need to seal/enhance new slate job, novice looking for help

[gnostic19]

hey people, glad i happened along this place, looks like the place to be in regards to getting answers to my issues.

I had a entry way tiled with 6" tumbled Indian slate. It's pretty soft stuff. The guy didn't rinse off, clean or seal the slate before he layed it down, so the grout (which is Custom brand pewter color...chocolate brownish color) ended up being grayish in spots and darker in other spots, meaning the dust from the slate probably got mixed in with the grout making the grout end up different shades of the intended pewter color.

He was supposed to come back and seal/enhance the slate to make the colors pop out more. I DON'T want it to have a glossy or shiny look, just a slight spit-shine look. I told him i would do it myslef if he would tell me how to do it cause i was kinda done with him.:bang: He said i needed to scrub the tile with warm water to pick up all the dust, let dry for 48 hrs, then use Custom brand seal/enhancer. I went to the hdware store and got some 3M scrub pads and sponge/cloth/microfiber seal applicators with some Miracle sealer/enhancer. They didn't sell the Custom brand stuff. I do work next to some tile warehouses that would probably sell other brands.

My question is, were his instructions correct...wash off until i get no dirty water in pail, then let dry for 48 hrs, then rub in sealer/enhancer with applicator? He said to do a 2x2' area at a time when sealing/enhancing, rubbing into tile pretty hard then wiping with a dry microfiber cloth.

I have a walk-in closet that he layed some harder 16x16" slate in that i was going to practice on before i did the entry way.

Any advice on what to do here or changes in instructions? Is there a different sealer/enhancer i should go get? The Miracle stuff was $42 for a pint or so.

I appreciate any help with this.

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[Davestone]

That sounds like a pretty good plan although i hope the slate isn't a grade above pure mud and never stops releasing silt.The sealer is a good one,but i would put a fan on the area to insure drying, and watch the grout, it may sget splotchy,you might want to just use a regular impregnating sealer on that.

[gnostic19]

so use Miracle on just the slate and use impregnator just on grout? That seems like a nightmare in regards to application.

Ideally shouldn't he have rinse slate, lay it down, then seal enhance before applying grout?

I'll get a wet towel and rub the slate and pick up some dark residue, so yeah, it might be too soft for anything. What will keep that from happening when rubbing in sealer/enhancer? Wouldn't it just get mixed in with the residue and never penetrate the piece?

[doitright]

Hi Dave :)

You'll have a lot of work if you plan on removing the grout from the clefting of the slate.

We can't talk about what should have been done, because it wasn't.

First try washing the slate. If you can't get the wash water clean, a wet vac will help get some extra residue up. I have had great success on the softer slates using Sparks Stone Glamor. It's a combination impregnating / topical sealer that creates a harder shell on the slate. It will also pick up the sheen.

[gnostic19]

when you say "pick up the sheen" does that mean it will show off the color of the slate or that it actually picks up/removes a layer of "sheen" off of the slate?

[Davestone]

Slipped a pic in on me hey?He means it will enhance the sheen.As said that stone will require some scrubbing(try sulfamic acid crystals and a very stiff brush)before you can seal.And a grout that light may splotch very bad as i said, but it's up to you how you want to handle it.