We are getting a new cooker installed next week so I've spent the evening 'freeing' the existing one. In moving a freestanding kitchen cupboard I've realised just how discoloured the stone flags are. They're currently a greenish/yellow colour whereas the flags that haven't been exposed are light grey (Photo attached ).
Ideally we would like to return the flags to their original colour, however the flags were laid/sealed approx 15 years ago, well before we lived here, so we've no idea what the stone type is or what sealant was used , and I'm guessing I'd need to know both in order to safely strip them and reseal with an appropriate sealant.
Has anyone ever had a similar thing happen to their flags and if so, was there a remedy?
lot of grease and dirt build up there
the original stone looks like kandla greay
Roger from R and A pressure washing may have some good advice
cheers LLL
Thanks Luton, certainly looks like Kandla gray from a quick google search.
The flagging continues into the utility room and downstairs toilet, both of which are low traffic areas and are just as yellow - though I can't disagree that there's a lot of grease and dirt on the kitchen ones
We've since noticed that there's a patch near to the toilet where there's no yellowing at all. Thinking this could be years or poor aim ??? or maybe a bleach spill that seems to have dissolved the sealer over time.
It could be that a non-UV stable (ie: cheap and nasty) sealant was used - these do have a tendency to yellow over time, even with internal applications.
If grease and dirt are contributing, a good quality commercial floor degreaser (as used in restaurant kitchens) will shift it and reveal the true colour of the floor.
To strip the sealant, you need the appropriate solvent, and without knowing what sealant was used, that would have to be a guess. Most acrylics rely on xylene as a solvent, whereas PUs need summat much more robust, but a good test is to try a very discreet corner with paint stripper.
Hi Tony, thank you so much for the suggestion...... We tried a bit a B&Q's cheap and cheerful Diall Paint and Varnish Stripper - an hour later and the sealant had completely lifted leaving the original gray colour underneath!
Now to find some 'proper' sealant. We have some LTP colour intensifier and stain block left over from a previous tiling project, would that do the trick or can you recommend something better? We like the idea of an intensifier with a matt/satin finish.
