Getting Rid of Paint from Slate Floor Tiles with Tile Doctor Remove and Go in Islington
Detailed below is the restoration of a Slate Floor in a basement flat in the Barnsbury area of Islington. The customer had bought it as an investment and was in the process of renovating it when they discovered the original slate floor which is approximately 150 years old. Unfortunately, its age was showing and unsure about how to get the best out of the floor they contacted Tile Doctor for help.
Willing to help with their project I paid a visit to the property to survey the floor and work out a way forward. I discovered that the floor had been covered in black paint which was now peeling away revealing the Slate underneath which was dull and worn.
I did a test clean to understand the best way to restore the Slate and from that I was able to work out a detailed quotation for restoring the floor. The quote was accepted and a date set for the work to start.
Cleaning a Slate Tiled Kitchen
The first job was to remove the remaining paint from the Slate so the stone could be deep cleaned. To do this the tiles were sprayed with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go which was left to soak in for ten minutes before being scrubbed in with a black buffing pad fitted to a rotary machine. A steamer was also used on some of the stubborn areas to make sure all the paint was gone and afterwards all the soiling removed used a wet vacuum.
The next step was to renovate the surface of the Slate using a coarse 400-grit burnishing pad. These pads are made from fine industrial diamonds and are run over each Slate tile several times to ensure an even coverage. The floor is then rinsed with water and the soiling extracted with the wet vacuum. Once done the pad was replaced with a finer 800-grit burnishing pad to further refine the surface.
After a further rinse and extraction, the grout was scrubbed by hand using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and a stiff scrubbing brush. After another rinse and extraction, the floor was clean and free of dirt and old paint. Despite being a small area, the cleaning took two days to complete. Although clean the Slate was now looking dull and washed out however that didn’t concern me as I knew it would look fantastic once sealed.
Sealing a Slate Tiled Kitchen
The floor was left over the weekend to dry; I reasoned that the thick Slate stones down in the basement were laid well before the invention of Damp Proof Membranes and would therefore need extra time.
Work resumed on the Monday and started by checking the moisture level of the Slate with a damp meter. The readings confirmed the floor was dry and confirmed the extra time had done the job. To seal the floor which will protect it from ingrained dirt and enhance the finish Tile Doctor Stone Oil was applied. This is an oil-based sealer that improves the texture and dark colours in the stone.
The sealer is applied using a microfibre cloth and any excess product is wiped off before buffing with a white buffing pad on the rotary machine. This left a nice sheen to the tile and a consistent look throughout.
Our client was very happy with the finish, the Slate and Grout had been transformed and the sealer had really enhanced the look of the slate. For aftercare we recommended using Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which will provide effective cleaning whilst not impacting the seal.
Source: Slate Floor Tile Cleaning and Restoration Products and Services near Islington London