I have been working on this slate tile floor for awhile!!!! There is 700sq. Ft. of it…..I installed the slate tile floor..sealed it before grouting it….grouted it. After I grouted it I noticed the grout after a couple weeks turned different colors like it was dirty. So I removed all the grout. Removed the sealer with a stripper. I noticed the grout in all the cracks and ridges I have used a acid cleaner..a floor buffer. scrubbing on my hands and knees and I cannot get rid of all of it. Is there suppose to be grout in those areas? I saw of this slate installed in showrooms and have noticed it. These customers are very picky. I do not want to tear up this floor. Does anyone have any suggestions?
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What kind of acid are you on?
And how the heck did you remove all that grout that was changing colors?
You picked the wrong finish for your personality.
It's a ROCK.
Slate is a ROCK.
I wonder just how you would expect it to behave under the current circumstances?
Eric
I Love A Hand That Meets My Own,
With A Hold That Causes Some Sensation.
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Oh gawd,
Let us have a moment of silence for wefixwell.
be saddened at his demise
SanchoRon said 'Remember the Alamo' and was no more.
I hate slate. Indeed, I won't install it anymore. As good as I am, I am not good enough for slate, and as Dirty Harry once said, "A Man's got to know his limitations." Slate is mine. The only good slate is on a blackboard as far as I'm concerned.
Slate is porous and will suck up grout like a sponge. You did the right thing by sealing the slate before grouting it, but I think I would have used a commercial grout release. Custom makes a good one.
The different grout colors is hard to track down, and may be a bad batch, different mixes, etc. Hard to diagnose. I like to mix up a couple of the grout packages (if buying the small boxes) into one clean bucket. If buying by the bag, then buy it from a tile shop with a high turnover and make sure it is fresh.
As far as cleaning up this mess, I would start with a a vinegar solution, then step up to a commercial tile cleaner, then a commercial tile stripper, then..... gulp...... Muriatic acid. If you've never used this, do some research on it. It is very dangerous and nasty stuff. Beware. This is the last resort.
Regards,
Boris
"Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934
I use a steel or copper brush on my hands and knees. There is also a product, I believe, called Grout Release or something similar, for just this kind of application. Works better on tile than on stone, but you might give it a shot.
Grout Release is to treat the tile or stone before grouting so if any grout gets on the tile it is easily removed, e.g., "releases" easier, hence the name "Grout Release".Regards,
Boris"Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934