pre seal cleaning

[J Sid]

Was working away this morning giving the present job, 200m2 of modular chiseled edge unfilled travertine floor, a clean, pre seal, after being grouted yesterday morning ( 80m2 ) when CTD turned up with another 2 pallets. The delivery driver was amazing at what I was doing, saying he has never seen anyone do it before.
This lead me to wonder how you do your pre seal cleaning.
how do I do it....
assuming no pre grout sealing is required I grout as normal and clean of with the wash boy. To the eye it looks nice and clean. Next day i re clean using a cleaner with either a white pad or maybe a soft broom giving a gentle scrub and the using my Charles wet vac remove all the cleaning water. Then repeat using clean water. From what seems a clean post grouted floor you would be amazed at the dirt that is lifted and remove. Will then leave for 2 to 5 days to full dry out before sealing depending on stone.

How do you clean yours?

 

[Qwerty]

Very similar but use microfibre cloths instead of wet vac

 

[J Sid]

Very similar but use microfibre cloths instead of wet vac

Christ Geoff must take forever on a large floor. Give the wet vac ago, leaves it nice and dry

 

[Qwerty]

I use an LTP handle thingy instead

 

[jobdone]

Hot wash the next day then dry buff. like the idea of the wet vac. Nice job. im looking for the same tile but without the chiseled edge, CTD don't stock them any more.

 

[One Day]

I am so totally OCD that with stone I simply work cleanly and fully seal before grouting. Honestly.
I know it's wrong and slow but that's me.
Currently 2/3rds of the way through 100sqm limestone and I'm not cleaning it until AFTER I've grouted.

 

[Flintstone]

I've always sealed before grouting, some times after too. I'm a microfibre cloth man

 

[J Sid]

sorry , but how long between fix cleaning and sealing do you leave and how can you possibly get limestone clean with a wash boy?

 

[One Day]

sorry , but how long between fix cleaning and sealing do you leave and how can you possibly get limestone clean with a wash boy?

Me??
I'm fixing with TM Semi-rapid and it's already very clean out of the crates.
I work cleanly and any odd mess I sponge off. I don't need to clean it before sealing.
Soon as adhesive has gone off I'll seal using Lithofin MN eco to saturation.
Grouted next day and no problems with the washboy so long as I am thorough and change water often.

I have fixed some stone so filthy out of the crate it needs washing. By and large though I seem to get the good stuff and working cleanly I skip the wash and dry.

 

[J Sid]

if you have a wet vac , just once try a clean and vac ofF. You be amazed how dirty the water will be...I'm using trav out of the box from a crate straight from the dock and you can see the difference after a clean.

 

[One Day]

if you have a wet vac , just once try a clean and vac ofF. You be amazed how dirty the water will be...I'm using trav out of the box from a crate straight from the dock and you can see the difference after a clean.

I know what you mean. I have a wet vac and use it often but this stone from somewhere in Bristol is just SO clean. They even pack it with straps under the stone so it lifts out of the crates rather than having to strip the crate.

 

[J Sid]

think you miss my point....
it may look clean , but is it, no

 

[One Day]

think you miss my point....
it may look clean , but is it, no

'tis!

 

[garybadger]

I clean it after tiling, seal the floor 1st time on same day.
Grout floor next day
Seal day after its grouted.

 

[Lithofin BOB]

Pre clean can be one of the most important processes, not only can this remove instalation grimes greases,addy residues ,but also removing dust particals from the surface of the stone can improve the look ten fold , especially on some stones, semi honed,honed, flamed.
If you seal some stones without the pre clean this can bind in the dust and some dirts as the product cures, they can still look good - but could look better.
This also rules out strike marks- where the sealer collects the dust/dirt and sinks in forming lines or water shaped marks, this can be with highly porus stones

As above if you are pre cleaning ,you will need to extend the dry time prior to sealing