Restoring Flagstone (slate) Floor
It was a great course that I attended in October only wish I had attended sooner would have saved me a lot of hassle on a previous job.
Well I have purchased a floor scrubber and wet vac and loads of pads the guy on ebay must have been delighted. I have a 140 year old flagstone floor that needs stripped back and I need to patch other areas with new flag, however the old flagstone has gone through every treatment probably known to man. I know the quarry where it originated and have flagstone in my own house over the years it would have had treatmens such as sour milk, burnt linseed oil, boot polish more linseed and they have even managed to use gloss pint where the grout lines should be and there is plaster/cement residue in some parts. The flagstones are laid on the traditional sand substrate and I will not be disturbing them from that.
So my questions are:
A: What should I use to remove paint?
B: What should I use to remove Cement/plaster residue?
C: What should I use to remove linseed etc ?
D: What colour pad should I be using?
My thoughts were to use either the Heavy Duty Acid Cleaner or Phosphoric Acid Cleaner for the cement/plaster and the use the 1 & 2 Deep Clean for the linseed. For sealing I was going to offer the customer Sealer Choice Gold or Enrich n Seal depending on the finish she wants. The area is 45m2 with a further 120m2 at a later date.
I have charged £4,200 for part one and that includeds putting down 5m2 of new slate would you say that is about right cost as I am going to price for the other 120m2 after I have completed part 1.
I hope you can help,
Cheers,
Gary
Highland Tilers
Ok be careful here.
First of all, with all that gunk and paint, oil etc, you are really going to need a stripper.
I would first do a couple of tests to see which is the most effective way to go but you could try first giving the floor a deep clean with either Heavy Duty Tile & Grout Cleaner or 1&2 deep clean, they are really interchangeable, the latter being more suited for larger areas as it is more economical.
personally I would use a nylon brush head on the machine for a textured stone, rather than a pad as the bristles will get into the texture easier as well as the grout joints. If you have to use a pad go for a coarse one, green/black.
Rinse and wet vac it up and see what you are left with - it will have removed the build up of surface grime but is unlikely to have done anything to touch paint or linseed oil.
The cement and plaster may have been removed in the process, purely due to the fact that it is likely that it was on top of the grime and so can come away at the same time during the scrubbing, if not then you are correct, try a solution of Phosphoric Acid Cleaner where ever needed. (test for acid sensitivity of the stone - most sandstones are ok but occasionally ou can get a reaction/etching)
To make any headway on the Oil and to remove the paint you will need to use Sealer and Adhesive Remover:
Apply neat and leave to dwell for 30 to 40 minutes (protect any stained woodwork or painted surfaces nearby) then scrub as for Heavy Duty, use a floor squeegee to help remove the residue to where you can mop it up then rinse well with clean water, make another pass with your machine and the brushes to make sure you agitate any remaining Sealer and Adhesive remover solution wet vac up and quite possibly rinse again.
Then let it dry and see what you have got.
Couple of points:
You may find that going straight to the Sealer and Adhesive remover stage works and there is no need to use Heavy Duty First - hence it is wise to conduct a test both ways.
It may not be possible to totally remove the Linseed - so don’t make that promise.- this need not be a problem, if when dry the look is so dramatically clean compared the before and the client likes it.
If a significant amount of Linseed or other contaminant remains in the stone, then this may preclude the use of Enrich n Seal as it may inhibit the penetration of the sealer, causing it to sit high and remain on the surface - again you would need to conduct a test to satisfy your self that it will work - remember to pay close attention to the removal of surplus sealer before it dries.
With regard to your pricing; if I read your message correctly, you are charging (or have charged? - which suggests you have done some of this work??) £4,200 for 45m2 of cleaning/stripping and sealing including 5m2 of new stone installation
if we said £200 was for the new stone? that leaves £4,000 for the clean & Seal
that is £88.88 per m2!
Can I come and work with you?
Seriously, it is hard to advise as it depends on where you live and what your customers are willing to pay etc. It is a specialist job and one that takes time and care so sure it commands a premium for the right skills
I have not worked out how much sealer you will need and of course the cost of that is built into your figure I’m sure.
Coverage will depend on how porous the stone ends up after treatment (how much linseed etc remains) but you could work on 15 to 20 m2 per litre per coat for Either Sealer’s Choice or Seal & Finish Low Sheen, work on 20 to 30 for Enrich n Seal.
I would guess (again - test) that you may get a way with 1 to 2 coats of Enrich n Seal, or 2 to 3 coats of Sealer’s Choice. If you took the Seal & Finish Option then maybe 3.
Why Seal & Finish? it is a coating sealer and often on sandstone is the preferred way to go as is does a better job of filling up the surface texture than an impregnator, but conversely, it will wear much faster and need regular reapplication (good news for you!, less so for the client) if the area is a high traffic one and the wear is an issue then stick to the impregnators.
hope that helped
Ian
——————–
http://www.trades-direct.co.uk
Water -based sealers, cleaners and problem solvers
However I have checked through and the rest is all still relevant
Cheers
Ian
——————–
http://www.trades-direct.co.uk
Water -based sealers, cleaners and problem solvers
Thanks for the reply. A couple of points 1. You said I need a stripper are you talking about the Aquamix products or a paint stripper? 2. You said that some of the linseed may still be held in the slate, if I were to use enrich n seal would it give the slate the same apperance ie dark or would it be patchy where it has not been absorbed due to the linseed. If this was the case would I better using Sealers Choice.
On the price customer has paid deposit up front 1/3 and she now wants 5 wetrooms all with undertile heating and if we are succesful with the first slate job she wants another 120m2 stripped back.
I have another job coming up and is Honed Brazilian Slate that has been sealed with HG Impregnator but there seems to be marks sealed into the slate. Would I use Seal and Adhesive remover on this job as well. She is not keen on the enrich n seal finish so I was going to use selaers choice.
And finally I have another job concernng a Victorian tiled floor that needs cleaned back I take it I could use Heavy Duty or 1 &2 Deep cleaner and seal with Sealers Choice.
Sorry for all the questions but this side of the business seems to be taking of and I want to get it right from the start.
Cheers,
Gary
Highland Tilers