Extended Multi-Coloured Riven Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor Given New Lease of Life in Lincoln
This customer in Lincoln had a new kitchen fitted but the footprint of the new kitchen was different and so they had some new tiles installed to match the original Multicoloured Slate floor. The new tile and grouting stood out against the original floor, something needed to be done to get the flooring to blend in together, so she called Tile Doctor.
I popped over to survey the floor and could see the real problem was that the sealer on the original Slate tile and grouting had worn off was letting dirt in making it difficult to keep clean. I recommended deep cleaning all the Slate and especially the grouting and then sealing the whole floor. The new sealer would bring the old and new sections together and once complete you wouldn’t be able to tell the new from the old.
Cleaning Dirty and a Dull Riven Slate Tiles
First job was to protect the new kitchen at ground level where needed including the removal of the kickboards. This was followed with the application of a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to the tile and grout where it was left to soak in for about fifteen minutes.
Whilst the Pro-Clean was getting a head start on breaking down the soils and what was left of the original sealer, I set up a Rotovac machine which that scrubs the floor with soft brushes whilst rinsing and extracting all at the same time. It an expensive piece of kit but it’s very efficient and makes a very clean job of restoring the floor with two or three passes.
The vacuum extraction build into the Rotovac also means most of the water is removed from the floor. I was therefore able to inspect the tile and grout and repeat the process where required. I could see that some grout needed some more attention, so I hand cleaned those areas with Pro-Clean and a grout brush. At the same time the floor was being speed dried with a blower and fans.
Efficient drying was especially important here due to the amount of water used in the cleaning process. We know from experience that for best results it’s important not to apply a sealer to damp tiles, so I always make sure the floor is dry using a damp meter beforehand.
Sealing Multicoloured Slate Kitchen Tiles
Once the cleaning phase was complete the new and old tiles matched perfectly. Eight years of grime had been removed and with the help of the fans and the sunny warm weather the floor was drying out quickly. In-fact I tested the tiles with a damp meter shortly after lunch and it confirmed the floor was dry and ready for sealing.
To seal the tile, I applied four coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go. This adds a robust layer of protection to the floor, lifting the natural colours and adding a subtle finish that complements the natural stone. The new sealer also brought the new and old sections of tiling together making it impossible to determine the old from new.
Looking at the photos of the floor before and after my work you can really get an idea of the transformation achieved in a short space of time. Certainly, my customer was delighted with the results and left the following review.
“Amazing work, the slate floor looks better than I imagined it could look. Who knew there were all these amazing colours under all that old sealant? Phil did amazing work, even hand-scrubbing the grout to make it look as new. Would happily recommend to friends and family who want to refresh their tiles.”
For the aftercare cleaning of Slate floors its important to remember not to use a product that isn’t too strong as it will prematurely erode the sealer on the tiles. Personally, I always recommend Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which is purpose made for the regular cleaning of sealed floors.
