Top coat for slate floor w/ silicone sealer


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Old 03-08-06, 08:14 AM
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Question Top coat for slate floor w/ silicone sealer

I stripped off old wax and acrylic topcoats and thoroughly cleaned slate floor and grout. The slate is set in a mud bed of cement which forms the grout lines. It is about 40 years old. I applied a penetrating sealer-enhancer (Tile Lab "Stone Enhancer & Sealer") made by Custom Building Products which is a water-based silicone polymer solution. The results are basically O.K. except I would like a more shiny appearance. When I read the label for Tile Lab's glossy "sealer" it said "do not apply over the Stone Enhancer & Sealer". I called the technical support desk at Custom Building Products to ask what I could do now to get a more glossy appearance and was told essentially that they do not have any product to produce a glossy finish that is compatible with the silicone-polymer "Stone Enhancer & Sealer" and that there was nothing I could do to "un do" what I had already applied--it might wear down with time.

Now I am looking for further opinion/expert advice on the feasibility of getting a glossy finish. If there is a good approach to this end goal, I would want it to be one that will not lead to a big, obnoxious stripping job a few years down the road.

Thanks in advance for any replies.
 
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Old 03-08-06, 09:20 AM
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That guys advice sounds a little mal-educated on the subject to me. In other words: NONSENSE!!!

Find out (from Custom) which stripper will strip their product, then find out which product will neutralize the stripper. Once that is done you can use a high-gloss self-leveling commercial grade sealer made for terazzo floors. I've done it too many times to think it can't be done.
Once the terazzo sealer is in place, probably 5-7 applications, you then could even buff the floor mechanically useing a compatible wax. This sealer can be found at most any janitorial supply company.

Keep in mind though that the higher the gloss the more maintenance it requires to maintain the gloss.

Having said all of that....have you thought about going to WalMart or your local grocery store and simply buying an everyday floor wax to use? It's worth a try and you can't do anything to that floor that you can't fix later if you don't like it.
 
 

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