Slate Tile Cleaning Archives - South East London Tile Doctor

Damaged Sealer Replaced on Black Slate Wall Tiles in a Penge Bathroom

The photographs below are of a Slate Tiled Bathroom at a property in Penge. The customer had an open plan ensuite bathroom and feature wall in Black Slate, unfortunately however the topical sealer had become damaged and now looked terrible. The owner was clearly unhappy with its appearance and called us in to take a look.

Slate Bathroom Tiles Before Cleaning Penge

I went over to the property to survey the tiles and work out what had happened. In this case I diagnosed that moisture had penetrated beneath the sealer causing it to become white and cloudy. Clearly the sealer used previously was not the best choice for a bathroom where a high level of moisture in the air is common.

Slate Bathroom Tiles Before Cleaning Penge

The solution would be to remove the old sealer entirely, clean the tile and grout and then apply a suitable impregnating sealer which wouldn’t have the same issue. I worked out a quote along these lines which was accepted and a date set for my return to carry out the work.

Slate Bathroom Tiles Before Cleaning Penge

Removing Sealer from Black Slate Wall Tiles

I set about removing the old sealer by applying a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which as its name suggests is a coatings remover. Working in one section at a time the solution was decanted into a spray bottle and sprayed onto the wall tile, this mixes the solution with air making it lighter and helps it stick to vertical surfaces better.

After a few minutes the solution was worked into the stone by hand with a scouring pad, the delay gives the product time to start breaking down the old sealer. After scrubbing a section, it was rinsed with water and checked to see if more work was needed. Due to the thickness of the sealer I had to repeat this process several times aided by a steam cleaner before I was happy all the sealer had been removed.

Slate Bathroom Tiles During Cleaning Penge

When I was happy that all the damaged sealer had been removed from the Slate tiles, I continued to remove all the sealer from the remaining area. This is important as I would be applying an impregnating sealer later and any remaining sealer would prevent it from soaking into the tile. Also, the last thing you want is different depths of sealer on the stone as it will result in an inconsistent appearance.

Sealing Slate Wet Room Tiles

When all the sealer had been removed and the Slate was dry, I was then able to re-apply the new sealer. Its important that the stone was dry before applying the new sealer as any dampness in the stone can effect the way the sealer cures.

I chose two products to seal the Black Slate starting with a single coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which was selected for several reasons. First, its fully breathable so can cope with moisture, also as its name suggests it contains a colour enhancing formula which helps to bring out the best in dark stone. This product is also an impregnator which basically means it will soak into the stone, occupying the pores and thereby ensuring that any contaminants remain on the surface where they can be easily wiped away.

Once all the Black Slate was covered, I allowed a quick dwell time before rubbing off the excess sealer. After the first coat of Colour Grow had dried I the applied a second coat of Tile Doctor Stone Oil, this really enhances the colour of the stone. The same application and drying process were used, before I carried out a third and final coast of sealer using Colour Grow again.

Slate Bathroom Tiles After Renovation Penge

The combination of sealers brought out the best in the Black Slate which developed a lovely deep shine. The result was completely transformative and as you can imagine the owner was very happy with the improvement.

For aftercare I recommended they clean the shower tiles with Tile Doctor Aqua Pro, this is a gentle but effective spray on shower tile cleaner that has been created for cleaning sealed stone. The formula won’t harm the sealer ensuring it lasts longer.

Slate Bathroom Tiles After Renovation Penge

Professional Slate Tile Restoration in a Kent Wet Room

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Chinese Slate Kitchen Floor Renovation Keston

Renovating Chinese Slate Kitchen Flooring in Keston BR2

A client in Keston asked me to freshen up the Chinese Slate floor tiles that had been installed in the Kitchen. Kitchens are the busiest room in the house and overtime the floor had become tired and dull with ingrained dirt, the grout was also stained with dark patches. He had tried cleaning with lots of household products but nothing was improving the appearance.

Dull Chinese Slate Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Keston

I visited the property to survey the floor and recommend a solution to the problem. I could see the floor had previously been sealed but it had degraded in several areas and in some places, there was no sealer present at all. Consequently, dirt was able to get into the pores of the stone where it is difficult to remove. All these problems detracted from what should be a very beautiful Slate floor.

