How to Reseal Natural Slate Flooring

Homeowners wanting a rustic-looking flooring surface often prefer natural slate flooring. This flooring has a rich texture and doesn’t scratch or stain easily. Natural slate flooring is impervious to water-induced issues and is counted among the most durable of natural stone surfaces. However, over a period of sustained usage, natural slate flooring surfaces are prone to developing certain blemishes that tarnish their aesthetic appeal. To make the surface immune against such issues and to ensure that the natural brilliance of natural flooring is restored, resealing is a preferred option.

What you'll need

• Water
• Bucket
• Vacuum cleaner
• Chemical stripper solvent
• Acetone floor stripping solution
• Flooring buffer machine with abrasive pads
• Polyurethane sealer
• Plastic gloves
• Paintbrush
• Masking tape
• Paint-roller

Step 1—Getting Started: Preparing Natural Slate Flooring

Get started by wearing plastic gloves. Remove any furniture items placed on the flooring. You can use masking tape to protect the edges of walls and other surfaces that are in contact with the slate flooring. Remove carpets or any fabrics that are near the flooring as the chemical vapors can stain them. Use a dry mop to clean the dust off the flooring. If the slate flooring hasn’t been cleaned in a long time, clean it with some tap water. However, allow the surface to dry completely before proceeding further.

Step 2—Stripping Natural Slate Flooring

Acetone floor solution is commonly used for stripping natural stone surfaces. You need to rent a stone flooring buffer for this project. Ensure that you order stripping pads along with the buffer. Open all the windows to allow the vapors to escape from the room. Use a paint-roller to spread the stripping solvent across the floor. However, don’t spread the solution across the entire flooring at one time. Spread it over a small area that you will strip first.

Allow the stripper solution to dry according to packaged instructions. Plug-in the floor surface buffer and start rubbing the solvent on to the flooring. Use a steady back and forth motion for moving the scrubbing machine. Within a few strokes you should be able to see a distinct gloss on the slate flooring. Repeat a few more strokes and then move across to the next section of the flooring. Strip the entire slate flooring in this manner.

Step 3—Rinsing & Drying Stripped Slate Flooring

Use a mop and water for thoroughly rinsing the chemically-stripped slate flooring. Allow the floor to dry completely. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove any bit of dust that might have been dispelled by the powered buffer pads. Lock the windows and doors and vacate the room for a day.

Step 4—Re-sealing Natural Slate Flooring Surface

It is better that you use a polyurethane sealer. It is even better to use the water-based variety since it is more environmentally-compatible and leaves little residue on the flooring surface. Water-based polyurethane compounds are better equipped to fight-off stains and more adept at protecting the slate surface.

Apply the branded sealing compound according to packaged instructions. Usually, it is retailed with an accompanying applicator. You can also use a big paintbrush for this purpose. Apply repeated coats according to the kind of finish you want and the packaged recommendations. Allow each coat to be imbibed by the slate surface before you apply the new layer. Allow the re-sealed natural slate flooring surface to cure for about 24 hours before walking upon it.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

Victorian Tile Maintenance Tips

Details below of a Victorian tiled porch in Twickenham which was ingrained with dirt and in need of a deep clean, there was also evidence of paint splashes from decorating work which would also need to be removed.

Cleaning Victorian Tiles

We set about cleaning the Victorian tile using a steamer in conjunction with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a very effective Tile Cleaning product worked. It was a small space so the tile and grout were scrubbed by hand wand using a stiff brush, it wasn’t long before we could see the dirt coming out of the floor. The soiled cleaning solution was picked up with a wet and dry vacuum and then Tile Doctor Remove and Go was applied to the paint spots leaving it to dwell for a while before further scrubbing. Once I was happy the tiles were now clean the floor was given a thorough rinse with fresh water to remove any leftover chemical and then left to dry.

Sealing Victorian Tiles

Once the floor had dried four coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go was applied to the tile and this gave it a high sheen and durable finish. Seal and Go will provides good stain protection and really enhances the appearance and colour of Victorian tile.


I think you will agree from the photographs that the appearance of this beautiful tiled floor had been much improved. If you have a similar issue with your floor do get in touch for a free quotation, Tile Doctor can service all types of natural and man-made stone flooring covering most of the UK.



Source: Victorian Tile Cleaning Information

How to Repair a Hole in a Travertine Tile Floor

A travertine tile floor is naturally porous, with many holes on the surface. Often these will be filled at the factory or when the travertine tile floor is installed. If these holes are exposed by the filling coming out, you’ll need to repair the hole so the floor looks good and keeps its integrity.

What you'll need

• Stone sealer
• Grout float
• Color matched epoxy grout
• Damp sponge
• Paper towels
• Lint free cloth
• Soapy water

Step 1 - Grout

To start you need to find a colored epoxy grout that matches the color of your travertine tile floor. Ideally, you should take a small piece of tile to the tile or hardware store to be able to match the color exactly.

If that’s not possible, bring home plastic swatches of grout color, but be aware that the color you see on the swatch is a shade darker than the grout will be on the travertine tile floor.

