Slate Floor Tile Archives - South London Tile Doctor

Black Slate Kitchen Floor Renovation Tooting

Black Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Tooting

The photos below are of a Black Slate Kitchen floor at a property in Tooting SW17, which as you can see had lost all its colour and character. I went over to survey the floor and discussed a renovation plan with the owner.

One of the problems was the grout which like the tile hadn’t faired very well over the years and being in the Kitchen was subject to staining. I explained that like all stone floors the Slate needed to be sealed in order to keep the dirt out of its pores and keep it looking its best. Sealers however wear down with use and in this case the floor hadn’t been deep cleaned and sealed for some time.

I costed out a renovation plan which included deep cleaning the Slate tile removing any remaining sealer in the process, renovating the grout, and then re-sealing the whole floor to bring back the appearance of the stone and protect it going forward. Happy with the quote we agreed a date to start the work.

Deep Cleaning a Natural Black Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

Normally I would use a Tile Doctor product called Remove and Go to remove the sealer, however in this case testing had shown that what was left of the sealer could be removed with Pro-Clean which is also our go to Tile and Grout Cleaner.

I used a strong dilution of Pro-Clean to do this, spraying it onto the floor and leaving it to soak in for ten minutes and break down the dirt etc. Then using a black scrubbing pad fitted to a heavy rotary buffer machine it was worked into the Slate to release the dirt and old sealer. The floor was then rinsed with water and the soiling extracted with a wet vacuum.

The pads can struggle to get into the corners and edges of the floor and the recesses of the grout line. So, to complete the cleaning a handheld scrubbing brush was used and a wire brush run along the grout lines, again with more Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. After another rinse and extraction with the wet vacuum the floor was left to dry aided with a couple of floor blowers.

Grout Colouring and Sealing Black Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

Once dry the grout was coloured with a Black Tile Doctor grout colourant which is basically painted onto the grout with a small brush and any excess wiped off the tile. This grout colourant gives the grout a uniform appearance and adds an impenetrable barrier over the grout sealing it in and keeping it safe from further staining. Keeping grout clean in a kitchen is always a problem so the colourant will protect it and make it very easy to clean.

Black Slate During Cleaning Grout Colouring Tooting

The last step was to seal the Slate for which I used Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal. This was chosen because it’s an impregnating oil-based sealer that will restore the beautiful dark colour in the stone. Impregnators work by occupying the tiny pores in the stone thereby forcing dirt to remain on the surface where they can easily be cleaned away.

Black Slate During Sealing Tooting

In the subject of maintenance cleaning, I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a gentle but effective cleaner that won’t harm the sealer. Many of the floor cleaning products you find in supermarkets etc are not for use on sealed stone, they contain strong chemicals such as bleach etc which will strip off the sealer prematurely so best avoided.

Black Slate After Renovation Tooting

Professional Renovation of Black Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor in South London

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Natural Black Slate Bathroom Floor Tile Renovation Brixton

Black Slate Tiled Bathroom Floor Transformed in Brixton

1 Comment / Brixton Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Slate Tile Cleaning / Daniel

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.

Natural Black Slate Bathroom Floor Tiles Before Cleaning Brixton

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.

Natural Black Slate Bathroom Floor Tiles After Renovation Brixton

My client was very pleased with the transformation and left the following feedback for me which is always appreciated:

“Really excellent job from Daniel & team. My natural slate bathroom floor looks better than when it was first laid. Superb communication and finished job. I can’t recommend them enough. 5*”

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.

Professional Renovation of Black Slate Tiled Bathroom Floor in South London

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