Cleaning of Original FLoor Tiles

[rachy]

We have bought a Victorian cottage and are ripping out the kitchen. Underneath nasty 70s lino tiles, on the floor, we are uncovering some original red quarry tiles. These are still covered with a nasty whitish adhesive.
Elsewhere we have uncovered some tiles that are covered in a thin layer of what appears to be bitumin?
ON Agony Uncle, someone mentioned Lithofin Victorian Tiled Floor Restorer .
Does this strip off adhesives and bitumin or does ot just clean?
If it doesn't, what can we do to fetch off adhesives etc without scraping and scratching the tiles?
Thanks :?

 

[Anne]

Depends on the type of adhesive they used, but I managed to get some carpet adhesive off quarry tiles with white spirit and 0000 grade steel wool, let it soak a bit and lots of scrubbing.

 

[erusfarley]

i know exactly the stuff you are talking about, had to go through the same thing in our last house and do not envy you.

however i used a heat gun to just soften the bitumen, then scraped it off with wallpaper scraper, then used plasplugs heavy duty tile remover to clean the rest with a big old grannies type scrubbing brush.
finally didnt seal but used tableau red floor tile polish, which allows floor to breath, brilliant stuff, adds colour goes into the tiles and buffs to a soft sheen, once its done it needs redoing every 6 months depending on use and mops really well, just make sure after mopping with say normal floor cleaner ie jif lemon, rinse with clean bucket of water.
looks beautiful and is easy to maintain once the initial graft is done.
check out the website for stockists. make sure you go for the one in the tin not the one in the bottle as thats crap and just sits on top of the tile like a paint.

http://www.tableaurpm.co.uk/household_care.htm