refurbish quarry tiles

[spicko]

i would like to clean and re-furbish red and black quarry tiles. can someone let me know how i go about this. thanks

[Nick Brooks]

You haven't given us very much information. I'm assuming you've got old porous tiles.

You need to find out what sort of treatment they've had so far. Traditional method is linseed oil and wax, modern finishes seal the floor completely.

I'd start by cleaning as well as possible using a steam cleaner or pressure washer (is the floor inside or out?) or try "Tiled Floor Restorer" see below

To protect them, either go the traditional route, linseed oil and wax, you'll need a polisher, or use a product from somewhere like

HTH

Nick Brooks

[BigWallop]

Weak solution of domestos and hot water (one cupful domestos to a gallon of water), then get a scrubbing brush and grease your elbows.

[Christian McArdle]

Have a look at

There's all sorts of possibilities. A good reliable supplier of their stuff is

Their detailed method statement sort of suggests as a strategy (obviously, not all will be needed, depending on their current state):

1. Lithofin Victorian Tile Restorer (to remove ingrained dirt)
2. Lithofin WEXA (to remove polishes and waxes)
3. Lithofin Stain-Away or Oil-Ex (to remove oil and grease)
4. Lithofin KF - Cement Reside Remover (to remove old/replacement grout)

For protection, they then give the choice of impregation or surface polishing. Impregnation will require less work, as polishing requires frequent reapplication to maintain lustre and protection.

1. Lithofin KF-Stain Stop (to impregnate)
2. Lithofin KF-Tile Polish (to polish)

Then for regular cleaning, they recommend Lithofin Easy Care.

Christian.

[Christian McArdle]

Here's a specific link:

[Christian McArdle]

Sorry, brain fart. The supplier is

Christian.

[Michael Mcneil]

If you can take them up, use a belt sander as a linisher and put them quickly over several grades of red "garnet paper" then use the finishes that are reccommended here.

If you can't get them up, try a floor sander and a belt sander for the edges.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Dunk em in brick acid.

scrub wash.

Dunkl in strong organic solvent

Scrub wash.

[Christian McArdle]

If you can't find brick acid (I could only find crappy water based replacements that were about as effective as fairy liquid), Lithofin Cement Away is an extremely effective equivalent. Did wonders for my toilet bowl. Lithofin KF Cement Residue Remover is similar, but probably a little milder for use indoors.

In Lithofin-speak, this is probably something like Lithofin WEXA.

Christian.

P.S. I'm not really the Lithofin marketing manager, honest!

[The Natural Philosopher]

its fine if you want to pay double for a fancy tin and a brand name.

However teh basic prinipals of cleaning anything are to establish what the item is made of, and what teh irt is made off, and then find a sovent or mechnical method to remove the latter wihout removing the former.

Wuarry siltes are silicates, and pretty inert to most liquids. They are purous tjopugh, and will absorb greaees and oils, and will stick o cemest.

So...conc acid for any cement residue. conc organic solvent for paints and tars - or even paint stripper. cpnc casutoc sioda for ingrained grease and waxes.

And mechanicaical scrubbing with rubber gloves on to get teh loose stiff out the cracks.

Here's a test for you.

Given a piece of expanded polystrene foam covered inplaster how would you

(a) remove the foam leaving just the plaster?

(b) remove the plaster just leaving the foam?

:-)

[Christian McArdle]

Presumably leave in some sort of solvent. I'll guess Cellulose thinners.

Leave in a vat of brick acid?

Christian.

[Christian McArdle]

Yeah. I'd have been happy to buy unbranded brick acid, but could only find useless "acid free" alternatives.

Christian.

[stuart noble]

Alkali only affects organic material, which would exclude a lot of waxes. The only grease I can think of that might respond to citsuac ados would be lanolin

[Andy Hall]

B&Q used to have it, but no longer, as far as I could find.

You can get it from BuilderCenter.......

I think that their products are really good as well, and so so most people that have used them.

Now about that new pyramid franchise........

.andy

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