Lithofin Stainstop

[Jonathan Pearson]

It that time of year again when our slate kitchen floor needs treated.

I thought I'd been clever by finding a cheaper source of Stainstop from Germany - however you've guessed it, the instructions are only in German.

Can anyone remind me the procedure (brush / roller ?) and the approximate coverage rate I should be looking for.

Thanks in advance,

Jon

[Andy Hall]

You can find it all on their web site

However, I am not sure that using Stainstop is the intended maintenance treatment as opposed to initial streatment.

It's worth looking through the Method Statements on the site first.

[Jonathan Pearson]

Just what I was looking for

Jon

[Holly, in France]

In theory this is true. However, I found with a slate floor that everything I put on it either sank in or wore off, not sure which, every few months. Putting on the surface treatment didn't do the trick, I had to start with the stain preventer all over again and then the surface stuff. I wasn't using a Lithofin product but it was German, can't remember the name, may well have been renamed/rebranded since then. Certainly it was the best quality product that I could find at the time. I *loved* the slate floor and would happily go for it again, but maintenance was a significant issue, both in time and cost, and I did keep having to apply these products indefinitely.

-- Holly, in France Gite to let in Dordogne, now with pool.

[Andy Hall]

I deliberately didn't go for a glossy finish. The floor was thoroughly cleaned first, then Lithofin Stainstop and Colour Intensifier products were used.

After that, only washing the floor and occasional use of the Colour Intensifier have been needed.

[Holly, in France]

Might well depend on the amount of use the floor gets. Ours was in the kitchen, where we also ate and played games, did homework etc and in the hall. Both high traffic areas in a country building-site type household with four kids who lived in wellies and a scruffy spaniel! Understandable that YMMV :-)

-- Holly, in France Gite to let in Dordogne, now with pool.

[Andy Hall]

Probably not *quite* as bad as that but not far short.

[Holly, in France]

Had another thought just after I had posted, as you do. The quality of the slate could make a big difference here too couldn't it? Ours was 'as cheap as cheap floor tiles' quality, which I bought as a job lot from a shop which was closing down, Chinese I think, possibly Indian. Yours is probably somewhat better stuff....

-- Holly, in France Gite to let in Dordogne, now with pool.

[Andy Hall]

I suppose that it's possible, but I hadn't heard of this before in connection with slate. The only parameter I can think of would be something like porosity, but I would have expected the initial treatments to seal that.....

Oh well....