Floor Sealers Vic uses quality products in the cleaning and sealing of all natural stone surfaces, tiles, pavers and concrete surfaces

Second stage of stripping a slate floor

Stripped slate floor ready for re-sealing

Third stage of stripping a stripped floor

Stripped slate floor

Stripping & Sealing

Specialising: in Stripping Slate and Natural Stone

 

Slate and Natural stone stripping is a specialised field, over time coating can deteriorate, it is common for a surface to have a 10year old coating or longer on it.

 

If the slate has not been correctly maintained or has been regularly recoated every year without stripping back to the natural stone, it can have a thick plastic look or discolour (yellowing) become brittle, go milky, looking flaky, crack or go white in areas, looking dull, in these cases the topical coating needs to be removed back to the natural stone and re-seal again.

 

STRIPPING:


The thicker the coating, the harder it is to remove, however Floor Sealers Vic have a range of chemical stripping processes that can be used, ensuring a professional result.  Using machinery to chemical strip the old sealer, it is designed to remove all traces of the old coating/sealer, exposing the natural stone. The stripping process is a 4 part process making sure all of the old sealer/coating has been removed before the process of re-sealing.

 

Stripping involves applying the stripper to the slate, then using high powered scrubber to strip the sealer off the slate,  this might take 2 or 3 stripping process to remove the old sealer, pick up the slurry from the floor, re- do the scrubbing using water and rinse with clean water and then remove with wet and dry vacuum.

 

We all think stone as hard; it is in fact different degrees of porous materials that will absorb all types of liquids, food, oil, grease and general dirt. This stains the slate/stone if left untreated and unprotected.

 

SEALING:


Sealing reduces the speed that your surface will absorb liquid, guards against staining and allows easier maintenance/cleaning of the surface.

 

There are two types of sealing, impregnating sealers that penetrate the porous stone and leave a natural look or a topical sealer that gives a wet look finish.

 

WHICH LOOK IS FOR ME?

 

Floor Sealers Vic can leave the surface with a Natural, Satin, Enhanced or Wet Look, this is a personal decision; you can rest assured that your slate or natural stone tiles are getting the best possible protection.

 

CLEANING:


Sometimes the slate might only require an intensive cleaning, this should only be undertaken on a coated or sealed surface.  This three part process will clean the original sealer/coating on the slate or natural stone to remove any dirt from the floor and then re-apply two further coats/sealer to the floor.  A sample test will be required to ascertain if this method is suitable.

First coat of sealer being applied to a stripped floor

Slate floor stripped, sealed and with a gloss finish

Completed slate floor after stripping and re-sealing

Completed Slate floor with gloss finish

SLATE FLOORS:

Stripping and Sealing Slate Floors:

These pictures above are a set of pictures showing the start of the stripping process through to the sealing of the slate floor with a topical gloss finish sealer.

It is important that when thinking about re-sealing your slate floor or any natural stone floor, that you get expert advise so you can make decisions on what's required to acheive the desire finish you are after.

 

These pictures are from a number of jobs completed to show the different stages of stripping, cleaning and sealing of slate floors.

There are two methods to slate floor cleaning;

Method 1: Is the stripping process (stripping the slate back to the raw slate before sealing, this method is the safest method knowing that you are appling new sealer to a stripped floor where no old sealer left on the slate.

Method 2: Is the cleaning process where we srub the old sealer with a scrubbing machine and take of the old dirt/scimming the old sealer there will be old sealer still on the floor, then appling the new sealer over the top of the old sealer.

 

 

 

Slate patio re-sealed with a gloss finish.

Slate patio area sealed with a gloss finish.

Another angle to a slate patio area sealed with a gloss finish.

Slate floor showing the difference between a stripped floor and re-appling new coats

A set of pictures below taken after the stripping/sealing process had been completed, a gloss finish was required by the client and the pictures where taken after the final coat had just been applied to the slate floor. 

Slate floor stripped and re-sealed with a topical sealer gloss finish.

Slate floor finished with a gloos finish.

Another shot of a finished slate floor.

Finished slate floor with gloss finish.

More images of work in progress and completed slate floor after sealed with a gloss finish.

A picture showing the difference, one area gloss finish, one area ready for sealing.

Finished slate floor with a sheen finish.

Slate floor in the process of being cleaned and re-sealed.

In the porcess of cleaning a Slate floor.

Some more images of a slate floor completed after stripping and sealing.

First Coat of sealer applied to a slate floor.

Slate floor stripped and ready for sealing.

Sealer applied to a slate floor sheen finish.

Sealed slate floor with a sheen finish.