Cleaning & Sealing FAQs
Slate clean & seal is simply the process of cleaning the slate tiles before resealing. Slate tiles can look dull, dirty and discoloured over time, making them look older and really bringing down the feel of the home. By cleaning and resealing you can restore the grout and tiles beautiful, lustrous appearance.
Our Tile Cleaners ® professional team will go through the job processes step by step so you know exactly what your getting. The slate floor is thoroughly cleaned and neutralised so that it is free of dust, residue and anything else that can affect the new sealer. The new sealer is then applied to the dry slate floor and allowed to set. The newly sealed slate tiles will not only look as new again, it will also protect the slate surface for longer and make it much easier to clean.
It all depends on the size of the area that we are cleaning and sealing but most jobs take 4 - 8 hours to complete, we do cleaning and sealing in the same day so you don't have to fuss with more than one appointment.
Our slate floor restoration services include effective cleaning and sealing of slate floors and their long-term protection by employing state of the art equipment and technical expertise. Your floor can look neat and fine once again, just give us a ring and let us handle everything.
If the stain is new and has not set in, we will probably be able to remove it. However, we cannot guarantee that we will remove it completely but restore to its best possible condition. Some stains penetrate the stone and settle in below the surface and can be very difficult to remove. It is important for us to strip, clean and seal your floor so in the future nothing will be able to stain your slate floors.
Yes, our tile cleaning services are safe! At Tile Cleaners ® we use only the best water based products alongside our state of the art cleaning machinery to provide the best cleaning solutions at no compromise to your slate tiles condition. Natural stone tiles are usually more porous and require a lot more attention than regular man made tiles, that's why its extremely important to use the right products and equipment necessary for restoring your slate tiles to their best possible condition. Tile Cleaners ® prides itself for catering to each tile type.
Here at Tile Cleaners ® we understand the importance of your family's safety, which is is why Tile Cleaners ® $custom_city only use non-toxic finishing agents as we not only want to protect your slate tiles, but your families health too. Materials and agents that can pose a health hazard are not in our product portfolio and have never been.
To keep your slate tiles and grout looking new, Tile Cleaners ® recommend cleaning each week with a damp microfiber cloth and a mild detergent to remove any dirt or grime from the slate tiled surface. Any strong detergents (any strong acid or alkali) may affect the sealer, mild detergents and pH neutral substances are strongly recommended. Your best choice to keep your slate tiles protected and to keep that natural fresh lock is to seal them with one of our water based sealers. Wether you choose our Topical Sealer for a shiny look or our Impregnating Penetrating Sealer for a matte protective finish, you can rest assured that you slate is getting the highest protection available. If the slate is honed or polished, regular professional maintenance will be required to maintain its appearance and remove any scratches or loss of shine and lustre.
We charge per square meter for each separate slate room. There is a price list on the cleaners website for you to review. We prefer you measure each room individually before we come so when we charge you in the end it will be fast and easy for everyone.
We recommend that you measure each slate room separately. They way to measure is the width * length. For example a room that is 3 meters long and 2 meters wide is 3 * 2 = 6m2 in total.
Tile Cleaners® technicians can help to move items that one person could be expected to move such as furniture with wheels, light furniture, tables and chairs, however as Tile Cleaners® insurance covers our restoration services, we will not be held liable for any damage caused to furniture or property you request our technicians to move.
Tile Cleaners® colour enhancing sealer may help hide some small scratches, but we cannot guarantee that your slate will return to its original condition. Deepshield™ Penetrating Colour Enhancing Sealer darkens your slate tiles by up to 20% and can help camouflage etches, restoring the natural, new look of your slate floors.
A sealer is a liquid, or carrier containing a resin that is applied to porous natural stone or man made surfaces that helps prevent staining from water and/or oil based materials as well as help to achieve better results when cleaning your surfaces.
Sealers are different from polishers and are actually designed to keep liquids and dirt particles from sinking into the natural stone. It is extremely important to have your slate tiles sealed. All slate tiles should be sealed when they are first installed; this initial seal can last up to 15 years when a quality sealer is applied. It is important to call us as soon as your slate floors are installed so we can protect them before any accidental permanent damage occurs.
The best sealer to use for slate around swimming pools is our high quality Impregnating Penetrating Water Based Sealer that protects your stone to the core and eliminates the slipperiness factor other sealers can create with slate.
Tile Cleaners® advise the simple "water test". The water test is well known in the stone industry and it will help you determine whether your slate floors require sealing. First you need to place a few drops of water on your stone and let it set for around 10 to 30 minutes then wipe it dry. If your stone did not darken, it means your slate is perfectly sealed and does not require sealing, but if it has darkened, it means that the water was able to penetrate your stone and sealing is required.
All of our sealing products are water based, we do not apply solvent- based sealer except in certain cases where it is the only option. The sealer will not affect the texture of your slate tiles in any way; however, it will protect your slate from staining and maintain that lustrous, natural finish you are looking for.
Yes we do. Colour enhancer is a compound designed to enrich the natural look of slate. It darkens and enhances the colour of your tiles and brings out the stones natural beauty, giving a slight wet/low sheen look.
Tile Cleaners® colours enhancer will not affect the texture of your slate floors, however, it will enhance the colour of your surfaces and bring out the natural beauty of your slate.
Our professional team will go through the job processes with you step by step so you know exactly what you're getting. The process includes stripping any previous sealer if it was applied, the slate is then thoroughly cleaned and neutralised so that it is free of dust, residue and anything else that can affect the new sealer. A new sealer is applied to the dry slate floor and allowed to set. The newly sealed slate floor will not only look new again, it will be protected and result in your slate becoming easier to maintain.