Please help: Need to strip/clean/seal Quarry tiles in kitchen?

[chippy1]

Hi All,

Have had lots of help from this site over the months and back for more advice...please!


I have very old terracotta quarry tiles in my kitchen. Instead of laying laminate etc over the top I was hoping someone might be able to point me in the right direction of a cleaner/polish/sealer that could make my very old, dirty, faded quarry tiles look new again....

Any ideas on the best products I could use?

Many thanks for any help

 

[LadyArowana]

If there isn’t anything nasty, like old glue or sealant, on them beyond ‘normal’ dirt then you could try an old fashioned carbolic type soap. I’ve has good results with it on slightly porous surfaces. Make a nice lather, put on with a kitchen scrubber, apply some elbow grease leave for a few mins wash off and repeat if the foam is very dirty looking. The advantage is that it’s cheap and if it doesn’t work you can just use the soap elsewhere.

 

[plasticpigeon]

Elbow grease is good as I'm sure her ladyships serfs would agree! Also for any cement of lime residue brick acid can help, and for general greasy dirty stains, an alkali cleaner can help. Once exposed I find they wear in and get a nice shiny surface after a few years where they are constantly walked on. I don't think they will ever look like new, but it would be a shame if they did really!

 

[masochists-r-us]

I wasted an inordinate amount of time and money trying to answer this question, more than on any other project we have undertaken in our mammoth restoration of a C17th farmhouse. I received all sorts of conflicting and useless advice via the Internet before I finally resolved this, so hopefully you can benefit.
First clean off any cement residue if needed with brick acid, scrape off paint drips with a sharp chisel, then do a general clean using a good cleaner - I used something from the LTP range which are supposedly one of the best. I would scrub each one by hand.
When all clean and thoroughly dry, you're ready to apply the linseed oil. I used Boiled which dries quicker than Raw and that is the only difference between the two types,despite what you may read.This part of the process is the most critical. Applying linseed fixes the fade, giving the quarries a lovely deep red colour and you will probably need to apply a number of coats, depending on the porosity of your tiles and how long it is since they were last treated. Please ignore all the stories about how linseed will leave a sticky mess, it won't on very old, porous quarries like yours. It will just be absorbed and give your tiles the traditional colour you would expect to see. I can only assume that sticky mess comments are made about modern, non porous 'quarry style' ceramic tiles you can buy in the DIY sheds.
When you're happy with the colour and they're dry, you are then ready for the finish. There are so many brands out there, but the best I have found is Diversey Eternum. It's water based and can be regularly re-applied, without stripping off the old surface, as it wears off naturally over time. It's a sort of milky looking liquid that smells of ammonia,although I don't actually know what's in it. It's very easy to apply, you just mop it on and leave to dry. It was recommended to me by the caretaker at the school across the road from where I live, as the best she had used. It dries with a lovely, glossy finish which naturally wears back over time and you just re-apply. By the way, it's unlikely that you'll ever need to apply linseed oil again. This step is really a one-off job, you'll be pleased to hear. All the best, please post some photos if you can.

 

[chippy1]

Thank you all....really appreciate the replies!

I was looking for a "like" button next to your comments but couldnt find one.....looks like I got a busy day ahead!

thank you again,

kind regards

 

[Feltwell]

Heathen alert.....

I've found the best thing is.... just walk on them!

The ones I have are as tough as old boots, they get mopped occasionally with flash or similar and that's it. They have a nice deep red colour and patina. They were a very functional cheap tile back in the day for utility areas only so I doubt they would have got much love.

I'd be tempted to give them a good scrub with some soap as Lady A says if they're very dirty, then live with them for a while and see how they settle back in. If you're not happy then you can always do the linseed oil & sealer routine.

Mind you, I don't like quarries that are too shiny. Personal preference, a satin finish looks better to me.