many tiles are either powdering or flaking

Hi,

The original owner of my home (I'm the third) installed slate tiles outside on a base of concrete, I believe. I'm not sure what kind of slate it is, but it's dark grey with some brownish hues.  Anyway, the slate doesn't seem to be weathering well in some areas.  On the covered front porch, many tiles are either powdering or flaking (with thin, brittle layers washing away with just a simple hose spraying). In the back where it's sunnier, some of the tiles are doing the same thing, though to a lesser extent.  In a few places, the tiles seem to be doing fine.  We're in a Southern California coastal valley where it gets both very hot (95ish for a month or so) and very cool and damp (when the ocean fog rolls in).  A few years ago, we had someone spray the slate with a water-based sealant, but that didn't seem to do much, and I'm sure it's long since worn away.  I see lots of conflicting info about sealing or treating slate.  Is there anything we can do to both protect our slate and, potentially, make it look a little more lusterous ("wet") without spending a bunch of money?  I appreciate any expert advice you can offer.  Thanks.

S. Nelson

Aliso Viejo

Is slate in general hard to upkeep?

I saw the perfect color of tile that I have been looking for on ebay.  It is called African Gold Slate Tile.  Can you give some advice on this type of product?  Is slate in general hard to upkeep?

Thanks for your help,

Penni

The panels have grease stains from food

I bought a dining room set that has blue slate panels in it. The panels have grease stains from food.  I was advised to remove the stains with soapy water containing
detergent with a degreaser. That made the spot worse. It is now dark in that area and is worse than before. How can I get the slate cleaned

Beverly Brooks
IT Security Specialist
Government Accountability Office
441 G St. N.W.  -  1T54
Washington, D.C.  20548

work   (202) 512-6703
email   brooksb@gao.gov
 

problem Im facing is getting a professional finish

Hi there

I wonder if you can help

I have recently installed a natural slate tile floor in our bathroom, I am pretty competant when it comes to cutting and laying the tiles so in general I am pleased with the job, however the problem I am now faced with is getting a professional finish. The tiles lack polish even after using tile cleaner and sealer and the black grout has now gone very pale, these 2 issues give a very poor finish to a job which was a lot of hard work.

Any advice to get a permanent finish would be much appreciated.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards

David

findstone2006-05-29 16:08:33

Cementing slate paviors

Hi
I have a large garden patio which was paved in fabulous Welsh slate two
summers ago. I'm very pleased with it but the upstands, that run around the
edge keep coming away from the concrete of the patio. I have tried to effect
a repair with the Nicobond exterior tile adhesive (the tilers used this
stuff) but now all the upstands have 'peeled' off. Can you recommend a good
cement for a permanent solution?
Bob