Protect your slate floor

Slate floors are becoming increasingly common in both domestic and commercial locations for a number of reasons.  From a purely aesthetic perspective, slate is a naturally occurring rock which offers a range of designs, shapes and colours and can enhance any environment.  Slate is also a highly durable and long lasting material (it is used for roofing for this very reason) so it will last a long time and, relative to alternative flooring types, requires relatively little maintenance.  It is incorrect to assume, however, that you can associate low maintenance with continued good looks, as slate will, like any other type of flooring, deteriorate aesthetically if not cleaned and maintained regularly and correctly.

There are many aspects to slate floor cleaning, but here I would like to focus on protection and prevention, which can substantially reduce the amount of maintenance and cleaning you will need to do.  It is important with slate (more so than with other hard floor types) that the tiles are professionally installed and the grout professionally applied as this is notoriously difficult to do.  Then the main step to prevention is to apply a good quality commercial sealant.

Sealants offer an additional layer of protection and can essentially waterproof the surface of the slate, which will prevent markings and staining from spillages.  The surface of the tiles will require a certain type of sealant, but so will the grout, which is often overlooked.  There are several factors to consider when applying a sealant and the very first is to make sure the floor is actually clean before the floor is sealed – it is amazing how many times it isn’t.

If the floor has been correctly cleaned, then the next stage is to choose an appropriate sealant.  For example, slate often has a smooth finish which offers a slip resistant quality – so it makes little sense to apply a wax based sealant which will nullify this slip resistant quality.  The grout will also need to be sealed and there are a number of transparent and colour grout sealants available – a slate floor cleaning specialist will be able to recommend one for you.

Once the sealant has been applied it is important to protect the sealant from scratching and general wear and tear.  Tiny surface scratching and abrasions can damage and remove the sealant exposing the surface underneath, while wear from general traffic can thin and remove the sealant over time.  It is important to sweep and vacuum regularly and place doormats at entrances to reduce the amount of dirt and grit which can cause this scratching.  General wear is inevitable and for this reason a slate floor cleaning company will recommend periodic resealing to offer ongoing protection and facilitate your cleaning efforts.