Quarry tiles - damaged faces. What to do ?

[masochists-r-us]

Hi everyone,
I bought a significant amount of victorian quarry tiles some time ago and have just got them out to clean up and prep for laying. The wax polish I have applied to some looks beautiful and glides over the surface which looks as though it has some kind of glaze on it. However, with many of the others the wax drags across the surface which seems to be rough,porous and frankly a bit ugly.There is definitely no cement left on them, but I'm wondering whether the faces have been irreparably damaged. If this is the case, is there anything at all I can do to recover the situation ? I have seen some lovely repro quarry tiles, but had hoped to use reclaim and having spent quite a bit of money on these, I'm loathe to pay out again.Also, perhaps should mention that the tiles are what I think are best described as brindles.
Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Penners]

Do the unsatisfactory tiles just feel rougher than the others, or can you actually see a pitted surface? I don't know what wax polish you're using, but is it liquid or paste?

I would try a couple of experiments on a few of the rough tiles. I'd try giving them a good scrape with a metal blade, to remove any grit that might have become sealed on to the surface during previous efforts to polish them. I'd try using various solvents (white spirit, meths, cellulose thinners) on the surface of a few, to see whether such grit has been sealed on with some kind of varnish. Perhaps also try just sanding a few with a fine sandpaper - say P150 or P180.

Then - if you achieve a satisfactorily smooth surface - try polishing it with a solid wax paste, in the hope that it will fill any pores. See if that imparts a smooth, sealed finish.

None of the above is based on expert knowledge. They're just a few things that I would try.

 

[Feltwell]

I wonder if you're worrying too much.

My original, never been disturbed quarry tiles are a mix of ones that are near perfect, ones that are mildly to heavily pitted and a few that are cracked as well. They look just fine as an "overall picture" - they look like an old, used floor with character. A whole floor of "near perfects" wouldn't look right.

Whilst I wouldn't advocate laying cracked tiles I think the pitted ones are just part of the charm and are what makes the floor look like a genuinely old floor. The quality control on Victorian tiles was nothing like what we get today - different tiles will have different hardnesses, depending on where they were in the kiln. I have pitted tiles in areas that would never have seen much wear as well as "high-traffic" areas, and near perfect tiles in both high and low wear areas as well.

 

[masochists-r-us]

Many thanks for the advice. Feltwell, you may well be right about me worrying. The problem is we're restoring a 17th C Farmhouse that was 1960 'fied so each time we install something fundamental to the structure, the responsibility to do it sympathetically and with good taste weighs heavily on my shoulders. I had similar worries when we lifted yet another concrete floor to install stone flags, and with good reason. There are quite a few rules to be adhered to, to ensure a good outcome with flags so I envy those of you out there with original floors. You are very lucky.
Penners, I am very satisfied that the faces of the quarry tiles are free of any unwanted residue, but you may be right. A bit of abrasion before I seal and/or finish the quarries could be beneficial.
Please, any of you out there could you advise me as to specically which products for sealing/finishing you have found to be the best, bearing in mind this is for a high traffic kitchen floor and I don't want to spend my life polishing.

 

[Penners]

any of you out there could you advise me as to specically which products for sealing/finishing you have found to be the best, bearing in mind this is for a high traffic kitchen floor and I don't want to spend my life polishing.

There you're faced with a dilemma.

In general, the most durable and hard-wearing finishes tend to be modern, chemically-curing finishes such as polyurethane. The trouble is that even these will eventually wear through, particularly in high traffic areas. Once they do, they look dreadful and are an absolute nightmare to restore - you can't just slosh another coat over the top and it's a hell of a job to strip the stuff off and start again.

More natural finishes, such as oils or waxes, will wear more rapidly, but they can usually be restored much more simply by re-coating them.

For what it's worth, my own compromise preference is for a wax that has some modern hardeners added for improved (but - NB - not perfect!) durability. For example. Johnson's Traffic Wax. http://www.floormakers.co.uk/shopping/productpage.asp?R=350 (available from many other sources).

Others will undoubtedly have their own preferred products.

 

[AMc]

Sealed my brick and pamment floors with 3 coats of osmo polyx - nice to apply and goes a long way.
It is showing wear on some of the wooden floors elsewhere but as you simply clean then reapply it's not the end of the world.
There might be an argument for not specifically applying anything but cleaning with Ecouver wood floor cleaner which contains linseed oil - we mop all our floors (ceramic and wood) with this stuff.

 

[Penners]

osmo polyx

I've never tried that stuff, although I know that many people on this forum swear by it.

I think it might be the name that puts me off. "I've got the results of your tests back, Mr Jones, and I'm sorry to say that you've got a nasty attack of osmo polyx."

 

[Feltwell]

Erm, our "lovingly kept" original Victorian quarry tiles have a deeply arduous care routine that consists of them being walked on a lot, having kids spill things on them, the vacuum passed over them fairly regularly and the occasional mop with a bit of Flash in the bucket. That's it!

Seriously, quarry tiles are as tough as old boots, a posh encaustic tiled hallway they are not. I wouldn't put anything on them if you can help it - I really don't think they need it and whatever you put on is going to wear and need retreating.

I can put some photos up of our much abused kitchen floor if you like, so you can see for youerself if you think it looks nicely aged or just plain neglected!