brick floor

[aran]

Hello
I am restoring a cottage and have found a brick floor in the living room. I'd like to keep it - any ideas how to clean it up and seal/finish it off :?:
Thank you for your help

 

[Penners]

The first thing to do is to give it a good scrub with soap and water, and a soft scrubbing brush. Try not to get it too wet, and dry it off with old towels afterwards. Then let it dry fully.

If it's an original brick floor (ie: not one that's been replaced on top of concrete and damp-proofing), then don't be tempted to "seal" it with any modern sealing compound. A good floor wax will be the best thing. This will allow it to breathe and will be easily re-coatable if/when it gets a bit worn.

What a wonderful find!

 

[aran]

Thank you for the advice. I've gently washed it down with just a damp cloth - i'll give it a better scrub! Do you know of any good floor waxes - I've been finding it hard to get good avice on what products are good and do what they say!

Ps: it looks original. they put a scree down over it, then some vinal tiles followed by a manky green carpet!!!

 

[Penners]

Actually, having been browsing around the internet, I've found this:

http://www.greenbuildingstore.co.uk/np-clear.php

Scroll down the page to Stone Oil. They say this is for stone and terracotta, so it should be good for bricks.

Alternatively, there's no reason why you can't use linseed oil. Put on a first coat of a 50/50 mixture of boiled linseed oil and white spirit (do buy boiled - not raw). Let it dry. Then put on a final coat of 100% boiled linseed oil. Let it dry then buff it.

The beauty of these natural finishes is that, when they wear, you just slosh on another coat. Modern hard coatings look great when they're first put on, but when they start to wear through, you have a pig of a job to strip them off and recoat.

By the way, if your soap and water scrub still leaves the bricks looking a bit grimy, try cleaning with sugar soap (follow instructions on the bottle). But do make sure that - whatever you clean with - your bricks have thoroughly dried before you put a finish them.

 

[aran]

Thank you for your help!
I'll get a sample pot and see what its like!
I boil linseed for the horse so i can try that too (it doesnt smell great though!).

I think I just need a bit more elbow grease and the bricks should come up well - i'll remember the sugar soap!

 

[Penners]

it doesnt smell great though!

The linseed or the horse?

 

[aran]

to be fair both - but at least the horse is outside - the smell in the kitchen while your eating toast isn't great!
i'll just have to remember not to feed the horse the one with white spirit in - i dont think he'd appreciate it!

 

[skier-hughes]

Could perhaps try the linseed soap from Holkham...... Penners should be able to tell you how well it cleans doors in a couple of years time...... that's if he remembers to use it :lol:

In fact, I'll try some on our terracotta tiles and see what the result is.

http://www.holkham.co.uk/linseedpaints/

Graham

 

[aran]

i've got terracotta tiles in the kitchen and bathroom - i wasnt sure what to do to them as they're looking very unloved - not that i've even started sorting them out yet!
just a thought - could it make the floor slippery? I'll obviously try it out in a concealed corner area first to check it out

What would you do with tiles that are outside - i presume you need something a bit stronger to cope with the elements?

 

[skier-hughes]

Well the linseed soap cleaned up normal dirt quite well with minimum effort, but it was a lot of effort to start cleaning away the ingrained long ago formed dirty areas.

Might be a bit exppensive to use this on large areas.

Graham

I'm back to mopping as Jo is home in an hour and she'll kill me if she sees this mess............

 

[aran]

thanks for your advice
enjoy the mopping!

 

[Penners]

Penners should be able to tell you how well it cleans doors in a couple of years time...... that's if he remembers to use it

I'm wounded!

Actually, Graham, I have used it (at last!) I gave it a first try on Saturday. The result weren't spectacular, I have to say. It got some of the grime off the oak door, but the difference isn't enormous.

I'm planning to give it another go, in the hope that the first dose perhaps loosened up the dirt. But I'm not going out there at the moment - it's blowing a hooley!

 

[skier-hughes]

Jo noticed the clean tile in the middle of the floor as soon as she went in the kitchen!!!!!

Now she wants me to do the rest............ Rod Back :roll:

 

[Penners]

Jo noticed the clean tile in the middle of the floor as soon as she went in the kitchen!!!!!

Now she wants me to do the rest............ Rod Back :roll:

For goodness sake, Graham - haven't you learned Rule One?

Never do any household job well. You'll just get it permanently.

 

[Nemesis]

Ecover floor soap cleans and gives a finish to terracotta tiles and bricks. Normal household soap in strong solutions some people recommend also.

I urge caution with linseed oil... I have never used it on floors, but the tilesoc reckon that over many years it soaks into the surface and can turn black.

Brick is another form of unglazed ceramic tile really ... so what is recommended for those should be OK for brick.

http://www.tilesoc.org.uk/conservation1.htm