Slate Floors
Slate floors come in a variety of colours and textures, from smooth to riven, from black to red, if you’ve got a Slate floor that’s in need of attention you’ve come to the right place!
About Slate
Some of the best quality Slate can be found in nearby Wales, however the majority found across Europe will be from Spain. Slate is mainly composed of the minerals quartz and muscovite and has several uses such as roof tiles, blackboards and of course floor tiles.
Because slate was formed in low heat and pressure in comparison to other natural stones, it’s common that fossils can be found in slate. During the cleaning process, I often come across fossils that the owner never knew existed!
There are many types of Slate, from smooth Brazilian Black Slate, to multi coloured riven slate, all have different characteristics and with this, different cleaning and maintenance procedures.
Slate is also a fairly hard material measuring 2.5-4 on the Mohs scale. The Mohs scale is a system of measuring how hard a material is, 1 being Talcum powder, and 10 being Diamond.
Are you struggling to keep your Slate Floor Clean? Dirt trapped in the riven parts of the stone? Does the grout look grubby? Tried everything under the kitchen sink? We can help!
Our Cleaning Process
We always carry out a free trial to determine the most suitable methods to get the best possible results. Slate often needs old finishes or waxes to be stripped off the floor before the deep cleaning process can begin.
Once any old finishes are stripped we can proceed to deep clean your floor. First, we have to get that dirt moving, we pre-treat your floor with our specialist Slate Cleaners, these are determined by the type and degree of soilage. We then agitate the solutions deep into your tiles and grout lines, using a combination of our rotary’s, contra rotating brush machines and our specialist tile master machine. This step gets the solutions deep into those problematic grout joints, whilst removing all surface dirt, grease and marks.
We always carry out a free no obligation trial to not only show you what we can do, but also to discuss your specific requirements, and to give you all the options that are achievable with your floor.
The next step is to rinse the solutions off your floor, taking all the solutions and dirt with it whilst neutralising the floor. This is where we use our powerful van mounted extraction machine, we proceed to rinse your floor at around 800psi of pressure without making as much as a splash
These two process are often repeated 2-3 times, this is to use different agitation machines to combat different areas of your floor, along with using different solutions, again to deal with any other problematic areas, for example grease next to the cooker, or engrained dirt where your wellies sit to dry!
Sealing
Whilst Slate is not one of the most porous stone, it certainly benefits from being sealed, our colour enhancing impregnating sealer being a personal favourite on slate giving a real ‘wow’ factor.
We use the best premium impregnating seals on the market. Being an impregnating sealer, they don’t sit on the top of your floor, but sits just below the surface. Using an active compound resin that becomes part of the stone, your tiles and grout are protected from dirt, grime and daily food spills with an invisible and breathable barrier.
We can offer a natural matt finish, a colour enhanced finish, or we can apply topical dressings to achieve a sheen. We always discuss the various options, and can demonstrate the effects of all seals and finishes before application. This also includes any maintenance required to sustain the appearance.
Why not ask us about our maintenance plans to keep your floor looking good all year round
Benefits of sealing your floor:
- Gives excellent protection against both oil and water based stains
- Laboratory certified as Safe for food preparation areas and worktops
- Protects and seals both indoor and outdoor surfaces
- Easy to apply and Ready to USE
- Does not change the appearance of most surface types
- Aids maintenance and makes it easy to clean your floor
Don’t forget to ask us about our maintenance care plans to keep your floor looking great all year round!
For Slate Floor Cleaning in Worcestershire, Gloucestershire or Warwickshire, please get in touch. We offer free advice, free trails, free quotes, what have you got to lose?