I have an old slate floor in my foyer and I want to polish instead of replace.
I'd have to agree with Sandra. Slate shouldn't need polishing. It's possible someone may have waxed it previously? If so, you'd want to use a mild wax stripper & a scrub pad. Once that's cleaned up thouroughly, it should shine (if it is slate for sure?) After that, Windex works good.
slate doesnt get polished. it is supposed to have that matte finish. marble gets polished, at least i have NEVER heard of someone wanting to polish slate. and I have NEVER seen slate polish
DO NOT use wax... slate is porous and will absorb it, causing damage to the slate over time. Linseed oil or 511 Impregnator will give you a low-gloss pick-me-up, and slate may be cleaned with any alkali detergent. A good home products store can give you more complete recommendations, but it does have to be a good one with knowledgeable staff.
I never heard of polishing slate. I used to clean houses for a living & of all the slate floors I cleaned, I never polished them nor did they seem to have any sheen. Maybe you should google it. Sorry couldn't help more.......
You have to be careful what you use on it or you'll strip the finish. It sounds like the floor looks dull instead of having a shine to it which means the finish was striped off the floor. You have to call a professional and have the floor refinished. After it is refinished just use something like pinesol on it to clean it and you won't restrip the finish, but the floor will keep a nice shine.
