Amersham in the Chiltern Hills is a hard water area which means the water contains high levels of calcium carbonate which unfortunately gets deposited as the water evaporates, leaving behind what is commonly known as Limescale. In this case a local homeowner asked for help with their Slate Shower Tiles which were heavily stained with years of limescale buildup. They had attempted to maintain Slate using strong cleaning products but it was proving difficult to keep on top of the problem.
It was difficult to ascertain what was needed from photographs so I arranged to pop over to the property, survey the shower and fully understand just how bad the problem was and what the customer expected. The main issue was the buildup of limescale and once removed I could focus on making the whole Slate shower room blend in together.
After re-assuring my client the problem could be solved, I worked out a detailed quote which included labour and products needed. This was quickly accepted and a date set for the work which would be completed in a day.
Cleaning a Slate Tiled Shower Floor
To renovate the Slate tiles, I started with the application Tile Doctor Duo-Clean which is a spray on bathroom tile and grout cleaner. I started with this to tackle the shampoo and body wash build up in the grout lines and then hand scrubbed with a grout brush.
Next Grout Clean-up, which is an acidic cleaner, was applied and then scrubbed in with an abrasive 60-grit silicon carbide brush attached to a handheld Flex power tool. This process had to be done several times to work through the layers of limescale rinsing as the work progressed.
The tiles were dried off with a cloth to ensure make sure no white spots would come back and once I was satisfied the shower was left to dry fully. The rest of the Slate shower tiles which were in much better condition were cleaned with neutral tile cleaner in preparation for sealing.
Sealing a Slate Tiled Shower Floor
After giving the Slate time to dry and confirming with a damp meter I used tile doctors oil-based sealer called X-Tra seal to seal the Slate. This is an oil-based sealer rated for wet environments that will bring the colour back to the stone and offer the best protection possible. Only one coat was needed which was applied as a thick coat using a microfibre cloth, the Slate was then buffed with a cloth to remove the excess.
The fresh sealer should make the Slate less prone to limescale deposits however it’s not going to prevent the problem indefinitely so I advised them to call me back in a couple of years. Also, for the aftercare of sealed shower tiles, I left them with a bottle of Tile Doctor Aqua-Pro which is a mild shower tile cleaning product designed for regular use and won’t harm the sealer like many of the stronger products you find in supermarkets.
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