Comment: As I'm renting I'm not sure how long the slate has been down or what type of slate it is. I think it might have been one of the first slates that were popular in Australia. As the slate is uneven, I remember about 14 years ago people started to get a smooth slate because it was better and easier to reseal. Also the slate is very dull, it used to have a shine.
I've tried your test and the water didn't bead into droplets, it just went into a puddle and after awhile the water started to run.
Thanks for your help any more advice is much appreciated.
Reply: It sounds to me like it could do with a deep clean & re-seal, in the UK we have 1 or 2 products I could recommend, but seeing as you are in Australia I would go to your local tile store & find out what product they would suggest to strip, clean & re-seal your floor.
Its a bit of hard work to clean your slate floor but the results will be well worth the effort.
