This is a reclaimedYorkshire flagstone floor that was re-laid at a house in Harrogate some years prior with under floor heating. The Yorkshire stone was really nice and contained some varied natural colours including green from what must have been a copper deposit in the stone. This is the beauty of this type of stone, there is a huge variation in tone and colour. The client got in touch with Tile Doctor as the stone looking flat and featureless and had become difficult to keep clean.

It was clear to me that the original sealer had all but worn off leaving the floor vulnerable to dirt, there were also some paint splashes from decorating that needed removing and some old tar spots that must have been there some time. The lovely property was in a quiet road near the centre of Harrogate which is a popular tourist spot close to the picturesque Yorkshire Dales.

Cleaning a Yorkshire Flagstone Tiled Kitchen Floor

I gave the floor a thorough clean using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which was left to soak in for ten minutes before being scrubbed in with a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine. This process also softened the paint splashes and tar spots which I was able to carefully scrape off. The soiled cleaning solution was rinsed off the floor using water and then extracted with a wet vacuum.

Once the floor was clear it was then inspected, and stubborn areas re-treated using the same process until I was happy the floor was as clean as it could be and that any trace of old sealer had been removed. It’s important to ensure the floor is clear of old sealers before resealing as otherwise you end up with different layers of sealer on the floor. Also, if you don’t know what was applied previously you cannot guarantee that the new sealer will work with it, so it is best to start with a totally clean base.

Before leaving for the night I gave the floor a thorough rinse with water to remove any trace of cleaning product and then extracted as much moisture as possible with the wet vacuum. Additionally, I asked the owner of the property to leave the underfloor heating on overnight to aid the drying process. We cannot seal the floor if it is not completely dry.

Sealing a Yorkshire Flagstone Tiled Kitchen Floor

The customer wanted a matt finish so when I came back the next day to seal the floor, I used two coats of Tile Doctor Ultra Seal. This is a natural look sealer that protects the stone from within but without altering its appearance, this works well if you’re looking to keep the floor appearance as light as possible. The deep cleaning and fresh sealer transformed the stone giving it a subtle contrast that brought out the unique colours in the stone including the green of the copper.

The client was very satisfied with the overall finish of the floor, the natural beauty of the Yorkshire Flagstone had been restored and now they would be able to maintain the floor keeping it looking lovely for longer. I suggested they use the Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner for ongoing maintenance. This is a nice natural product specifically formulated for this type of floor.

Source: Flagstone Tile Cleaning and Sealing Service in Harrogate, NorthWestYorkshire