Step 2 - Cleaning

Before you apply the grout, thoroughly clean out the hole. Do this with soapy water, then dry it with paper towels. Make sure you extract all the debris from the hole. Allow it to dry completely before proceeding.

Step 3 - Sealer

Use stone sealer on the travertine tile floor around the hole you need to fill. You’ll find that doing this will make it a great deal easier to clean up the grout later, once the hole is filled. Give the sealer a full hour to dry before you wipe the floor with a cloth. Make sure the cloth is lint free.

Step 4 - Filling

The important part is filling the hole properly. It needs to be well packed with the grout. Begin by mixing up the epoxy grout according to the instructions on the packet. Put a little of the grout on the hole and use the gout float to begin packing it into place.

Keep going until the hole has been filled. Be sure to pack the grout down firmly into the hole so it can bond fully. If you don’t, then the chances of the grout working its way out of the hole again are quite strong. Pack until no more will go in. Use a damp sponge to wipe the excess grout from the travertine tile floor. This where you’ll appreciate having put on the sealer first, as the excess grout will wipe up very easily. Don’t have to sponge too wet, and don’t wash the grout from the hole.

Step 5 - Cleanup

Give the grout a full 24 hours to dry before cleaning up. You might find that there’s a grout haze. If that happens, wipe the travertine tile floor with a dry paper towel to remove the haze from the stone. As long as you’ve put the grout in properly and wipe off the excess you should have a smooth finish on the stone. If there are other holes in the travertine tile floor, they can be repaired using the same method.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

How to Clean and Maintain Soapstone Tile Floors

Soapstone tile has the lasting durability many people are looking for in their tile floors. Due to the non-porous quality for which soapstone is famous, cleaning and maintaining are simple and quick. 

What you'll need

• Liquid dish soap
• Bucket
• Warm water
• Sponge
• 2 cleaning cloths
• 2 dry towels
• Mineral oil

Step 1 - Cleaning

While filling the bucket with warm water, add a couple drops of dish soap so it will begin to foam. Do not use too much as the soap film which can be left will dull the floors. Apply the soapy water to the tiles in areas of 2 by 4 feet. The water will not seep in, creating very slick floors. Be careful. Wipe any soapy residue away with a thoroughly wet sponge. Dry with a towel.

Step 2 - Maintenance

Apply a couple drops of mineral oil to a clean, dry cloth. Wipe the oil onto the soap stone tiles. The oils will not seep in—soapstone is non-porous. Use a dry towel to wipe away any excess oils so the surface does not feel slick. Apply the mineral oil every 2 weeks for the initial year in order for the stone to oxidize evenly. In subsequent years, every 2 months is good.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

Resolving Limescale problems on Marble

This job was to refresh the Marble tile installed in a house in Woking. There were a number of different marble tiles installed on the wall and floor including two shower cubicles, a bathroom floor, a small cloakroom floor and the kitchen floor; the pictures below show before and after photographs for each job.

Cleaning a Marble Tile Shower Cubicle

I started with the shower cubicles using Tile Doctor Oxy-Pro which is a specific product for cleaning showers and comes with a spray attachment that mixes the cleaning agent with air making it lighter and helping it stick to vertical surfaces. This was left to dwell on the surface for a while and then the tiles were scrubbed before being rinsed down. This action not only cleaned the dirt and soap scum off the tile it also got rid of some mould that had started to grow.

In one shower there was a build-up of limescale on the wall so to get rid of this I used a little Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up, this product is usually for removing grout smears from tile however it’s also good at removing most types of mineral deposits such as Limescale, you do have to be quick though as it’s an Acid based product I had to be quick and to thoroughly rinse because I didn't want to damage the marble.

Marble Mosaic Bathroom floor tile cleaning

The next job was to tackle the bathroom floor which was tiled with small Marble mosaic tiles. A long time was spent cleaning and scrubbing the grout of this floor using a solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean mixed 50/50 with NanoTech Ultra-Clean to add tiny abrasive particles making a very effective tile cleaner. Again once the cleaning was finished cleaning the floor was rinsed thoroughly with clean water to remove any cleaning product.

Marble Kitchen floor tile cleaning

The next floor on the list was the kitchen floor, again all Marble tile; on this I used a rotary scrubbing machine fitted with a medium brush head and again a mixture of Pro-Clean and NanoTech UltraClean. The reason I used a brush head instead of a scrubbing pad is because it is a textured marble the brushes will get into the nooks and crannies, the grout was especially stained in this area and this is now much improved.

Marble Cloakroom floor cleaning

The last floor on the list to do was the cloakroom WC which was cleaned using the same method as on the bathroom floor described above using the Pro-Clean, NanoTech, and UltraClean mixture worked in with some elbow grease.


Once everything had been cleaned, and rinsed. I left it all to dry out overnight.

