This bathroom floor at a property in Brixton was laid with natural Black Slate tiles around five years ago and then badly restored/cleaned three years ago. Some of the more noticeable problems included a build-up of limescale on top of old patchy grout paint and the sealant on the slate was failing allowing the tiles to absorb dirt. The result was a a very unappealing and grubby looking floor.
Unhappy with what could be a stunning Black Slate floor the owner contacted Tile Doctor and I was asked to visit the property, survey the tiles, and provide a quote for its renovation.
Cleaning a Natural Black Slate Tiled Bathroom Floor
To get the grout clean of dirt it was scrubbed with a stiff brush and a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. The grout was then spot treated with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up to help remove the old grout paint and a ready mixed grout used to fill gaps where the grout had become dislodged.
Next, I addressed the slate tiles and applied Tile Doctor Remove and Go to remove what was left of the old sealer, the solution was left on the tiles for ten minutes and then agitated with a brush to dislodge the old sealer and dirt. The floor was then rinsed with water and the soil extracted with a wet vacuum.
Once done I could see more work was needed so a 200 grit 6-inch pad was fitted to a hand-held buffer and run over the tiles to further clean up the tiles along with a carbide brush to help reduce the lippage between the tiles. Once done the floor was rinsed and extracted again with water multiple times to ensure no trace of products was left on the Slate.
Sealing a Natural Black Slate Tiled Bathroom Floor
The floor was left for a few hours so it could dry and when dry sealed with two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow applied with a paint pad and cloth to add protection and to make the dark shades in the stone stand out.
To complete the look a Tile Doctor Black Grout Colourant was then applied to the grout lines so it would match the dark Slate better. The colourant has the added advantage of sealing in the grout and making it much easier to keep clean.
My client was very pleased with the transformation and left the following feedback for me which is always appreciated:
The client has since asked us to come back to complete more works on the Limestone bathroom walls which of course we are happy to oblige!
For aftercare I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner for the regular cleaning of tiles. This pH neutral product will keep the limescale at bay and eliminates the build-up of soap, it is mild enough to use every day and has a nice fresh smell.
When cleaning Floor tiles with a mop we recommend using two buckets, one containing a neutral pH cleaning fluid such as Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner or Stone Soap and the second where you rinse your mop afterwards, otherwise you will contaminate your cleaning fluid with dirt every time you rinse.