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JoceAndChris
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http://www.thebathbusiness.co.uk/#/restoring-antique-sinks/4533258720
although they're too vague in their description of the process for my liking.
How interesting! I'm glad you posted that question- made me think there might be some hope for my nice old loo.
although they're too vague in their description of the process for my liking.
How interesting! I'm glad you posted that question- made me think there might be some hope for my nice old loo.
JoceAndChris
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Ah, that would explain their vague explanation linked to the confident assertion that they choose the best process for the job.
Reading around (I wnat an antique sink too), I meet a lot of negativity about this! This little snippet of conversation between potters is interesting http://www.potters.org/subject07489.htm
and Drummonds are very negative about the whole thing, and just want you to buy their repro products - surprise surprise!
"Old Basins and WC pans tend to get damaged, with chips and worn glaze fatally spoiling the appearance. Reglazing old chinaware is possible but not always successful. The old glaze must first be removed; then items are shotblasted, reglazed and refired. There is a 2:1 chance that the china antique will break during the process.
Items in good condition are therefore hard to come by and expensive. You would be lucky to buy an antique basin, for example, in good condition for less than £800 and the choicest old wash basins can cost as much as £9000.
It is often simpler to buy a fine crafted copy. See our wash basins and toilets." http://www.drummonds-arch.co.uk/resources/8.htm
Wishing you the best of luck with this one though Rob!
Reading around (I wnat an antique sink too), I meet a lot of negativity about this! This little snippet of conversation between potters is interesting http://www.potters.org/subject07489.htm
and Drummonds are very negative about the whole thing, and just want you to buy their repro products - surprise surprise!
"Old Basins and WC pans tend to get damaged, with chips and worn glaze fatally spoiling the appearance. Reglazing old chinaware is possible but not always successful. The old glaze must first be removed; then items are shotblasted, reglazed and refired. There is a 2:1 chance that the china antique will break during the process.
Items in good condition are therefore hard to come by and expensive. You would be lucky to buy an antique basin, for example, in good condition for less than £800 and the choicest old wash basins can cost as much as £9000.
It is often simpler to buy a fine crafted copy. See our wash basins and toilets." http://www.drummonds-arch.co.uk/resources/8.htm
Wishing you the best of luck with this one though Rob!
Penners
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I think I would be sceptical of any process which claims to be able to restore the glaze on china sanitaryware, other than a complete re-glaze and re-fire. And as Joce has illustrated above, this is a high risk (and probably very expensive) process.
JoceAndChris
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What size is the sink Rob? Do you own it yet or is it a plan? Might be worth ringing round a few potters see if you can get any leads. Or maybe even taking up pottery after you've learned the thatching. :wink:
Has anyone had this clear spray paint done to their old sanitary ware? If so, I'd be glad to know if it's given a pleasing finish, and how it wears.
Has anyone had this clear spray paint done to their old sanitary ware? If so, I'd be glad to know if it's given a pleasing finish, and how it wears.
Flyfisher
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This might make me a philistine, but if "choicest old wash basins" can cost as much as £9000 then I would learn to live with a "fine crafted copy".
Cloudscape
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robgil said:
Ditto. :|
Hi
I did a restoration project on a listed set of Art Deco public toilets.
As part of this we had all the uranals recoated. They had been previously done 10 years before.
The spray epoxy coating that they put on has a realistic life of about three years in a constant use scenario. It peels off in the 'tagget zone' after then.
Leaving the glaze 'crazzed' was not a possibility either. The ceramics where becoming discoloured and it was a health and safety problem.
If anyone does find a long term solution it would be great to know.
Thanks
Tony
I did a restoration project on a listed set of Art Deco public toilets.
As part of this we had all the uranals recoated. They had been previously done 10 years before.
The spray epoxy coating that they put on has a realistic life of about three years in a constant use scenario. It peels off in the 'tagget zone' after then.
Leaving the glaze 'crazzed' was not a possibility either. The ceramics where becoming discoloured and it was a health and safety problem.
If anyone does find a long term solution it would be great to know.
Thanks
Tony
JoceAndChris
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Very interesting indeed. And was it very obvious the loos were coated in stuff? Did it look matching? Was it nice?
Is there any chemical that can shift really ingrained, yellowy, limescaly stains? I've tried with Limelite etc in my loo, it's made a difference but not removed all stains.
Apologies to the delicate to be discussing toilet stains like this, but it must be done you know!
