Original stone floor - cleaning/restoration

[geordiepidge]

Hi, we have an original sandstone floor throughout the ground floor of our new to us, 200 year old house. It could be really lovely but is covered in 20+ years of muck, the grouting is a mess and it's very uneven. Has anyone DIY cleaned and sealed a floor like this or is it a job for a professional?

Job for a pro being honest but you could give it a go if you are short of funds. Lift and level the uneven stones, they are usually laid on lime mortar but semi dry sand and cement is easier and will work fine. Remove the existing pointing if possible and then clean. Cleaning sandstone can be a specialist job but you can sometimes be amazed how just thick bleach and a stiff brush will work. Also I have used neat detergent from Karcher. It is supposed to be used with a pressure washer but I just used it neat with a brush and it did a fine job. When it comes to re-pointing buy yourself a pointing tool, mix a very stiff mix of 4 to 1 sand and cement ( well mixed and don't use any additives) and force the mortar into the joints (use masking tape if you are not confident,) when it's overfull, press hard with the tool and either strike a line down the joint or smooth the whole joint with the tool. You will notice mortar disperses either side of the joint line. Resist temptation and don't touch it for an hour or so until it goes off a bit. Then use a soft brush and brush away the excess mortar. Good Luck.