How to Make Slate Tile Look Wet – In 7 Effective Steps

Tiles have different varieties and their versatility is worth mentioning. Among them, slate tiles have got some precious specialties. When you install them on your floor, they definitely bring a charming and decorative side to your house. But more interesting is that this slate tile is incredibly long-lasting and can be used for different purposes. Apart from the flooring, this tile can be used on the roof, walls of bathrooms, and so on.

But different people have different choices, tile can be made wet or matte. However, most people want to make slate tiles look wet. It’s because they provide a very interesting and glossy look. Also, the wet look of slate tile makes the floor look fresh as it hides dust and debris to a great extent. You can trick your floor as clean and as fresh as a new installment of flooring provides.

But if you have already installed slate tile for its unique appearance in every piece, and you want them to look wet then you need to adopt some procedures. That’s why we are here to lead you to the right path of getting your slate floor to look wet. So, without further ado, let’s get into the main business.

Process of Making Slate Tile Look Wet:

Slate tiles come with very exceptional pieces and some people just like the way they are. Some people just would not bother to have a shiny or glossy look of slate tiles, because their matte appearance is something really praiseworthy. But in terms of other people, the same appearance of the tile might bore their eyesight and that’s why they take the initiative to change the condition of slate tiles. It’s not a very tough task to make your slate tile look wet as this tile has great adaptation and can easily be bound to a glossy or shiny look.

However, as tiles are some serious decorative part of your house with their huge flooring ability, you don’t want to make any mistake in the process of making them look wet. Therefore, to save you from ruining your slate tiled floor, we are here to provide you with the full procedure of making your slate tile look wet step by step. Let’s get into the primal section at once.

Step 1: Gather All the Materials:

It requires some specific materials to get into the direct business. As you have to deal with some solid materials that are going to make your slate floor tiles look wet, precautions and materials should be collected first. The materials that you will need for this job are not that much hard to get. You can find them at the nearest hardware store to your house. So, let’s check out the list.

1. Enhancer or slate sealer
2. Mop
3. Broom
4. Clean rag
5. Freshwater
6. Soapy water or any commercial cleaning product
7. Hand gloves
8. Mask
9. Wire or scrubber or scraper
10. A clean, smooth sponge
11. Natural fiber brush
12. A paint tray or anything similar to that

Step 2: Remove the Furniture:

Now before getting started with the main job, you need to prepare everything properly for the job. Now, after collecting the materials, remove the furniture from the floor. As the floor contains both light and heavy materials, you have to be careful while removing them. If needed call the professionals for helping hands.

For light pieces of furniture, you can lift them easily and store them in a secure place. You can store them in your garage or yard that has a roof and fence around it. Also, you need to be careful while removing those materials because indifference in this job can leave unnecessary marks on your slate tiles. Also, it can crack the floor as well. So, attention and care are all you need to provide during this job.

Step 3: Remove the Stain:

If your slate tile carries any stains, it is time to abolish them. Many times, your floor might be the victim of rusty scales or hardened grease due to the irregularity of cleaning in the narrowest spaces where cleaning everyday is impossible. Rusty scales can affect your tiles badly if you keep an old metal-based material on the floor in a moist area. However, the greasy surface can also be happened out of such irresponsibility.

To remove this type of stubborn scale and grease, you need to adopt a scrubber, a scraper, or a wire brush. They work so well on hardened contamination like this. Just scrub the grease or rusty scale and they will come off the surface easily. We recommend regular cleaning of the house rather than adopting this hard labor.

Step 4: Cleaning the Residue:

After you scrub the floor, you will still face some residue. But you don’t have to worry about this thing because you can easily get rid of the trouble soon if you just follow this step. First, use a broom or vacuum the floor. It will clean the dirt and dust from the floor. After that, take a clean and lint-free rag and soapy water. And dip the rag into the soapy water and wipe the residue from the floor. Give great emphasis or vigorous cleaning on the residue and the rest of the place will be just okay with a simple cleaning.

You can use a commercial product for a better result and if you want to save your labor to some extent. After cleaning the floor, mop the floor simply with fresh water. It will remove the extra water and cleaning agent from the floor along with the residue and make your floor look clean and hundred percent prepared for the next step.

Step 5: Prepare Yourself:

Now, let the floor dry with a dryer or towel, or you can wait till it dries naturally. After that, for the next job, you need to prepare yourself. As this is a chemical-oriented job, you should take every precaution possible. Wear mask and hand gloves and get mentally ready for the time-consuming job.
As skin can be sensitive to the chemicals that a satin or glossy sealer contains, it is always better to take the proper steps to save yourself from probable accidents or fatigue. Wear an old disposable shirt as the job can be messy and make your shirt messy too.

Step 6: Apply the First Coat:

Once you are ready with your equipment, it’s time to apply the first coat of enhancing slate sealer. If you want a high gloss and extremely wet-looking surface, then you need to adopt a high gloss slate sealer. And for a less glossy or wet look, you can rely on the slate sealer with a satin finish. They come with both solvent-based and water-based conditions. The former last legit long and provides a nice finishing while the latter requires less time and less messy condition.

