Can I polish natural slate with cobble wax?

Question

I've just had a natural slate hearth put in that needs polishing. I've got some cobble wax that says its for cobbled marble and other limestone and sand-based surfaces. Is it ok to use on slate, if not can anybody recommend anything. Would olive oil be ok? Thank you in advance.

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

The man that put my slate hearth in recommended WD-40 but I think that's an expensive way to do it and sometimes I use the olive oil from the kitchen. I would prefer not to 'polish' mine as I didn't realize 'rough cut' meant it was just mat not shiny. I would have preferred to have a more natural finish like you see on a roof tile. However If you want to polish it any oil will do. I wonder is it possible to build up a good, clean looking, dust and ash repelling sheen with furniture polish??

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

Thanks, I used olive oil and it looks great. I've got a log buner so it gets very ashy. It needed a polish as it just looked dusty white with the ash.

Answer 2

Oil is the best thing for slate whether it is for hearths or breadboards etc.

Answer 3

i use slate because it has the lowest pore content of all the natural stones. .002% to be exact. i never put anything on it. when i'm installing slate tiles that require grouting i use a penetrating sealer to prevent the grout from sticking to the surface when grouting. i have used other products on the finished slate upon request of the customer but have experienced peeling. i'm unsure about waxes and oils. natural slate roofs last for centuries with no sealers exposed to the elements. if you're going for more of a "wet look", try the penetrating sealer. here's a short informational video about slate. good luck!

Source(s):

i'm a natural slate roofing contractor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4W9O-N6k…

Answer 4

Not sure about the wax polish, but olive oil should be ok.
I'd advise caution with some types of oil though as they can go rancid and leave a sour smell after a while (Linseed etc).

You could try this link, it's for a slate oil.

http://www.pendragonfireplaces.co.uk/hot…