Slate Tiling Poor Job Remedial Advice

[nb1]

Hi,

I have had a bathroom tiled with riven brazillian slate tiles.

It would appear (i am presuming) they were not sealed before grouting which I learn they should have been?
They were then grouted and left.
They have now been sealed LTP Mattstone Sealer.

After read around this forum.

(1) There is white staining in all the rough edges of the tiles (white on green/grey). I presume this is grout staining that should have been removed first?
(2) Some tiles are covered in fine circular white spots which look like they are on the surface, but are hard and don't seem to come off. I presume this is efflorescence which again should have been removed first?
(3) I also think the sealer may have been applied in a haphazard manner, as in some places it look as though its not been wiped out properly, sweep marks and spots like you get with a dirty cloth on glass, and on the mosaic wall tiles on the wall (same slate) it looks like it has pooled at the bottom of some of them.(
(4) Other issues are that the sealer looks a bit funny round the edges of some of the tiles, I am wondering if they were still slightly damp when it was applied?

Sorry poor camera phone picture which really just shows (1) and a bit of (3).

If anyone can offer any advice on the problems and what the solution(s) are I would be much obliged; the lady of the house is deeply upset about the situation.

Thanks.

 

[cam_low]

The tiles need to be stripped of all sealer. White spirit is good for this. You then need to remove the grout that's caught in ridges and such like with a product called cement away. It will burn the grout away after leaving it to work. A thorough clean is then required. It's a load of elbow grease but will work and after drying for many hours/ a day you can seal the tiles again.


Grouting slate is a pain but can't be left half done as my labourer found out one day, the first time I left him to it. 25m of it! He slept in the next day and didn't do it again


Good luck.

 

[Bubblecraft]

Hi & welcome to TF. As above

 

[TTT]

Best thing ive found to remove most sealers is Aquamix sealing and coating remover much better than white spirit can get it easily off Tiling Logistics. Also just check that the Lithofin cement away doesn't damage the stone if it does then i'd use Aquamix phosphoric acid substitute. If possible use a mechanical scrubber save the elbow grease!

 

[nb1]

Thank you all for your input and help. So the situation is not irreparable then, which at least is encouraging.

Also just for my state of mind I am not being mad thinking this is a shocking job?

So it sounds like it will need the sealer stripping off with a stripper or white spirit.
Cleaning with cement away, and a lot of scrubbing!? presumably removing all the Silicon and chrome fittings (acid + chrome = bad?). (This will remove all what I suspect is effloresce as well being as acid?)
Sealing
Probably re-grouting as it sounds like the cement away and scrubbing will damage it.
Cleaning the grout off properly
Sealing again?
Re-siliconing round things
Re-fitting all the chrome stuff;

There is about 8-9 square meters of the stuff (wall and floor) I would guess.

Any ideas how long this would take?

And as the bottom line what sort of figures we are talking about for cost to get this mess sorted out? (South East London)

 

[Olz]

Sorry but the sealer is the last of your worries, hasn't anyone else noticed that the grout lines are all over the place? Surley your not happy with the way they have been fixed.

 

[Olz]

They right hand side wall also looks to be a good few mill higher.

 

[nb1]

No, also if it was a brick wall, there is what I would call grinning and hatching all over the place...

 

[cam_low]

I haven't really looked at that OLi as it wasn't asked however now i am zoomed in its a shocking tiling job.
Save yourself the hard work and get the 'tiler' back to answer your questions on his setting out, his grout lines not marrying up and his all round bad workmanship.

Did you employ what you thought to be a tiler?

 

[peteablard]

Sorry but the sealer is the last of your worries, hasn't anyone else noticed that the grout lines are all over the place? Surley your not happy with the way they have been fixed.

i had noticed that however if you look really close you will notice that some of the tiles are level across the bottom and out at the top and vice versa, if the tiles are different sizes getting it perfect would have been impossible. I do think a better job would have been possible but there would have always been issues

 

[nb1]

Did you employ what you thought to be a tiler?

Not personally, I engaged a builder to do quite a lot of refurbishment work on the house, and from the sounds of life he has had a go himself and come unstuck...

 

[cam_low]

Ah that old chestnut !!!!

 

[C&S]

This is typical of jobs we do. Grout haze is the sign of doing it the wrong way round. I think most of the Tilers on here will agree, Seal First, Fix the Tiles, Grout and seal again. If everyone did it this way, I would be out of work. Thankfully, there are builders and plumbers out there who know better and I keep busy.

I tiled for many a year and to be honest, I would not expect anyone to get paid for a job like that, but like someone has already pointed out, if the slate is badly cut/calibrated, then the best of tilers would struggle with the work. We used to re-cut badly calibrated tiles to suit, but you need patience and time to do it.