Free Express Delivery to UK MAINLAND
Free Express Delivery to UK MAINLAND
If you wish to seal a slate patio one of our Floorseal sealing products will make this process easy. Sealing interior or exterior slate is beneficial as it both protects the stone and can also enrich the surface, providing an attractive finish.
Many darker natural stones, like slate, appear more attractive when sealed with a product which deepens the colour. This can be achieved by the application of a sealer which produces a deepening of colour & a slight sheen.
We have various types of sealer for slate, some which are more suited to interior floors and some more suited to outdoor slate tiles. We will describe the products in the following article with the advantages associated with each type noted within the product descriptions. There is a summary of all the products described in the conclusion section at the foot of the page.
Before sealing your slate pavers or tiles it is important to thoroughly clean the surface. We have produced a separate more detailed guide which deals specifically with cleaning exterior slate. There is a link to this article at the foot of the page.
For further information/prices about specific products, please click on the product title highlighted in blue. To view all products and articles for cleaning and sealing slate, please see the link located at the foot of the page.
There are some issues relating to cleaning and sealing natural slate where resin-based brush in compounds have been used. We recommend pre-cleaning your patio with Floorseal Sealer Residue Remover as a minimum. This product will generally clean the slate and remove the ‘rainbow’ effect left by the oils contained within certain compounds. Rainbowing can be present after applying brush/sweep in resin-based compounds, often left around the joints.
Older patios suffering from organic growth (like algae etc) can be pressure washed. Ideally apply Floorseal Patio Cleaner Plus applied with a sprayer or watering can; this will remove any organic contaminations and generally give the surface a deep clean.
For general cleaning and removal of cement and grout hazes (including cement-based mortar or lime etc) Floorseal Cement & Grout Haze Remover will remove general pointing films/residues.
Please note: many exterior jointing compounds and grouts are now resin-based NOT cement-based. This is regardless of how they appear & how they have been mixed! Resin-based compounds may leave a rainbow effect (visible when the slate is wet). Please check which kind of staining you are dealing with before selecting a specific product. You will need to use the correct product for the contamination you are attempting to remove.
When sealing your slate you have a few options as to which sealer you may like to use. You should test the sealer before fully applying the product to the surface. There are samples available on the product pages under the select size options.
Floorseal Slate Sealer is a water-based sealer and can be applied on exterior slate to create a subtle low sheen finish.
Before sealing ensure your slate patio is totally dry after cleaning. We recommend waiting approximately 4-8 weeks before sealing any newly/just laid slate patios.
When sealing older slate patios the slate should be dry. If you have deep cleaned the surface wait at least 24-48 hours before sealing. The slate and the associated jointing material should always be dry before sealing.
Drying will occur rapidly, in approximately one hour. But please remember that the product will also require 24 hours curing time in dry weather conditions. Please consider the local weather conditions when sealing any exterior stone. If it looks like rain, wait for more favourable conditions.
This product can be used to generally seal exterior slate with a subtle low sheen finish. It will slightly enrich colour with a subtle sheen finish.
Floorseal Flagstone Sealer is a solvent-based sealer and can be applied to exterior slate to noticeably deepen colour and enrich the finish.
Before sealing ensure your slate patio is totally dry after cleaning. We recommend waiting approximately 4-8 weeks before sealing any newly/just laid slate patios.
When sealing older slate patios the slate should be dry. If you have deep cleaned the surface wait at least 24-48 hours before sealing. The slate and the associated jointing material should be completely dry before sealing.
Drying will occur rapidly in approximately one to two hours. But please remember that the product will require 24 hours curing time in dry weather conditions. Please consider local weather conditions when sealing any exterior stone. If it looks like rain, wait for more favourable conditions.
This product will noticeably deepen colour and is often used when a greater depth of colour is required. This may be due to working on older faded/worn slate or on a new surface which would benefit from a greater depth of colour.
Floorseal Premium Impregnating Sealer is a water-based subsurface sealer. This product makes absolutely no visible change to the appearance of slate. It has no sheen/shine and does not alter surface colour. The surface of the slate will retain a natural appearance – no visible change will occur after sealing.
Before sealing ensure your slate patio is totally dry after any cleaning work (or rain). We recommend waiting approximately 2-4 weeks before sealing a newly/just laid slate patio. This product is completely breathable, so it is possible to seal a newly laid patio not long after it has been laid.
Prior to sealing older slate patios the slate should be perfectly dry. If you have deep cleaned the surface wait at least 24-48 hours before sealing. The slate and the associated jointing material should always be completely dry before sealing.
After sealing the product will dry rapidly in approximately one hour. But please remember that the product will require 12-24 hours curing time in dry weather conditions. Please consider local weather conditions when sealing any exterior stone. If it looks like rain, wait for more favourable conditions.
This product makes no change to the appearance of the stone so is described having a natural/matt/unaltered/invisible appearance. This product can be used as a pre-grout sealer.
When cleaning work has been carried out you should wait at least 24-48 hours before any sealing work is planned. Once a patio has been deep cleaned the slate may take some time to dry – possibly 48 hours or more. Newly laid slate should be allowed to dry/settle over 4-8 weeks (possibly less when using a subsurface sealer like Floorseal Premium Impregnating Sealer).
Test all sealers before use via one of our samples, available from under the select size drop down menu on the product pages.
Floorseal Slate Sealer which is a water-based product which can slightly deepen colour and creates a low sheen. Can be used on most slate tiles and will produce a subtle finish. Do not use as a pre-grout sealer.
Floorseal Flagstone Sealer which is a solvent-based product which will noticeably deepen colour and creates a low sheen silk finish. Can be used on most slate tiles and will produce a more obvious finish. In particular it will cope with slate which appears faded & washed out. Or a slate patio which has an appearance which is a little disappointing or duller than you had hoped for. Do not use as a pre-grout sealer.
Floorseal Premium Impregnating Sealer is a water-based product which does not alter the appearance of the slate. It is a natural/invisible sealer which is applied when there is no desire to change the appearance of the slate whatsoever. Can be used as a pre-grout sealer.
Further information
Please Click Here to view our products & accessories for cleaning and sealing slate. This includes all of our handy ‘how to’ guides for cleaning and sealing interior and exterior slate.
The information contained within this article is not exhaustive. If you need further information please contact Floorseal or email Info@floorseal.co.uk
