HI,

I just moved into a new home,, (acutally I am moving into my grandparrents
old home). The front foyer is slate, I think it is vermont slate, There
are a couple different colors of slate in the floor.

I assumed it was sealed. (Home was build in 1963, everything in the home
was build on the high end side of things, so I imangine some type of sealer
was used). Water does not seem to asorb into the slate very much, if at
all.

I have had some kind of dull whiteish area on the surface a little bit,
wasnt sure what it was, I assumed it was something on the surface(dirt) or
old layers of wax. I used a good detergent and scrubbed the entire floor,,
then I used a strong dose of a commercial floor stripped and scrubbed it
well. Then I came back and scrubbed it with a mix of 1 cup a gallon of
ammonina, then I washed it down with a very mild mix of a floor cleaner that
works as a neturalizer after stripping. I just followed this same
procedure, (at the same time tonight) on my kitchen vinyl floor as well.
The kitchen floor is looking great, Ill give it a clean hot water wash, then
I will wax it with a commercial floor wax.

Ok here is the situation (and my point in describing the kitchen floor
situation): The slate floor now has a while residue over about half of it
in random spots. It does not come up even with vigerous scrubbing with a
mop. I got down and tried to rub this off with a rag,, none of it came up
at all. I scratched at it with my thumb nail and I was able to clear off a
little bit of it. The best description of it I can thing to say is that it
is kind of kind watered down laytex paint on the floor.

I don't know what else to do to get this clean short of scrubbing every
square inch of it with a wire brush, and I am not sure that is a good idea,
i fear it will damage the slate.

Once this is cleaned up (however that is going to happen), then, I don't
know if I need to try and seal it again or if I can just throw some
comercial flor wax on it the way I am going to do on the kitchen vinyl
floor...

Any help is greatly appricated. (I have been up all night scrubbing both
floors!! big project!, but it really really needed it)

Thanks again

Jamie Dolan
fox cities, WI