To demonstrate my point, I picked a small area of tiling and conducted a test clean followed by the application of a fresh sealer; the floor came up well and my client could see that we could improve the floor significantly. Impressed with the different he was happy to go ahead with my quote and we returned the following month to carry out the work.

Deep Cleaning a Chinese Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

There was an old topical sealer on the Slate which had to be removed first. To do this I like to use a combination of Tile Doctor Remove and Go combined with and Tile Doctor Nanotech HBU. I applied the solution to the tiles and grout and allowed it to soak in and get to work for around thirty minutes. The two products combined create a powerful solution that will remove the old sealer and start to break down the stains in the tile and grout.

After thirty minutes, I added water to the solution and scrubbed, paying particular attention to the grout lines, then I vacuumed up the solution using the wet vacuum we have on board. I then went over the tiles and grout with my steamer to ensure I had rinsed and removed all chemicals.

When dry I could see the grout staining was far too deep to be able to get perfectly clean so I applied a grey Tile Doctor Grout Colourant to the grout lines. As well as refreshing the grout to give a consistent and uniform colour it also seals the grout, protecting it with an epoxy barrier making it much easier to clean and maintain going forward. When the grout colourant was dry it was now time to apply the sealer to the slate.

Sealing a Chinese Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

I advised the client to switch from a topical sealer to an impregnating sealer that works by soaking into the stone, occupying the pores, and thereby preventing dirt from residing there.

Happy with my recommendation I sealed the slate with Tile Doctor Colour Grow which as its name suggests contains a colour enhancing formular that it perfect highlighting the natural colours in Chinese slate.

Dull Chinese Slate Kitchen Floor After Renovation Keston

The sealer adds a new level of depth to the Slate and being an impregnator is hardwearing and long lasting. The new sealer will make the floor much easier to clean in future and on that topic I also recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner for that purpose.

Neutral Tile cleaner is a pH neutral product that is effective yet mild enough not to impact the integrity of the freshly applied sealer. Many household cleaning products are simply too strong for use on a sealed floor (always check the label) and will break down the sealer which may be the reason for the previous sealer failing in the past.

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Black Slate Kitchen Worktop Renovated Dulwich South London

Removing Limescale from a Black Slate Worktop in a Dulwich Kitchen

1 Comment / Lewisham Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning / Jason Gates

I was contacted by a customer of mine from Dulwich who having been impressed with the work I did for them previously cleaning and sealing a stone floor wondered if I could obtain a similar result with the Black Slate worktop installed in their kitchen. I was due to visit the property anyway to perform a maintenance clean on the stone floor anyway so was able to look at it after that work was complete.

Black Slate Kitchen Worktop Before Renovation Dulwich

I don’t mention this very often but I recommend to owners of polished stone floors that they ask me to return on an annual basis to re-polish the floor and top-up the sealer, we call this a maintenance visit and it ensures the tiles look its best for much longer. The process takes a couple of hours as opposed to a full clean and seal which typically takes two days.

After maintaining the floor I turned my attention to the Black Slate worktop and could see not only had it lost its deep shine it was spotted with ring marks and stained with other contaminates from cooking. I detected that a topical sealer had been used on the Slate in the past but it was now patchy and to ensure the best result this needed to be completely removed, the stone polished and a fresh sealer applied.

Renovating a Stained Black Slate Worktop

To strip off the old sealer I applied Tile Doctor Remove and Go and left it to soak into the Slate for around thirty minutes. Then using a small six-inch pad fitted to a hand-held buffer scrubbed the solution into the stone to remove all the old sealer and clean up the stone. The worktop was then rinsed down with water and a cloth.

With the old sealer removed I set about tackling the ring marks and White staining which were probably caused by water, (limescale) or acids from the use of strong cleaning products or food. I find the best way to tackle deep seated staining on stone is by burnishing the stone with a series of diamond encrusted burnishing pads in different grits. I started with a 200-grit pad with water, vacuuming up the solution as I went, and then went through the remaining set of diamond pads (400, 800, 1500 and 3000 grits) to ensure I had fully honed the stone and restored its polished appearance. With worktops I used the smaller six-inch pads fitted to the hand-held buffer mentioned earlier.

Sealing a Black Slate Kitchen Worktop

Once the worktop was dry I was able to apply a fresh sealer to improve the Black colour and protecting it going forward. For the best result I started off by applying an even coat of Tile Doctor Stone Oil, a sealer that soaks into the Slate enhancing colour and improving strength.

