Brick floor cleaning / restoration

[glassbulb]

Hello - I’m looking for advice on how to clean/restore the brick floor that runs throughout our cottage and am struggling to find good info on what to use and more importantly probably what not to use that might in result in some unexpected consequence and damage by using the wrong product. The floor is generally in good condition throughout but will need some pointing in places to fill in the cracks. My biggest concern is what to use for cleaning that wont damage or have a bad reaction to the lime mortar and also how best to finish the bricks (shine them up and bring the colour back) that doesn't affect however they operate today. I am guessing they are very permeable at the moment which is a good thing for the house.

I've attached a couple of pics for info. Any advice or suggestions on what products to use would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Paul

 

[Toby Newell]

They look like quarry tiles and look great how they are.

If you have lime grout then experiment.

Try a strong soap cleaner like washing detergent, this is gentlest as almost neutral pH.

Then try an alkaline cleaner, mild like washing soda, then Sodium hydroxide if that doesn't work.

Those should remove all grease and grime and as lime is alkaline the caustic cleaners will not attack it.

If you want to remove the excess cement then you can experiment in a small corner with brick cleaner this is HCl, hydrochloric acid, spirits of salts, muriatic acid (same) this will fizz as it dissolves cement. If it's a pure lime mix this will destroy it, but if it's a lime / cement mix this is OK.

Wash, scrub, brush, done this several times. You will need wire brush, nylon brush, scourers many of as they will disintegrate, and tons of cloths and boiling hot water. Heavy duty nitrile gloves, safety squints and a fume respirator preferably ABEK2P3 if you are using HCl.

Apply cleaner, scrub, repeat x2, clean x3 let dry for 48hrs with heat.

To seal I use a modified traditional method. Typically this was hot linseed oil and turps to penetrative followed by beeswax when dry and wax to maintain.

Google 'Lithofin' they make the best professional products. They make two systems just for terra cotta. There is a modern impregnator and sealer and a traditional impregnator and sealer, I prefer the traditional system.

When dry (you may need more than 48hrs to dry, if you can leave 4 to 7 days the great) apply two coats of the impregnator then apply the top coat which is a wax, I use the brown antique one. You heat this in a double boiler until liquid and apply hot.

I normally do 2x impregnator and 2x wax. Have photos, also of the modern system with multi finish on encaustic tiles. Looks really great, rich and warm.

 

[glassbulb]

Thanks very much for the detailed reply this is excellent. I will give this a try and see how it goes.

 

[Toby Newell]

I will post photos later when on pc. I also used Lithofin cement away. Undiluted. And the cement grout was fine, but don't copy me, I'm a professional and we are allowed to break the rules whilst advising others not too.

FYI, they look like they have a partial glaze, when applying the impregnator if it stays wet and goes sticky, that's the old glaze resisting penetration.

In that case keep checking and wipe those areas before it dries and apply more to the dull areas. You might get away with no impregnator but I always apply it and wipe off the excess as you normally get a mix of heavily glazed, partially glazed and unglazed tiles.

And by that I don't just mean a vitreous glaze, rather maybe that or decades of wax and oil. They come up amazing.

 

[glassbulb]

Thanks, much appreciated.

One of the main issues I've had moving to an old cottage is how little a lot of builders seem to know or care for maintaining a property using traditional methods, or at least how to compliment them. My biggest concern with the floor and the rest of the cottage really is not doing anything that alters how it works today -- or at least when I do knowing that it wont undermine the integrity of the house, I came across a firm yesterday that advises an epoxy finish to waterproof it. I would have thought this to be the opposite of what is needed and rather maintaining that breathability is essential. I've been speaking to a company about hiring a high powered steam cleaner to get the paint off all the walls externally as it seems to be slowly destroying the bricks underneath.

 

[Toby Newell]

Thanks, much appreciated.

One of the main issues I've had moving to an old cottage is how little a lot of builders seem to know or care for maintaining a property using traditional methods, or at least how to compliment them. My biggest concern with the floor and the rest of the cottage really is not doing anything that alters how it works today -- or at least when I do knowing that it wont undermine the integrity of the house, I came across a firm yesterday that advises an epoxy finish to waterproof it. I would have thought this to be the opposite of what is needed and rather maintaining that breathability is essential. I've been speaking to a company about hiring a high powered steam cleaner to get the paint off all the walls externally as it seems to be slowly destroying the bricks underneath.

Epoxy on quarry tiles? That's nuts. Be careful with high pressure steam cleaners, I think I still have one somewhere they create a lot of water. Also might not be the best as might attack lime plaster. I would be very wary.

 

[lorrainek1611]

They look like quarry tiles and look great how they are.

If you have lime grout then experiment.

Try a strong soap cleaner like washing detergent, this is gentlest as almost neutral pH.

Then try an alkaline cleaner, mild like washing soda, then Sodium hydroxide if that doesn't work.

Those should remove all grease and grime and as lime is alkaline the caustic cleaners will not attack it.

If you want to remove the excess cement then you can experiment in a small corner with brick cleaner this is HCl, hydrochloric acid, spirits of salts, muriatic acid (same) this will fizz as it dissolves cement. If it's a pure lime mix this will destroy it, but if it's a lime / cement mix this is OK.

Wash, scrub, brush, done this several times. You will need wire brush, nylon brush, scourers many of as they will disintegrate, and tons of cloths and boiling hot water. Heavy duty nitrile gloves, safety squints and a fume respirator preferably ABEK2P3 if you are using HCl.

Apply cleaner, scrub, repeat x2, clean x3 let dry for 48hrs with heat.

To seal I use a modified traditional method. Typically this was hot linseed oil and turps to penetrative followed by beeswax when dry and wax to maintain.

Google 'Lithofin' they make the best professional products. They make two systems just for terra cotta. There is a modern impregnator and sealer and a traditional impregnator and sealer, I prefer the traditional system.

When dry (you may need more than 48hrs to dry, if you can leave 4 to 7 days the great) apply two coats of the impregnator then apply the top coat which is a wax, I use the brown antique one. You heat this in a double boiler until liquid and apply hot.

I normally do 2x impregnator and 2x wax. Have photos, also of the modern system with multi finish on encaustic tiles. Looks really great, rich and warm.

Hello Toby

I have read your response to this question with great interest as I have an original brick kitchen floor in my 16th Century barn which requires attention and your instructions for cleaning and resealing are very useful - thank you. I need to repoint some areas of the floor and wonder if you can advise of the best product or type of material. I'm wondering if I need lime mortar though when this was done 15 years ago, it did not stay put, hence the holes now. Any suggestions or advice would be much appreciated.