How to Remove Staining and Renovate Black Slate Flooring

We received an enquiry from a property developer who had been renovating a property in Acton and needed our help to renovate the Black Slate tiles that had been installed throughout the ground floor. The slate floor had been down over 20 years and ran throughout the downstairs living space. Due to all the work being carried out the black slate had become very dirty with building material and had turned white with staining in many areas. They were uncertain if the floor could be restored but were reluctant to consider relaying it due to the expense.

As usual I went over to the property to understand the nature of the staining and work out the best products and processes for the renovation. There were multiple floors that needed attention so I measured up and worked out a detailed quote that included all the materials that would be needed. After reviewing the quote, I was given the go ahead and a date agreed for the work to start.

Cleaning a Slate Tiled Kitchen

To clean the floor, a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was applied to the floor and then scrubbed in with a black buffing pad fitted to a rotary machine. These pads can struggle to reach into the grout lines so they were given an extra clean using handheld scrubbing brushes. This combination brought the dirt out of the floor to the surface where it could be extracted with a wet vacuum.

Tougher stains on the tiles were spot treated using more Pro-Clean and some of the grouting had to be scrubbed harder with wire brushes until the whole floor was consistently clean throughout.

Once done the floor was rinsed with a very weak dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up to further clean the floor and neutralise it following the use of Pro-Clean which is a strong alkaline. The solution was then extracted with a wet vacuum and floor left to dry.

Sealing a Slate Tiled Kitchen

Once dry it was time to seal the floor which will protect it from ingrained dirt and enhance the finish. For this Tile Doctor Stone Oil was applied which being oil-based really improves the texture and dark colour of the stone.

The sealer is applied using a microfibre cloth and any excess product is wiped off before buffing with a white buffing pad on the rotary machine. This left a nice sheen to the tile and a consistent look throughout.

Our client was very happy with the finish, the Slate and Grout had been transformed and the sealer had really enhanced the look of the slate. For aftercare we recommended using Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which will provide effective cleaning whilst not impacting the seal.

Source: Black Slate Floor Cleaning and Sealing Service near Acton London

Getting a Great Finish on a Black Slate Kitchen Floor in Hounslow

This Slate tiled floor at a property in the West of London suburb of Hounslow was not looking its best and now in need of a strip and seal to restore its appearance. The decorators the client used had agreed to clean and re-seal the floor after painting but unfortunately didn’t do a good job of it. I suspect they applied the sealer without rinsing properly and didn't allow the floor to dry fully beforehand.

 

My client was unhappy with the finish and so asked me to quote for resolving the problems. I went over to survey the floor and advised the client that to rectify the problems we would need to strip off the sealer they had applied, clean the floor again and then reseal with the correct product. They were happy to go ahead with my recommendation as they wanted the floor restored to its pre-decoration state. They agreed my quote and we scheduled a mutually convenient time to carry out the works.

 

Cleaning a Slate Tiled Kitchen Diner Floor

In order to break up the sealer, a coatings remover was applied to the floor called Tile Doctor Remove and Go. This is a strong sealer stripper that breaks up the sealer allowing it to be removed. This was left to dwell for a short while to lift the sealer.

The products were then scrubbed into the floor using a heavy-duty machine, alongside this we also applied another cleaning product called Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. This action ensured that all the sealer was removed and it also removed any dirt that had been left on the surface. The floor was then low pressure rinsed and the old sealer and soils were then vacuumed away leaving the floor ready for sealing.

 

Sealing a Slate Tiled Kitchen Diner Floor

The following day, after allowing the floor to dry overnight with the under-floor heating it was ready for sealing. Two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer were applied which is a durable impregnating product that works by occupying the pores in the stone preventing dirt from residing there.

This sealer also contains a colour enhancer which is ideal for Black Slate as it further darkened the colour and brought out the contrast in the tiles. This product is also fully breathable and recommended for use on a large variety of flooring and can even be used externally.

 

The client pointed out that it looked like it did when originally installed and was very pleased to say the least. Before leaving I took time to discuss aftercare and recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. This is a pH neutral tile cleaning product that is mild enough to be used regularly and will ensure that the newly applied sealer will stay in place. The new sealer will also ensure cleaning will now be easier which the client was very grateful for.

 

Source: Tile Cleaning and Renovation Service in Hounslow Middlesex

Slate Tile Cleaning in Staffordshire

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 Read more...

Slate tile maintenance

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 Read more...

Deteriorated Slate Tiled Floor Rejuvinated in Southport

An unusual but attractive combination of semi riven black Slate with white Marble inserts had been installed in the hallway of this residence in the town of Southport. This floor had not been cleaned properly in some time, in fact the local Tile Shop had given the customer the incorrect tile Read more...

Black Slate tiled floor cleaned and sealed in East Sussex

This black slate tiled floor installed in a hallway of a client's house in East Sussex had seen its share of foot traffic and as you can see from the photograph below the tiles had dulled and grout become stained. Cleaning black slate floor tiles We set about scrubbing the floor with a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad together with a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is an effective Tile and Grout cleaner especially recommend for stone floors due to its alkaline Read more...

Cleaning and Sealing Black Slate floor tiles in Ilkley

Details below of a slate floor we cleaned and sealed in the kitchen of a house in Ilkley, West Yorkshire. You can see from the photographs that the large Black Slate floor tiles were looking dull and the grout had become soiled with ingrained dirt. Cleaning Black Slate Tile Flooring To remove the remaining sealer and dirt from the Slate Floor Tiles I used a solution of Tile Doctor Remove & Go mixed 50/50 with Tile Doctor Nanotech Ultra-Clean agitated with a rotary scrubbing machine fitted Read more...

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Slate Tile Cleaning in Staffordshire

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 Read more...

Cleaning Black Slate with White Marble Inserts in Southport

An unusual but attractive combination of semi riven black Slate with white Marble inserts had been installed in the hallway of this residence in the town of Southport. This floor had not been cleaned properly in some time, in fact the local Tile Shop had given the customer the incorrect tile cleaning product for the job which had slowly stripped the sealer off the tile leading to dirt becoming ingrained into the tile and making it difficult to clean which resulted in the deteriorated Read more...

Black Slate tiled floor cleaned and sealed in East Sussex

This black slate tiled floor installed in a hallway of a client's house in East Sussex had seen its share of foot traffic and as you can see from the photograph below the tiles had dulled and grout become stained. Cleaning black slate floor tiles We set about scrubbing the floor with a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad together with a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is an effective Tile and Grout cleaner especially recommend for stone floors due to its alkaline Read more...

Deteriorated Slate Tiled Floor Rejuvinated in Southport

An unusual but attractive combination of semi riven black Slate with white Marble inserts had been installed in the hallway of this residence in the town of Southport. This floor had not been cleaned properly in some time, in fact the local Tile Shop had given the customer the incorrect tile Read more...

Cleaning Black Slate Tiles in Portsmouth

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 Read more...

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Slate tiled floor cleaned and sealed in Burton on Trent

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 Read more...

Cleaning and Sealing Black Slate floor tiles in Ilkley

Details below of a slate floor we cleaned and sealed in the kitchen of a house in Ilkley, West Yorkshire. You can see from the photographs that the large Black Slate floor tiles were looking dull and the grout had become soiled with ingrained dirt. Cleaning Black Slate Tile Flooring To remove the remaining sealer and dirt from the Slate Floor Tiles I used a solution of Tile Doctor Remove & Go mixed 50/50 with Tile Doctor Nanotech Ultra-Clean agitated with a rotary scrubbing machine fitted Read more...

Slate tiled floor cleaned and sealed in Burton on Trent

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 Read more...