Restoring the Slate Tile Flooring
September 15, 2017 AdminBasically a metamorphic rock, slate is a natural stone, which is extensively used in the construction industry and architectural designing all over the world. slate flooring, roofing, and wall cladding are its most common applications as dimension stone.
India is a major producer and supplier of slate in different colors like black, pink, red, gold, yellow and green. In case you are looking for high-quality slate for home or office renovation, you can contact Regatta Universal Exports – a 17-year-old manufacturer and exporter of slate from India – which ensures lowest price, hassle-free proceedings, dedicated customer support, safe packing and transportation, and on-time delivery of slate products in any corner of the world.
Slate flooring is very popular around the globe and imparts a unique look to any interior space; be it the living room or kitchen. It is quite rigid and performs well for years. Nevertheless, over time, installed slate flooring it loses its finish and appears to be dull and bland after constant use and hence, needs to be restored after regular intervals.
Fortunately, restoration of the slate floor is not a tedious task and can be easily performed by its owners themselves. Several things that are required for its restoration are given below:
- Tile cleaner and stripper
- Warm water
- Soap
- Applicator
- Stone enhancer
Without any professional help, you can easily perform this task by following the below-discussed steps:
Cleaning the Floor: Prior to the actual slate floor restoration work, the floor has to be thoroughly cleaned. Remove everything from the floor; and using a soft broom, sweep out all the debris and dust from the slate floor. Thereafter, vacuum cleans the floor by focusing on corners and edges of slate tiles to suck in dirt particles that have settled deep inside the spaces between the tiles. This will make the floor completely free of dust particles and prepares the slate tiles ready for the next step.
Stripping Off the Sealant: If your slate floor had been previously sealed, you may observe that it is now slightly worn out due to continuous footfalls. In such cases, you would require to completely strip off the entire sealant. A tough cleaner and stripper are needed to serve this purpose. To take off the sealant, use a soft scrub brush. This process is a bit time taking and should be repeated many times; if required. One should cover the entire floor with special attention to the edges and corners. Once you are done with this, rinse the complete floor with water and allow it to dry overnight.
Using an Enhancer and Sealer: To re-seal the slate tile floor, a slate-specific sealer or enhancer is needed that you can easily get from a nearby hardware store. A special applicator like lamb’s wool is required to apply the enhancer on the slate tile floor. You can also use a mop to apply the enhancer. Apply it gently and wait for some time so that it holds the tile surface. Now use a soft cloth to remove extra enhancer from the floor before it dries on the surface.
Applying the Second Coat: A second coat of the sealer should be applied immediately after the first one. Gently rub it on the entire floor and wait for a few minutes before removing anything in excess. Thereafter, before re-using the floor, it should be left untouched overnight. The slate flooring is now completely sealed and ready to be used for at least the next six months.
By following such simple steps, you can easily and affordably restore the good looks and finish of your slate tile floor. Nevertheless, it is always recommended to be a little careful while performing the above-discussed steps as this would prevent you from causing any unexpected damage to the slate floor.