How to 'buff up' Tiles

[staceym]

As a new boy here I have at last found a topic where I might actually be able to add something useful! The traditional material for cleaning and maintaining floor tiles in France is Savon Noir - it seems to be a soap made from the skins of black olives, or simply containing olive oil, or possibly linseed oil. An internet search brings up quite a few references - these two for example: http://www.burgundylimestone.com/maintenance.asp or http://www.bauwerk.com.au/products/product.cfm?product_id=5. Hope this helps.

Thanks very much Keith. I'll look into them, should the sole and cat method not work out

Also, thanks very much for the nice words about the floor. It does amaze me how many years they have been there for and are still in such good condition.

 

[JoceAndChris]

It's clearly been very well cared for. I think shoes off at the door is a must for such pretty tiles.

And welcome Keith - interesting link there!

 

[Keith Bowman]

Welcome to the forum Keith - if you've been lurking for a while, you'll know that now you've came come out of the shadows it is customary, nay, de rigeur, to post some pics of your house/project.

It is the only way to sate the voracious appetite of PPUK vampires....

Thank you for the welcome. I have tried, and tried again, to post a picture on the test site, but failed. I have also looked, and looked again, to see how to add a location, but failed. And I have used the search thingy (and again) to see if anyone else has asked and been told....and failed. So - instructions needed from the vampires, please. And in the meantime, it's a fifteenth century timber house in Suffolk and an eighteenth century stone house in the Drome (where we used the Savon Noir on the floor tiles).

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Sounds exciting.... just for the record PPUK vampires don't drink blood like your normal period vampires, we devour PPUK Porn - otherwise known as pics!

Here's one of the guides to uploading pics from your PC:

http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9077&hilit=how+to+post+picture

To post a link, click on URL on the menu above the "reply to" box and insert the link between the tags

To post a picture elsewhere on the web, insert the location between the [ img][ /img] tags.

Robin

 

[lou]

The tiles don't look too bad in the pic so it might just be worth leaving them as they are. Your floor looks very much like ours. A few tiles have come a little loose and some have worn away slightly but over the last 25 years that we have lived in this house, they have required barely any maintenance at all let alone cleaning (yippee). Just a quick hoover and wipe over once with a mop when I can be bothered. Better still, they hardly ever show the dirt even with kids and friends traipsing through with wet shoes. Unless they are really in need of a refurbish, I think Joce's approach of walking up and down in soft soled shoes/slippers to be the best approach, if only to pick up any bits of fluff that are lying around.

 

[worms]

The traditional material... in France is...

Does anyone know a French hardware outlet that will ship to UK? On my very occasional forays that far South*, I am always impressed with the range of goods on offer but never have room in the car to bring anything back. I'm thinking in particular of the ironmongery - hinges/latches and all the paraphernalia that goes with shutters.

*The trip from here to Folkestone is further than Folkestone to Marseille, so we are not quite in the weekend trip across the channel category!

 

[Schoolmarm]

Use Ecover floor soap containing natural linseed oil.

 

[Sue Wilkinson]

Is it just me, or is this quote from one of keith's links really funny?

"Made from the hulls of black olives this soap is one of mankind oldest pure vegetable soaps. Thousands of years ago, Greek and Romans did use this soap to wash just about anything from their hair, clothes, floors and animals. Many more uses were found, such as in agricultural and building."

It must be a translation, the quirky wording "one of mankind oldest" and "did use this soap" coupled with the vision in my head of a Greek and Roman's side by side trying to wash clothes, floors and animals out of their hair really made me smile.

I should get out more.

 

[masochists-r-us]

I'm planning to use some of the products from this range as I've heard they're rather good. Don't know if anyone on the forum has used them yet.
http://www.ltp-online.co.uk/tile_sealing_products.html

 

[michael]

This method certainly works on plain red terracotta tiles. Don’t know about yours particularly the coloured ones. Are they glazed?

For plain unglazed red terracotta use ‘double boiled’ linseed oil and not the ordinary stuff.

Apply in thin coats with a brush until the tiles have fully absorbed the oil and it begins to puddle on the surface. Don’t allow any puddles to stand. Wipe off immediately with a dry cloth. Give it a few days to fully dry out and then apply a final coat of bees wax and buff to desired sheen.
Occasional application of bees wax, say once a year, should then be sufficient to keep your floor clean and tidy.