Hi- i just came across your post while looking for a solution to my problem. Which is very similar to yours! We removed ceramic tile from our mudroom in our MCM home. It was really easy to pop up and guess what was under it all?!?!? Yes!!!! Gorgeous slate tile! Very similar to yours! We had decided to invest in a couple bottles of cement/grout haze remover, sulphamic acid and a couple cans of good ole elbow grease! We still have a lot of efflorescence to work on and some tiles that need to be replaced. (A lucky stop at our local Restore resulted in 30+ tiles to use! We don't need that many but for $6 ...) I have a couple of questions and I am hoping that maybe someone might read this and be able to help. If I recolor the grout will it keep the efflorescence from reappearing? Also the tiles still have a faint bit of efflorescence/grout haze that i just can't get to go! They look great when they're wet soooooo will sealing them keep that haze at bay? swickbb- I hope you had success with your floor!

HMK recommends S31 and S34 for kitchens.

My unstained red oak floors were finished in place, and have 3 coats of finish, oil I believe. The floors do not show dirt at all. I sweep or vac when needed, but I'm not doing anything on a daily or even weekly basis. When I notice a spot on the floor, and spot clean it, I'm not getting copious amounts of ambient dirt along with it. I subscribe to the Old Country, hands and knees method of cleaning my wood and tile floors. Scrub a dub dub. I'm not a big proponent of Swiffer or that type of thing. I have one, and it seems to catch little hard pieces of things (e.g., cat litter) and drag them across the floor, smooching dirt right back into the surface. Water. I use judicious amounts of water when cleaning my hardwood floors, actually water with white vinegar added as my floor installer recommended. The water still beads up and gets wiped up. Seven years and counting with this floor and the edges look the same as the day they were laid.

Hi, I just found this thread, I don't know if you've made a decision yet but thought I'd offer my two cents. While building our home my husband and I debated heavily over real slate, he wanted it for the "look" of natural stone and I didn't want it because of the maintenance, and the problems (flaking, staining, and the variations in thickness of the tile, etc...). After a lot of serious consideration we chose to go with the real slate because it fit the style of the house. I have not regretted it. It looks great and after having moved in a year ago has been holding up well. We went with Brazilian multi color slate that I found through a local tile distributor. It was professionally installed and my tile guy used an impregnator to seal it. I believe the impregnator is available at home depot. While shopping for the slate I found a huge price difference between two local distributors for what was essentially the same thing, one offered ungauged and unsealed 16"x16" tiles for around $5.50/sf and the other offered the same size tiles but gauged and sealed for more than double the price. I opted for the ungauged and unsealed knowing my tile guy would apply sealer anyway. The tile turned out to be extremely consistent in thickness, very durable, and was easy to install. We've had no flaking as of yet. I have since learned that Brazilian multi-color slate is a favorite of architects because it is much more even and less prone to breakage than many other types. As far as cleaning, it hides the dirt very well. I've found sweeping with a soft broom the best way to keep it clean. If you are quick to clean up spills with hot water and a little dishwashing liquid it will hold up against staining however it is porous and will tend to absorb spills that are left on it. That is all part of the look and also gives it character with age. It is installed over radiant heat which is quite comfortable. We have about 500 square feet of it on our first floor, I don't find it hard on the feet at all, and I rarely wear shoes in the house. I don't know how to upload pictures to this forum but if you'd like to email me I'd be more than happy to send you some photos of it. Good luck with your decision!