fireplace tile cleaning

[sweber]

Hello,

I received a lot of great help with my kitchen tile project and hopefully this is the right forum to ask this question too:

We just stripped our fireplace slate (someone before us painted it). The stripping went fine, but now I see why they painted it. There are black stain spots on the slate. It looks like burn marks or oil marks (it's hard to tell). If I rub them with a wire brush, then get dull, but after I wipe them, they dullness disappears and they are back like normal.

Does anyone know what these could be and how I can clean them up?

Thank you!

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[Tool Guy - Kg]

Hi sweber,
The brushing is just dulling up the surface and temporarily masking the marks. It's not doing anything.

I dunno what you can do to these marks. I'm moving this over to the Cleaning, Restoration, and Sealing Forum for some heavy duty help. :)

[doitright]

Hi sweber :)

Can you shoot us a first name please? :shades:

A picture would sure help here.

It's possible a poultice with acetone will help.

[sweber]

Hello again.

My name is Scott. Here are the pictures of a piece of the slate. I hope it works. The picture might be a little fuzzy from the paint stripping (needs a bit more elbow grease), but you can clearly see the black marks.

Any idea what these are and how to get rid of them?

Thanks in advance!

Scott

[doitright]

Hi Scott :)

Thanks for the name, and photo.

That doesn't look like slate to me. Could you post a shot from further away?

Those look like markings in the stone.

[sweber]

Here is another picture further away. Please disregard the paint stripping in progress around it. It's stone, that's for sure. I think it's slate. We have it in our entrance way and around the fireplace. It's probably cheaper stuff. These markings don't look like they are part of the stone, given the look of the entrance way stone.

hope this picture is better. If not, I can take more.

[doitright]

Hi Scott :)

Sure looks like the stone to me. Might even be a slate (as you stated).

If you rub your nail across it is smooth at the "dark" areas.

What are you using to strip the paint. If it contains methylene chloride, it would be enough to remove "most" stains.