I allowed the Stone Oil to dry for about forty minutes and then followed up with Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer, this also enhances the colour whilst providing durable surface protection. I buffed off the final coat with a dry cotton cloth within 15 minutes of it being applied

Black Slate Kitchen Worktop After Renovation Dulwich

Once done the Slate Worktop was completely transformed much to the delight of my customer who was relieved something could be done with it. For aftercare I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Stone Patina Spray which is a mild cleaner that will maintain the patina of the stone.

Professional Renovation of a Stained Slate Worktop in South London

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Slate Bathroom Tile Renovation Bermondsey

Green Slate Bathroom Tile Refurbished in Bermondsey SE16

1 Comment / Lewisham Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Jason Gates

This customer from Bermondsey SE16, was having a new shower tray fitted after discovering a leak. He wanted to know if his Green Slate tiles could be spruced up rather than having to pay out for new tiles and the tiling. The property was a basement flat in a warehouse conversion and with only one bathroom in the property a full bathroom rip out would have been very inconvenient.

Slate Bathroom Tile Before Refurbishment Bermondsey

The main issue with the tiling which included the wall and floor was they had a lot of white marks on them. My client thought it was limescale, but he couldn’t remove the staining and hence contacted Tile Doctor. After taking a look at the Slate I informed him that the White marks were in fact what was left of an old topical sealer! It seems over years it had broken down and water had penetrated it turning it white.

Removing White Stains from a Green Slate Tiled Bathroom

To begin I applied Tile Doctor Nanotech HBU Remover to the walls and floors, this is a heavy build up remover (HBU) used to remove stains and waxes. The product is quite thick which helps it stick to walls without running off. Its essential to give it a long dwell time so it can get to work breaking down the old sealer. In this case I left it for 45 minutes before scrubbing it into the tile.

Before rinsing I also applied Tile Doctor Remove & Go on top of the Nanotech as this is multi-purpose coatings stripper which removes old sealers. The Nanotech had softened and started to break up the old sealer, and I was using Remove & Go to get into the old sealer and lift it off completely, which it did.

I used a wet vacuum to pick up the soiled solution and then I a steam cleaner to rinse the tiles. I use steam for two reasons, firstly as I want to seal the tiles on the same day rinsing this way doesn’t soak the tiles. Secondly any remaining old sealer gets lifted out by the steam.

Slate Bathroom Tile During Refurbishment Bermondsey

Sealing Green Slate Bathroom Tiles

Later that day the Slate tile was dry and ready for sealing. I first applied Tile Doctor Colour Grow, which is a colour enhancing impregnating sealer that penetrates the pores of the Slate and protects from within. The sealer is applied with a cloth and worked into the stone, wiping off the excess and then leaving to dry for 30 minutes.

Once dry I then applied a coat of Tile Doctor Stone Oil, again this enhances the colour, but being an oil also improves the mechanical strength of the stone. This was left to dry, for another 30 minutes plus before applying another coat of Colour Grow. I always finish with a sealer as this helps to lock-in the oil.

Slate Bathroom Tile After Refurbishment Bermondsey

My customer was very happy with the results and relieved to avoid the expense and inconvenience of having to retile the bathroom. Thankfully that is no longer the case, and the Slate has become a real feature of the bathroom.

For aftercare of shower tiles, especially stone I recommend regularly spraying on a product called Tile Doctor Aqua-Pro which is a mild cleaner designed for use where the tiling has been sealed. A lot of tile cleaning products you find are simply too strong for use on sealed surfaces and can slowly erode the sealer over time.

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1 Comment / Beckenham Tile Cleaning, Bexleyheath Tile Cleaning, Bromley Tile Cleaning, Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Chislehurst Tile Cleaning, Dartford Tile Cleaning, Encaustic Cement Tile Cleaning, Fireplace Cleaning, Flagstone Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Lewisham Tile Cleaning, Limestone Tile Cleaning and Polishing, Marble Tile Cleaning, Orpington Tile Cleaning, Porcelain Tile Cleaning, Quarry Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Sidcup Tile Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning, Swanley Tile Cleaning, Terracotta Tile Cleaning, Terrazzo Floor Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Victorian Tile Cleaning, Vinyl Tile Cleaning, West Wickham Tile Cleaning, Woolwich Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Jason Gates

South East London Tile Doctor

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