How to clean slate tile before you seal it
No one really tells you this part of the process I am seeing…at least not if you do a Google search. So since I am scheming to do just that very thing this afternoon, I thought I would share how I plan to do it. Of course right now it’s the morning, and I am researching the options online, so I won’t know until I come back and update later this evening.
Until then though, I have seen many hints on cleaning slate tile, but I think that they mostly refer to cleaning slate flooring after it has been grouted, sealed, etc. So this doesn’t really help me very much right now. I have heard that simply warm water is the best thing, especially since slate is so porous. That sounds logical, because if you throw any kind of general cleanser or chemical product at it before it has been sealed, then that tile will just soak it up like good pancakes soak up gallons of syrup.
The idea is to get the tile as good and clean as you possibly can before you start to apply any sealer or enhancer. You don’t want to have dirt, dust, grit, or any other foreign objects on the surface. I’m stopping by the local home store today anyway to rent the tile saw, so I will ask them as well. By the way, the best saw to cut slate tile is a diamond blade saw with water. This way you cut right through it with a very sharp blade and you get less chipping.
I’ll post an update later about exactly what I decided to use to clean the slate tile before I sealed it, and any other fun stories from all the cuttin’ and whatnot.
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