Sealing Marble Tiles

The following day before I sealed I checked everything just in case I had missed anything, but it was all okay. I sealed everything twice using Tile Doctor Colour Grow and checked that the tiles were properly sealed by doing a water test. When sealing you have to make sure that you don't let the seal puddle so I buff the tiles with terry towelling and on the large areas I also buff the floors with a white buffing pad. As you can imagine this was a very large job and when everything was eventually finished the lady said she was really happy and couldn't believe how the tiles had come out, she even had her neighbours round to see how it all turned out and they were all suitably impressed.



Souce: Marble Tile Cleaning Expert in Surrey

How to Repair a Cobblestone Floor

A cobblestone floor adds the beauty of the outside to the inside of your home with an old world charm. Floors made of cobblestone are known for handling an abundance of traffic without showing immediate signs of wear and tear. While these type floors are known for their enduring qualities, they are heavy and can be brittle in some cases. There are times that you may need to repair a section of your cobblestone floor. Doing the repairs yourself is not as difficult as you may think. With the proper instruction and tools, you can make repairs to your floor on your own. 

What you'll need

• Safety Goggles
• Paintable Caulk
• Artist's Paint Brush
• Acrylic Paint
• Grout
• Grout Saw
• Hammer
• Small Chisel
• Sponge
• Rubber Grout Float

Step 1 - Repairing Grout

One of the most common issues with cobblestone floors is the cracking of the grout between the stones. This can happen because of the natural movement of your house or earthquakes. Cracks start out small and are often overlooked and attention is not immediately given to them. When water seeps into the cracks, they become larger and will need fresh grout. 

Use a grout saw to remove the damaged grout from around the stones vacuum up the debris. Mix the new grout in accordance to the manufacturer's directions. Use the rubber grout float to pour the grout onto the affected area around the stones and smooth out with your finger. Once the grout is in place, allow it to rest for 30 minutes and use a damp sponge to wipe the excess grout from the surface of the stones.

Step 2 - Repairing Stone Tile

If you have a cobblestone floor that is tile instead instead of grout placed around actual stone, you may experience one or more spaces in your floor where the tile has cracked. If the crack in the tile is small, you will be able to repair it by using a paintable caulk to seal the crack in the tile. Once the caulk is applied and dried, use an acrylic paint as close to the color of the tile as possible and paint the tile. Using an artist's paintbrush will allow you to paint the caulk easier.

Step 3 - Replacing Stone Tile

If the crack in your tile is too large, your only option is to replace the tile. If you have tile leftover when you laid your cobblestone tile, having an exact match won't be an issue. However, if you have no tile leftover, you should consult the place that you purchased your tile and purchase the exact matching tile or you may have to order the match.

Use a hammer and small chisel to remove damaged tile from the floor. Ensure that you hammer the chisel carefully so as not to damage neighboring pieces of tile. Once the tile is removed, you will need to put the new tile in place and grout it. The new grout will be obvious around the new tile. Staining the grout after it has dried is a solution to make it look like the rest of the grout.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com 

How to Paint Natural Stone Tile

Natural stone tile is one of the popular materials for flooring, walkways and patios and even for roofing. While it does come in a variety of colors that result from the thousands of years it took to form in the earth, after a while the color starts to dull and doesn’t seem as vibrant as it once was. Natural stone lasts and lasts, which is why you really do need to keep the floor looking new. The good news is that you can paint natural stone tile. The bad news is that you cannot paint it different colors like you can the walls of your home. However, applying a sealant can make a world of difference to the look of your floors or walkways.

What you'll need

• Pressure washer for outdoor surfaces
• Cleaning materials suitable for inside stone floors
• Paint tray and roller
• Natural stone sealant
• Primer and paint for natural stone

Step 1 – Clean the Tile

Whether you want to paint natural stone tile that is indoors or out, you first have to make sure that is clean. Sweep the tiles with a broom and pick up all the dust. Use a vacuum cleaner if you really want to make sure you get all the dust off the tiles. Then you need to wash the tiles. If you intend to paint natural stone tile that is outside, the easiest way to clean it is to use a pressure washer. The tile must be clean so that no dust or dirt will remain and show through the paint when it is dry.

For inside cleaning, remove all the furniture from the room so that there won’t be anything in your way. You do need to use special cleaners for the stone tile, but you already know this if you have had stone floors for a while. Mop the floor with the cleaner and let it dry.

Step 2 – Seal the Stone

Before you start painting the natural stone you do have to apply a sealant. You can purchase this sealant at home improvement or flooring stores. Shake the can vigorously before you open it, even though it has probably been well shaken at the floor. Open the can and pour out some of it into the paint tray. Attach a broom handle to the paint roller to make the work easier on your back. Paint the floor with the sealant in the same way as you would paint a wall. Then you must let the sealant dry thoroughly, which could take a few hours.

Step 3 – Inspect the Look of the Natural Stone

As the sealant is drying on the floor, inspect it very carefully to make sure that you have covered all areas and that there are no spaces that look duller than the others. If everything is to your satisfaction, all you have to do is sit back and wait. Allow at least 24 hours for the sealant to dry completely before you walk on the tiles or move any furniture back into the room. If you do notice any imperfections, you may have to repeat the process.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com