Sealing Flagstones

A client from Standish near Wigan contacted Tile Doctor about the Flagstone flooring in the dining room and kitchen of their 320-year-old cottage. The floor was approximately 50m2 and after sending over several pictures of the floor via email we had a call to discuss the issues in detail. The floor clearly needed a deep clean and there were gaps in the pointing that needed to be filled and then the whole floor sealed. The flags were the original flooring from when the house was built in the late 1600’s, he wasn’t sure if they were sandstone, or something else.

Having seen examples of similar floors on our website he was keen to understand more about our milling service which is an aggressive cleaning option we offer. The system utilises coarse abrasive pads to remove a thin layer of stone from the surface taking out flaking in the process and resulting in an unblemished fresh surface. I sent over a few photos of more recent work I had completed on flagstones showing the results of the process and he felt it was exactly the finish they were looking for.

Unfortunately, a burst pipe in the kitchen added to the issue requiring some flags to be lifted and re-laid recently, some repairs were also needed to the kitchen units, but he wanted to deal with floor first. He wanted to retain the original flooring as it was in keeping with his home so replacing it was not an option. Keen to help I agreed to pop round and take a more detailed look at the issues.

After surveying the floor and discussing the condition, requirements and budget we quoted on milling the flagstones in the kitchen, lounge and hallway floor using flexi diamond milling pads. Happy with the quote, we set a date for the work to start.

Milling a 300-Year-Old Flagstone Floor in Standish

Milling started by working over the flagstone with a coarse milling pad fitted to a specialised weighted rotary floor buffer. Using only water for lubrication and with the machine operating at low speed the pad was run over each flagstone several times to cut the stone back.

The process is so effective we often find that the pads are all you need to clean the stone so use very few chemicals are required with this process. Having said that I did have to scrub some Tile Doctor Remove and Go onto some stubborn staining during the process but in general the pads did most of the heavy lifting.

There are several pads used in the burnishing process, starting with coarse and then moving onto finer grits. It’s also worth mentioning that the water turns into a fine slurry that has to be rinsed with more water and then extracted with a wet vacuum after each pad.

Once the milling was complete the floor was given an acid rinse using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up which was worked in with another pad to further clean the stone and counter any alkaline salts that can be an issue with old floors with no damp proof membrane.

Whilst the floor was drying attention moved to the mortar. For this the old and loose mortar was removed and then repointed using a modern permeable epoxy joint mortar.

Sealing a Flagstone Tiled Kitchen, Lounge and Hallway Floor

Once the floor was fully dry it was sealed with Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal which is an impregnator that soaks into the pores of the stone protecting it from withing. This product also allows for vapour transmission so it will allow for any moisture to rise through the stone and evaporate at the surface. It’s important to use a fully breathable sealer on old floors like this to avoid damp building up under the floor where it can pool and reach out to the walls.

The floor was transformed by the process and now looks great, also the new sealer will ensure dirt remains on the surface where it can be easily removed with regular cleaning. I was very happy with the result and so was my client who left the following feedback:

“We recently had our 300+ year old sandstone tiled kitchen and dining room professionally cleaned and treated by Kevin, our local Tile Doctor, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the results. The floors, which had dulled over time, have been brought back to life with care and expertise, revealing the natural beauty and character of the original stone. Although there may be cheaper options out there, we genuinely believe the quality of the work justifies the cost — it was money well spent. The attention to detail, professionalism, and clear passion for the craft were evident throughout. We’re absolutely delighted with the outcome and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Kevin and Tile Doctor to anyone looking to restore their stone floors to their former glory”

Before leaving, I took time to discuss aftercare which for this floor I recommended cleaning with Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is safe to use on sealed floors.

 

Professional Restoration of a Tired Flagstone Floor in South Lancashire