restoring quarry tiles, urgent help needed before i go barmy

[erusfarley]

We have abeautiful 1918 stone built house in west wales, with a beautiful but filthy blue/black quarry tiled floor (from years of being under carpet and significant house restoration/ building work)

however my problem is that i cannot get them to shine.
I have cleaned using a heavy duty tile cleaner (they needed it),
I have tried old fashioned remedies like milk, raw and boiled linseed oil, beeswax, tableaux black tile polish, (the red works brilliantly on red quarry tiles, have used it before and you cannot beat it) new products like johnsons klear, and two other types of floor wax (which i cant remember the names of), solid one in a tin the other one is liquid in a metal can, to name but a few.
obviously my patience is wearing a little thin as well as my knees and bank balance as none of them seem to get that beautiful shine that you see in magazines.
I have used so much elbow grease I have no elbows left and although am only 35 I have housemaids knee.

PLEEEEAAASSSSSSSEEEE can someone give any advice or names of products that actually work. I am quite willing to use my husbands elbow to continue the hard work, he he.

 

[Moo]

Are you really sure you want that wet-look shine you see in magazines?
The shinier a surface, the more the dust and marks show - which is probably why the Victorians/Edwardians didn't glaze the things in the first place.
I doubt whether you can achieve it on unglazed quarry tiles, but even if you did you'd be giving yourself a daily chore. Just go for the richly-glowing colour effect and leave the mirror finishes to those who can afford the staff to maintain it.


ps. get the old man to buy you a floor-polisher, anyway.

 

[L1zzy]

I'm with Moo on this you could be different from the crowd and go with the matt finish!................ be a trailblazer?? Shiney tiles are so last year!

But if you need help maybe the lady who kindly posted a mail on this site about the Cardinal red polish equivalent that her compnay sells might be able to suggest the appropriate 'solution'.

Good luck

 

[erusfarley]

Are you really sure you want that wet-look shine you see in magazines?
The shinier a surface, the more the dust and marks show - which is probably why the Victorians/Edwardians didn't glaze the things in the first place.
I doubt whether you can achieve it on unglazed quarry tiles, but even if you did you'd be giving yourself a daily chore. Just go for the richly-glowing colour effect and leave the mirror finishes to those who can afford the staff to maintain it.


ps. get the old man to buy you a floor-polisher, anyway.

I have tried the matt look too, and that seems to also show the dust, footmarks etc, having a dog also makes things worse as using 50/50 linseed and white spirit also makes the tiles slightly tacky and hairs stick, so I figured if the workload is going to be the same I may as well have the finish I want. ( also to see the floor, you would understand why I want it with a decent sheen, its crying out for it, not because the masses go for it but because it will look the best as opposed to looking ok, I have done everything else to this house to bring out the best and I will certainly carry that theme on)

also what seems to making things worse is that because the tiles are approx 80 years old and some of the room layouts have been changed, (what was the old kitchen is now the open lounge/ diner), the floor tiles have worn more in some places than others, so around where the old range was the tiles are very dull and some of the others are still slightly glazed which looks rubbish
( the house is the second biggest in the village and was built by a sea captain in 1918, his son still lives locally and he has told us how it was originally, when we talked to him he said that his father had got the best around at the time, so maybe they were originally glazed but some glazings have worn o)ff

(before everyone starts howling sacrilidge at removing original feature i.e the range, someone took it out before we bought the place, we have however inherited a wedgewood blue rayburn in full working order albeit it in the dining area, which i have cleaned and renovated to within an inch of its life)

So if anyone can help????? I still need advice on how to get a good shine?

 

[Sue Wilkinson]

Not sure if they can help, but give Mike Wye a call (01409-281644) and tell them about your problem. I am half-way through a similar conversation with them. They sell a range of German natural paints and finishes and the chap I spoke to was going to find out from the manufacturer if it would do what I wanted.

Your problem is a bit different to mine, but along the same lines. You can but ask.

Sue

 

[erusfarley]

thanks Sue, will do, its worth a try.