Renovating Slate Kitchen And Dining Area Floors in Barrow-In-Furness

Slate Floor Cleaning Barrow In Furness Project Details

These Slate tiles were installed in the kitchen and dining areas in Barrow-In-Furness.

The client was not happy with the appearance of the Slate.

After 10 years, the tiles had lost their sheen, the grout looked grubby and there were holes from collapsed Slate filler.

This happened because the original smooth finish of the natural stone had worn off the tiles, exposing small pits and voids that filled with soil.

This soil is very difficult to remove by mopping.

The grout was soiled because cleaning slurry from mopping had soaked into the grout lines.

They had to scrub the floor on their hands and knees to remove the spoil from the grout.

But they could not remove the ingrained soil from the slate tiles.

The grout would quickly go dark again.

They were looking for a clean slate floor, that would continue to look clean and display the natural colours in the tiles, without having to scrub the Slate on hands and knees.

I surveyed the floor and recommended a deep cleaning to restore the appearance of the stone

After cleaning the floor would be sealed to protect it from dirt and staining.

The homeowner accepted my quote and we set a date to restore the Slate.

Cleaning a Slate Tiled Kitchen And Dining Areas Floor

On the day I arrived the customer had prepared the work area by removing all small items of furniture.

My first step in the Slate cleaning process was to brush and vacuum the area to remove any loose debris.

I then applied a dilution of Slate cleaner focusing on the heavily soiled areas and grout lines and then left to soak in for ten minutes.

I scrubbed the Slate with a rotary scrubbing machine.

I removed the cleaning slurry with pressurised rinse and capture equipment.

I repeated the cleaning and rinsing until the soil and old sealer residues were removed.

Sealing a Slate Tiled Kitchen Floor

We offer a number of Slate sealing options for this floor type.

Giving a matt, satin or gloss finish

After discussing the options with the customer, we decided on a hard-wearing, film-forming sealer.

The sealer dried to a pleasant mid-sheen finish.

The sealer gives a hard-wearing finish, protecting the surface of the Slate and the grout.

The sealer also gives more time to wipe spills before they damage the floor

Importantly, the sealer makes the floor much easier to clean.

My client was certainly impressed with the improvement and was over the moon when they saw the result.

Slate Maintenance Advice

Sealers protect your tiles from staining and enhance their appearance, however, they do wear down over time.

This is when dirt can become ingrained in the pores of the tile, so if you do want to keep your stone floor looking its best ensure there is always a good coating of sealer.

If you have a stone floor in Barrow-In-Furness or the surrounding area that you need help with, please drop me a line.

I’ll be happy to help.