Our client in Twickenham, Middlesex was about put their house on the market and was concerned about the condition of their Slate patio which was not looking its’ best. Although they felt they had been maintaining it correctly by jet washing it every year, this in fact did help as they had been washing the natural oils out of the stone.
I visited the property and and explained the process needed to get it looking as it should and of course make it more appealing to new house buyers. I provided my quote which they were happy to accept and agreed a date to return and complete the work.
Cleaning a Slate Tiled Patio
The day we had chosen to return, the weather was nice and dry which would make our job easier. Initially a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was applied and then after ten minutes to allow it to soak into the dirt the cleaner was worked into the stone using a heavy-duty floor scrubbing machine fitted with a black pad.
This process helped loosen the dirt and allowed the removal of deep-seated dirt and grime that had built up over the years. After a rinse with water the soil was extracted, and I moved onto the next stage.
Stage 2 involved removing limescale deposits and improving the appearance of the stone by applying a combination of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up and Tile Doctor Acid Gel, again leaving it to soak into the stone for ten minutes before working it in. Limescale and other mineral deposits can build-up over time and leave a white deposit and make the patio look very dull. Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up is designed to remove light grout smears and mineral deposits such as limescale, when combined with Tile Doctor Acid Gel it is super effective. Finally, a low-pressure rinse and vacuum was then performed, removing all of the cleaning solution and dirt from the patio. By the end of stage 2 the Slate patio was already looking significantly improved.
Sealing a Slate Tiled Patio
The warm weather window held and by the second day the Slate had dried, and I was able to move onto the final stage of sealing the stone in order to protect it going forward. For this I applied three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer which as you can see from the pictures, gave a lovely rich finish to the stone.
Colour Grow is a durable impregnating sealer that works by occupying the small pores in the Slate thus preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there. It will protect the stone from the elements and being a colour enhancer also improves the look of the Slate bringing out its natural colours and beauty.
By the time I had finished the patio looked as good as new; my client was very happy with the work carried out. In fast as soon as the sealer had dried, they wasted no time putting the garden furniture back in place to make a good impression and compliment the lovely garden.
I suggested that they passed on our card to the new occupiers as resealing the patio annually would keep it in great condition and maintain the longevity of the patio. We offer annual maintenance plans for just this, I also suggested that if there were planning on using the jet wash, then use it on a nice low setting.
We often get work preparing properties before sale or rental, simply renovating a driveway, patio or refreshing bathroom tile and grout before putting it on the market can make a property much more appealing and add value.