are very easy to work with. You do not have to worry about spreading out adhesive or working with something that is extremely fragile or heavy. To install this type of tile, you will need to cut it to fit in the space. Follow the simple steps below to effectively cut your tiles.

What you'll need
Vinyl tile cutter
Tape measure
Pencil
self-adhesive tiles
Flat surface
Straight edge

Step 1 - Determine the Size

To successfully cut your self-adhesive tiles, you need to know the exact size of the piece that you need. When you get to the edge of a room, you will have a gap that needs to be covered with a partial self-adhesive tile. Use your tape measure to get the exact dimensions of the gap. You should leave approximately ¼-inch gap away from the wall. This will allow the vinyl tile to expand and contract once you get it installed.

Step 2 - Mark the Tile

The next thing that you will need to do is mark the tile so that you can cut it. Measure from the corner one of the tiles, and make a small mark with your pencil. Do the same thing on the opposite side of the tile. Then place your straightedge on the tile so that it intersects with each mark. This should provide you with a straight line across the tile where the marks were made. Use the pencil to draw a straight line along the edge of the straightedge. You will now have a perfect line to guide you with your cut.

Step 3 - Making the Cut

When you cut, you should leave the backing on the tile. This way, nothing will get into the adhesive and ruin its effectiveness. For this process, you could potentially cut the tile in several ways. Some people like to score the tile with a knife and then break it along the line. Others like to use a knife to cut all the way through the tile. While both of these methods can work, the best way to cut this type of tile is with a vinyl tile cutter. Set the self-adhesive tile onto the tool and then run the cutting blade across the top. This will provide you with a perfect cut every time. When you use this piece of equipment, make sure to place it on a flat surface so that your cuts are accurate. You can rent a vinyl tile cutter from a tool rental shop.


Source: www.DoItYourself.com

Refreshing Bathroom Tile and Grout

This Ceramic tiled bathroom with shower was installed at house Wilmslow and was overdue a refresh. You can see from the photographs below that the bathroom was looking tired and the tile and grout was discoloured with mould and acid build-up from washing products.

Cleaning Ceramic Tile and Grout

The Ceramic tiles and grout were treated using a strong 2:1 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a strong alkaline Tile and Grout cleaning product. The solution was decanted into a bottle with a trigger spray attachment which when sprayed onto the wall allows the cleaner to mix with air making it lighter and allowing it to stick better. The solution was then worked in using a stiff scrubbing brush by hand before being rinsed off with water; this process was repeated a number of times until we had managed to clean all the areas and then left to dry.

Grout Colouring

The grout looked better but I was unable to shift some of the staining so we decided to apply a white Grout Colourant, it’s a time consuming process but I think you will agree it made a big difference. Additionally the grout colourant product we use also forms a barrier over the surface making the grout much easier to clean going forward. The last step was to remove the silicone sealant from along the top of bath and replace with new.





Source: Ceramic Tile Cleaning Tips and Information

Types of Mortar For Slate Wall Tiles

There are many types of mortar that can be used for installing slate wall tiles. Also called thinset, the mortar that you require depends largely on the type of installation used for the slate wall tiles. It also depends on whether you are installing the wall tiles internally or externally. Listed below are a few mortar types for slate wall tiles.

Latex-Modified Mortar

This type of mortar is the most common among the mortars available and contains latex. Latex makes the mortar more sticky and elastic. You can use this type of mortar in many installations, either in external or internal locations. However, latex-modified mortar takes a longer time to dry than other mortars.

Unmodified Mortar

Unmodified mortar does not contain polymer or latex additives. It is considered the lowest quality of all mortars available and is among the cheapest. As it does not contain latex, it is less sticky and is not suitable to apply on wood surfaces. Unmodified mortar is not used very often in installations, as the installation areas move over time when this mortar is applied. It is suitable to apply on exterior applications where you install the slate wall tiles directly onto concrete surfaces, such as chimneys.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com