Master the Art of Sealing Slate Floors with This Guide

If you want to learn all about sealing slate floors and are tensed about how to carry out the process, you’re at the right place. This article is your ultimate guide to teach you all about the concept, need, and methods of sealing slate tile floors.

To seal slate tiles, follow the given steps:

1. Sweep and mop the floor properly

2. Choose what sealer you prefer, penetrative or surface.

3. Take out a little portion of this solvent

4. Buff the floor while moving in a circular motion

5. Apply the coatings of sealer all over the floor

To get a detailed step to step description of how to seal the slate tiles, read the article. You’ll find much necessary information before you start sealing. Ensure you begin only after you know all about the process.

Table of Contents

What is Slate Floor Sealing?

Slate floor sealing is the art of covering tiles with a sealer to protect them and make them look shiny. The slate floors constantly require to be sealed after they dry up.

It brings your slate flooring back to life, making it safe against chipping, breaking, or loosening up. This increases the life and longevity of the slate flooring. Also, this article on how to protect your granite countertop by sealing it!

Need of Sealing Slate Floor

Slate floors must be sealed if they are new or if the sealer has dried off. You must ensure a regular sealing procedure if you have slate flooring in your homes. Sealing is necessary if you want to keep the natural luster of the tiles intact or to ensure that they are protected for longer durations.

The floor would appear old, odd, and cranky without a tile sealer. Nonetheless, its beauty would be gone.

Method of Sealing Slate Floors

This method is tedious, cumbersome, and directly related to the size of the flooring. These steps go from cleaning and sealing slate floors to maintaining them.

1. Extensive Cleaning of the Floor

In this, you will learn how to clean slate floors before sealing. Use a broom to sweep off any dust particles from the floor. There should be no dust grains to make the floor uneven while sealing. After the dusting, you have to do the mopping of the floor.

The mopping should be done carefully, without any spots. You can use a detergent, but rinse the floor with water afterward. Ensure the floor is completely dry, and no detergents are left behind before you move to the second step. Cleaning slate floors before sealing is essential.

2. Make the Floor Stainless

To seal slate floors, get rid of any stains on the tiles. Use a sponge or towel to rub out any stains or spots on the floor. Also, do you want to get rid of stains on your granite countertop? Click here to know more!

Dip the equipment in a solution made of alcohol and water, or feel free to switch to hydrogen peroxide and water. Furthermore, both solutions must be used to buff the floor with a sponge or towel, leaving it spotless.

3. Remove the Wax (if any)

Reach for any wax that is present on your tiles. It is easy to wax off the floor using a wax stripper. But some kinds of sealers, if you had one applied previously, may cause problems with the wax removal. This is so because they require solvent strippers that are strong and more chemically charged.

Only allow professionals to handle such chemicals. Determine the type of sealer used on your floor previously. Also, learn how to wax marble countertops here!

4. Find your Suitable Sealer

In sealing slate tile floors, the critical role of the sealer. You must find a suitable sealer based on the type of your floor. There are two variations of available sealers.

Penetrating sealer is used to block the pores of the tiles so that any spill cannot make its way to the inside of the flooring.
b. The other one, the surface sealer, makes a shiny coat on the floor’s surface, giving it a lustrous appeal.

Choose your needs and how you wish to proceed with your sealing process.

Buy Here: Color Enhancer Sealer for All-Natural Stone and Pavers.

5. Start with the Process

To apply the solvent on the floor, put some liquid in a tab, then use a sponge/towel to soak it. Using that dipped sponge/towel, rub on the floor and ensure covering the entire area.

Make small circles on the floor and follow that motion till the entire floor is covered. Mix the new strokes with those who exist beside them. This finishes with the process of sealing slate floors.

Follow the exact steps if you are looking for re-sealing slate floors. In fact, maybe you’ll not have to perform the waxing step. Rest all would be the same.

FAQ

Do you need to clean slate floors before sealing?

Yes, it is mandatory to clean the floors before applying the sealer. To effectively eliminate dust particles and pollutants, it is essential to thoroughly sweep and mop the floor. This is necessary to ensure a smooth and even ground for applying the tile sealer.

What kind of sealer should I buy?

You should ensure that you don’t buff your floors with acidic sealers of the abrasive kind. If you use vinegar-like substances on your slate, it will leave a stain. Teak oils are the best for use as a slate sealer. Also, you can use Masury oil for sealing slate floors.

Which is better for sealing slate floors? Surface sealers or Penetrative ones?

It is upon you to decide based on what you need and what your requirements are. If you are looking for a sealer that makes your floors immune to spilling and staining from within, go for a below-the-surface sealer. But most users prefer the surface ones because they leave a natural shine on the tiles, giving them a beautiful appeal.

What is the life of a sealer?

A general sealer typically stays for around three years. This means that they protect your slate floorings for three years, and till then, they aim to eliminate any harm. After this period, they tend to dry up and need replenishment. Some brands of slate claim to protect slate floorings for over a decade.

Conclusion

Through the given article, you have learned all about sealing slate floors. You went through the need to seal the slate tile floors and what will happen without a sealer. You even came across the steps to perform a slate floor seal.

After learning all that, we are sure you can take care of your slate floors yourself. Ensure you pay heed to all the dos and don’ts and ensure not to skip out any step or tip. If you miss any detail, you’ll stain your slate floors forever.

Making mistakes like using vinegar or other abrasive chemicals on your slate floorings is severe and cannot be reversed. The only available option then would be to install new slate tiles. Hoping that you don’t befall that fate, we wish you all the best for your sealing adventure! So set the sails and seal!