slate floor problems

[Rob#1]

I have just laid 40sf of rustic slate flooring, i didnt clean or seal before laying, the slate was VERY dirty and i have spent the best part of 3 days on my hands and knees scrubbing them clean with water.

the majority are clean however a few just will not come clean and no matter how many times i clean them there is always a residue on the cloth - is it ok to leave them as they are - they look fine and i would be happy to leave them

what next?

how long do i have to wait before i can seal (i have installed under floor heating if required i can turn on) and what would be the best product, is there anything that will bring out the colours? i dont want a wet look / glossy finish on the floor though.

as i didnt seal before laying do i need to pay special attention to the sides of the tiles to ensure they are sealed - will the grout discolour the slate if not?

thanks in advance for your help

rob

 

[Spud]

did you brush the dust off the backs when you laid them? sometimes they are so dirty the adhesive sticks to the dust/dirt and not to the tile and they come loose after a while

 

[Rob#1]

i didnt to be honest - though i have just checked a few that i have left over and they are ok on the back - just the face is dirty in particular where you get orange/ red / yellow and black colours

have you any suggestions ref the sealer / grouting?

thanks in advance

 

[Andy Allen]

is it wet under floor heating or the wire heating mat

 

[Mike]

you say you just laid the tiles? if it's electric ufh it needs to dry at least 2 weeks before turning on (low)

 

[Spud]

i like lithofin products closely followed by ltp, ltp iron wax is very nice on slate but I havent used it for a while and cant remeber how I used it last time, i know there was an iron wax presealer then 2 coats of ironwax if i remember rightly, might be wrong on that

 

[Mike]

last slate floor i did the customer paid £45 for a litre of lithofin sealer. good job it goes a long way!

 

[Rob#1]

thanks all for your advice

the ufh is electric - i havent turned it on yet.

how long do i need to leave it before i can seal and grout?

do i need to seal the slate edges / sides - if i dont seal the edges / sides is there a chance of the grout impregnating the slate and discolouring it?

thanks

rob

 

[Spud]

it is a difficult question to answer rob and its why you dont have many replies there are so many sealers and impregnators on the market and they all give different finishes to the slate ,the multicolour slate you describe could come form china ,india, africa or brasil all slightly different but you dont really need to seal the edges imo as i have never seen grout picture frame a slate before from not sealing the edges ,the slate will be dry enough now to seal lithofin slate seal will give you a rich glossy finish and enhance the colour of the slate 2 coats are normally enough but sometimes you may need 3 just read the instructions carefully and you will be fine ,once the sealer has had 24 hours to dry, grout the floor leave the under floor heating off for 28 days this allows the adhesive to reach 95% of its full bond strength then slowly turn up the heating no more than 5 degrees a day

 

[Rob#1]

hi Gary, thanks for the info - much appreciated, I'll go ahead and seal them, what is the difference between impregnators and sealer's - do i need both or are they one and the same. - Thanks.

 

[Spud]

impregnator forms a barrier from below the surface of the tile usually these are spirit based or very light oil based which penetrate into the tiles body and repel any water or oil based stains , sealer normaly sits on the surface and basically seals the pores of the tile therefore stopping the dirt entering the tile, sealers normally wear off slightly quicker than impregnators and need reapplying from time to time

 

[doug boardley]

aaaargh, I thought I had some of the finished product!, but the key is to keep changing the washing down water often. This floor I laid was rustic slate and I chose to leave it unsealed until I'd knapped off the lips prior to grouting

 

[Rob#1]

Thanks Gary - apologies for asking again - but for clarification - do i need just impregnator or sealer - or do i need to apply both? - which is best?

Hi Doug - what does knapped of the lips mean??? - do i need to do this and if so how??? thanks.