Is there any chemical that can shift really ingrained, yellowy, limescaly stains? I've tried with Limelite etc in my loo, it's made a difference but not removed all stains.
Apologies to the delicate to be discussing toilet stains like this, but it must be done you know!
JoceAndChris
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I must say they are the nicest urinals I've seen. How wonderful that they still survive. Well done on a great job there. Are the two pictures of different sets? Because the decorative bit dividing them is missing in the second pic.
I did not imagine that I would ever be waxing lyrical about a loo- funny what owning a period property does to you! I can't wait to have a go at restoring mine, it's working fine - just the seat needs recoating (French polish? wax?) and I need to find a good chain from somewhere,( not sure what kind of thing would be appropriate for a pre-war look), and the room needs a little corner sink as curently there's none.
In Navenby today I saw the most divine, green, 40s sink - only £40. Very tempting. It didn't need anything beyond a clean and new taps. They are out there chaps!
I did not imagine that I would ever be waxing lyrical about a loo- funny what owning a period property does to you! I can't wait to have a go at restoring mine, it's working fine - just the seat needs recoating (French polish? wax?) and I need to find a good chain from somewhere,( not sure what kind of thing would be appropriate for a pre-war look), and the room needs a little corner sink as curently there's none.
In Navenby today I saw the most divine, green, 40s sink - only £40. Very tempting. It didn't need anything beyond a clean and new taps. They are out there chaps!
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JoceAndChris said:
Joce - how many urinals have you seen? I know you're a liberated woman and all that, but...
JoceAndChris
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OK, you've rumbled me. Not so many. My urinal experience is limited to those horrible open air ones in major cities - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1815920.stm - scroll down that page if anyone needs to see pic, also whist cleaning ferries in dry dock, my first job, and these rather jolly ones in Vienna http://www.urinal.net/vienna_opera/
Out of those garnett's get the Joce prize for urinal of the year.
Out of those garnett's get the Joce prize for urinal of the year.
Nigel Watts
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My top three are those:
at Lord's cricket ground, which have well-placed windows and plasma screens above them so you dont have to miss any of the match while you are relieving yourself of the liquid hospitality;
off the lobby at the Savoy (probably being ripped out as we speak during the refurbishment), complete with glass panels to prevent one's shoes getting splashed and a liveried flunkey to hand you a towel;
in the converted turkish bath next to St Botolph's Bishopsgate - now a restaurant - for the great tiling.
at Lord's cricket ground, which have well-placed windows and plasma screens above them so you dont have to miss any of the match while you are relieving yourself of the liquid hospitality;
off the lobby at the Savoy (probably being ripped out as we speak during the refurbishment), complete with glass panels to prevent one's shoes getting splashed and a liveried flunkey to hand you a towel;
in the converted turkish bath next to St Botolph's Bishopsgate - now a restaurant - for the great tiling.
Hello again
I'd love to show you the whole restoration. It was the first project that I was given when I became a conservation officer. You are right that the urinals are different. We had two sets of toilets in the building. One semi abandoned and the others in need of restoration. We basically produced one top quality restoration out of the two.
We spent many hours sawing vitrolite tiles off of the walls. All wearing breathing apparatus because of the solvent that we used.
When you open a cubicle door the lights come on automatically!
The coated urinals look good but they have already failed. In my own home if I needed such a thing, I would have stuck with the original discolouration but it was not an option in a public building.
Garnett
I'd love to show you the whole restoration. It was the first project that I was given when I became a conservation officer. You are right that the urinals are different. We had two sets of toilets in the building. One semi abandoned and the others in need of restoration. We basically produced one top quality restoration out of the two.
We spent many hours sawing vitrolite tiles off of the walls. All wearing breathing apparatus because of the solvent that we used.
When you open a cubicle door the lights come on automatically!
The coated urinals look good but they have already failed. In my own home if I needed such a thing, I would have stuck with the original discolouration but it was not an option in a public building.
Garnett
JoceAndChris
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garnett said:
Best offer I've had all week - I hope you will! What are vitrolite tiles? Why did they need to come off?
You know, I'm really tempted by this coating stuff for my butler's sink in the scullery. OK, it's only going to last 3 years - but then all painting/ waxing/ finishing needs frequent renewal. And such a small area - is it that much of a problem just to redo it when necessary? In the case of my butler's sink, I don't use it anyway as I have given in to the 21st C and bought a dishwasher.
Nigel- I approve of your choices very much.