However, use the smooth sponge that you have brought for the job, and with it apply the sealer all over your slate tile. You can use the natural fiber brush for rough spaces. After applying the first coat of the sealer, you need to wait for 45 minutes to an hour. Within this time the first coat will get dried. But if there is moisture in the weather, and the situation is colder, then wait for a bit longer.

Step 7:Apply the Second or Third Coat:

One coat of sealer is never enough. To make a cross-linked matrix on the surface, a second or third coat is necessary. Also, they help in providing the sealer a very protective barrier effect that is advantageous for the slate tiled surface. Besides, several coats help in creating liquid-repelling surface tension as well.

However, after applying the first coat, apply the second coat when the surface is dried enough. Apply it in the same manner and then apply the third coat exactly like before. Now, you will have a very nice wet look on your slate tile. Don’t bring back the furniture until the last coat takes at least 48 hours to dry. After the required time, you can return those pieces of furniture to their former places and enjoy your glossy and wet-looking slate tile.

Maintenance of Wet Looking Slate Tiles:

After your installation of a new enhancer on your slate tiles to make them look wet and glossy, you need to take of them on a regular basis. It is because sealers are combined with agents that fade away with time if not taken care of enough on a regular basis. That’s why, to get a new and fresh look even after a decade, you should adopt a proper maintenance routine on a regular basis. As some sealers are not perfect for slate tiles, your first duty is to choose the right one that will suit the floor finely.

Then again, some sealer is not required for interior use and some are suitable for both, so be careful while adopting such a DIY job. Now that every precious thing wants care to last long, your wet-looking slate tile is no exception. Therefore, you should at least protect its longevity by doing the following maintenance.

1. Cleaning the Tiles Regularly:

It is a part of the everyday cleaning of every house if anyone wants to live a healthy life in their house. Cleaning the dust and debris everyday is an important task that will maintain the wet look of the tiles too. As a wet look on slate tiles can be tricky, you will find dust getting lost at times. Therefore, cleaning thoroughly the floor is the ultimate solution.

2. Use Less Abrasive Cleaning Products:

It is important to protect the sealant by cleaning the dust out of it. And therefore, you can use any cleaning products. But of course, you need to be really careful in choosing the cleaning products. Any product that carries an excessive abrasive agent is not suitable for the newly adopted sealer. Therefore, avoid using such products.

3. Careful with the Furniture:

Make sure you don’t place any metal-based furniture that can cause rusty scale. Otherwise, the floor can be affected seriously. Also, make sure you don’t put furniture with sharp edges that can affect the floor. Always, place pieces of furniture that have well-finished edges and will not affect the sealer on the slate tiles.

4. Mop the Floor Properly:

It is important that after you use any cleaning agent, you should mop it properly with fresh water. Don’t let the soapy water dry on the floor. Otherwise, it will try to penetrate the sealer and fade its longevity and fresh appearance. Therefore, mopping with fresh water is an important part of maintaining the slate tile.

5. Give an Annual Maintenance:

If you see the glossy or wet vibe of the floor fading away gradually, you can adopt a similar enhancer and apply it to the floor annually. Though this job is a little time-consuming, for a great appearance, you can apply the sealer annually. Also, if your slate tile has to go through a severe rush of human passage, then this idea of maintenance will help a lot.

FAQs:

Question: How do you make slate tiles shine? How do you make dull tile floors shine?

Answer: A long-lasting solution for making slate tiles shine is to seal them with an enhancer. You will get satin sealers in the hardware store and they are greatly responsible for the shiny finish. And for a momentary shiny look, you can make a homemade solution. Soap and warm water and a little bit of baking soda will get your job done. This mixture has a great impact on making dull tile floors shine to the greatest extent.

Question: Can you put oil on the slate? Can you put olive oil on the slate?

Answer: Oil is needed when the sealer has got any scratches. Generally, quality sealers are stain or scratch-resistant. But for exceptional cases, you can use oil on that particular spot of the slate. Also, it will be unwise to put olive oil on the slate. It provides a yellow tint which certainly destroys the appearance of the slate. It also is not efficient enough to clean dirt and remove scratches.

Question: Can you use white vinegar on slate tile?

Answer: Any acidic agent can destroy the efficiency of your slate tile. That’s why experts have recommended avoiding cleaning products that carry an immense amount of acidic agents. As vinegar carries acidic agents, that’s why it would wiser to skip using it for cleaning slate tiles.

Question: Can you use WD40 on the slate?

Answer: WD40 is a worldwide famous degreaser for its extremely beneficial cleaning agents and components. It does not come with any harsh acidic or abrasive formula. That’s why it will not have any negative impact on the slate rather it is highly recommended as it helps to bring back the shiny look as before. Also, if your slate tile faces any scratches, WD40 can always remove them for the shiny appearance of your slate tile.

Last Updated on July 13, 2024 by Rogers Weber

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