| Cleaning hard surfaces with high pressure by using a | | | | most other stone. First is its formation. |
| truckmount or portable can be profitable, but not | | | | The thin layers of rocks stuck together come out |
| knowing the type of floor and how to clean it | | | | from very high pressure cleaning. |
| correctly can result in costly claims. It's hard to | | | | When cleaning slate, turn your pressure down. |
| fathom that in the past 15 years hard stone products | | | | To compensate for low pressure, you need to add a |
| have experienced an incredible 2,000 percent growth | | | | little more agitation, but no more then 800 pounds |
| in sales. Even if you as a carpet cleaner do not want | | | | per square inch (PSI). |
| to get heavily involved in hard floor cleaning, it's | | | | Second, its absorbent nature causes it to absorb |
| smart to know how to clean some of the surfaces | | | | staining material, thus creating stains. |
| for your current clients. | | | | Most cleaners find that products made to clean hard |
| Slate is one such surface you may encounter, in | | | | surfaces that contain oxygen get absorbed in the |
| areas such as commercial building entryways and | | | | stone and cause safe "bleaching action" to remove |
| even in many homes. | | | | the absorbed stains. |
| Why is understanding formation important? In order | | | | Lastly, to prevent staining and layers of slate from |
| to fully understand the cleaning principles involved | | | | chipping off, manufacturers and installers often put a |
| with this type of stone, the cleaner first needs to | | | | coating of wax on the slate to make it more durable. |
| know a little about how slate is formed. Slate is | | | | This poses another problem for cleaners. |
| formed from clay-rich mud through tectonic stress | | | | Sometimes the wax may have been removed in |
| and is believed to have started forming 570 million | | | | certain areas or it could be removed from |
| years ago. | | | | high-pressure cleaning. |
| It was created when sediments of organisms on the | | | | Inform your customer that this may not be a |
| seabed formed mud deposits. The pressure and | | | | cleaning issue but, instead, a restoration issue. |
| temperature in the Earth's crust squeezed the mud | | | | Proper stripper and wax made for use on natural |
| into layers of shale that eventually caused it to move | | | | stones should be used. |
| upward. | | | | But, remember: Test in an inconspicuous spot in case |
| Slate can be found in construction of walls, floors, | | | | of an adverse reaction. |
| roofs, and even high quality pool tables. But what is it | | | | Understanding a bit more about the floor you are |
| that - as floor care technicians - we need to do | | | | cleaning can help you better answer when asked |
| differently when cleaning slate? | | | | what procedures and products will work best on that |
| Cleaning challenges Slate gives us three challenges | | | | floor. |
| that make it a little more complex to deal with than | | | | |