What You'll Need
- Tile cleaner and stripper
- Warm water
- Soap
- Applicator
- Stone enhancer
Step 1 - Cleaning
Before you can begin the restoration of your slate tile flooring, you need to clean it. Move everything out of the room so the floor is bare. With a broom, sweep up all the dust and debris and gather in a dustpan. After this, give the floor a thorough vacuuming, pushing the nozzles into all the corners and edges. This will enable you to clean up all the small items the broom missed. When you’ve finished, the floor will be very clean and ready for the next stage.
Step 2 - Stripping
Your slate tile flooring will have been sealed. Some of this will have been worn away by people walking over the floor. You’re going to need to strip it all off. For this, you’ll need to use a heavy duty tile cleaner and stripper.
Use a scrub brush on the tiles to take off the sealant. This isn’t easy, and it will take a while. You also need to be sure that you cover all the floor, right into the corners. To be safe, you should go over the entire floor twice. This will guarantee that you go all the way down to the slate and strip off everything on top. Finish by rinsing the floor and allowing it to dry. This might mean leaving it overnight.
Step 3 - Enhancer
To seal the slate tile flooring, you’ll need to buy a stone enhancer and sealer. You’ll be able to find it at hardware stores. To apply it, you’ll need to use a special applicator; lamb’s wool is the best for putting it onto the slate tile flooring. If you don’t want to buy one, you can also use a mop for applying the stone enhancer. Apply it liberally, wait for a few minutes, and then use a cloth to take off any excess before the stone enhancer dries on the slate tile flooring.
Step 4 - Second Coat
You should immediately put on a second coat of the stone enhancer. Don’t wait for the first coat to dry. Again, apply it liberally and then wait a few minutes before you wipe off any excess. This time, you should leave the slate stone flooring to dry overnight before walking on it. The slate tile flooring will now be properly sealed and should be good for another six months before you need to do the work again.
Step 5 - Cleanup
To clean the implements, wash them in mild soap and water and then leave them to dry.
Source: www.DoItYourself.com
