Colouring quarry tiles

[PeterC]

The quarry tiles in next door's house are basically sound and have just been cleaned. Now they are almost white and were cardinal red. We'd like to restore the redness but don't want to use a polish or paint is possible, rather a stain. My tiles are the same and are still red after about 35 years with no treatment, but I can't remember what was used on them - obviously it wasn't superficial! Apparently Cardinal Red as such is no longer used and the nearest is Tableau

that needs a long time to dry fully and is a coating.

Any pointers, please?

[Tim Watts]

but that needs a long time to dry fully and is a coating.

Quarry tiles were available in many colours.

Sounds like yours are either supposed to be light and were waxed red - or they have got a white coating on maybe from the cleaning?

My red ones are red right through - they are just a lump of coloured clay after all.

Cheers

Tim

[stuart noble]

but that needs a long time to dry fully and is a coating.

It's probably just a red oxide pigment, similar to the standard cement dye, which you can buy dispersed in surfactant (Marley etc). A stain isn't practical though because it will powder off the surface when dry. Although the above product is probably classed as a coating, you can get a stain effect by rubbing it in with a rag instead of using a brush.

[PeterC]

> but that needs a long time to dry fully and is a coating.

Could be a coating from the cleaning, although mine has a small pale area where some vinegar was spilt on to it. I don't know what the colour is all the way through as we don't have a spare one or any edge to look at, so the only way to check is destructively

[PeterC]

> but that needs a long time to dry fully and is a coating.

Good, thanks. Looks as if we'll have to try that.

[PeterC]

Tableau

> but that needs a long time to dry fully and is a coating.

OK, thanks. Tableau it is!