A Grout Sealing Service in Trumbull, CT, Was All This Beautiful Slate Floor Needed to Look Completely Renewed
April 18, 2018
Slate is a natural stone flooring material that is quarried from out of the earth, usually from mountains, it is a metamorphic rock, which simply means that is formed over long periods of time out of other existing rock types. One of the benefits of using slate tile, is its versatility since it gives a distinctive appearance, whether you want your floor to look charmingly rustic, or elegantly contemporary with monochromatic colors. This makes it an excellent floor covering for people with pets, as you won't have to worry about your dog's claws scratching up the surface of your floors, even though, there are other concerns to worry about.
Despite that slate tile is quite resistant to cracks, breaks, and scratches, it can be soiled very easily by dirt brought inside the house in pet's paws, food and liquid spills, pee, fur left over and pets accidents; as all these can be absorbed by grout lines and will stain or discolour slate.
Unfortunately, this homeowner was struggling with this issue for years as he had 2 dogs that found very comfortable the entrance slate floor. The years went on, and even though the dogs have been his unconditional friends and part of the family, it was inevitable that the pets soiled the floor, causing the slate tile to gradually become dingy and stained, especially in the grout lines that looked aged and with a brownish color. The client tried many cleaning methods and products, but he didn't have success, so he decided to stop wasting his time and start looking for professional help. The costumer was really concerned because he didn't know where to seek, so the first thing he came up with, was to write in the Google browser: Trumbull grout sealing, and what he got among the top results was Sir Grout of Greater Fairfield County. He took a look at the testimonials page, where he could read all the previous clients' comments and at the before and after section, he could see pictures of the jobs we've done. After this, the homeowner decided to wait no more and request a free in-home quote.
The scheduled day, our team of experts arrived at the house to assess the slate floor. They took their time to evaluate both, tile and grout lines to see how bad they were. They determined the damage was pretty significant, however, it wasn't anything that Sir Grout of Greater Fairfield County couldn't solve. As part of the evaluation, our technicians asked some questions to the owner about the cleaning routine and products he regularly used on the floor, so they could find out the cause of the damage and give the most accurate action plan. Once our technicians finished the assessment, they explained to the owner that they would perform several procedures to eliminate and prevent further problems: first, tile and grout deep cleaning, then grout sealing and finally a slate sealing service. The client was very relieved to hear our techs' plan, so he decided to leave everything in our hands.
Our technicians returned to the house a few days later to carry out the job. They began with a deep tile and grout cleaning that included the application of a non-toxic cleaner, then with a high-speed scrubber, they removed the grimy film on the stone tiles and grout lines. After this, they vapor steamed the floor to eliminate the most embedded dirt. The next step was to apply ColorSeal over the grout lines, which is a water-based, non-toxic sealant, specially designed to create a shield on grout surfaces as it is water-, stain-, mold, and mildew- resistant, which ensures the preservation of the grout lines for much longer when well maintained. Besides, ColorSeal closes off the pores of grout and even out its color. It comes in several hues and shades from which our clients can choose their favorite. Our techs also sealed the surface of the slate tiles with an impregnating sealant, since this type of stone is naturally porous, and it needs proper maintenance to last longer. Our team explained to the owner that it was necessary to avoid using topical sealers since they can leave a film on the floor. This waxy layer can attract dirt that will stick to the surface creating a brownish, grimy appearance.
When the job was done, the team invited the homeowner to see the results. He was amazed by the new stunning appearance of the floor, even better than how it looked two years ago when he bought the house. The client mentioned that we had exceeded his expectations and that he would surely recommend us to anyone looking for a hard surface restoration. Before leaving, our techs gave several important suggestions and tips to the owner, for him to learn how to maintain the floor's appearance in good condition using the right cleaning methods and products.
- Keep your slate floor free of loose dirt and debris. These small particles can act like grits of sandpaper, wearing down the protective shield made up by our ColorSeal and causing tiny scratches in the tile every time a foot walks across the surface of the space.
- Make use of a soft bristle tool when sweeping your slate floors, so it will not scratch the surface below.
- Only employ non-oil-based mops when cleaning a slate tile installation. If you wet mop the floor, wring the strands dry before each application and do not allow large puddles of water to form in any area.
- Do not make use of acidic or abrasive cleaning products when popping a slate floor clean. The acid will cause a chemical reaction in the stone. The best option is to mix a few drops of a non-soapy cleaner into a bucket of water and stir thoroughly.
- As a recommendation, you can use Sir Grout's pH-Neutral Soap-Less Floor Cleaner, which can be liberally applied to your tile and grout. For better results, let the product soak for 5 minutes, then mop as usual.
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