Cleaning and sealing porous tiles?

nightsong

Hi all, I've searched on the site for some information but couldn't find any, I'm sure someone here can advise me, would be very grateful for ideas.

We're renovating the kitchen and, on scraping off layers of paint on the windowsill, have uncovered some rather nice red tiles. They look like terracotta I think, or something like that - what's the red stuff that old-fashioned floor tiles are made of? They are pretty hard but not finished and therefore porous.

There are a couple of whitish marks on them, perhaps from water? Presuambly before they were painted.

So, any ideas on how to a) get the marks off, and b) seal them?

thanks!

mikeywills

A tile merchant would sell sealants for porous tiles such as terracotta, marble, and travertine.

It is possible that you have a water mark on them, what does the mark look like is it round and dotted, a line like a tide mark?

cattie

Any decent hardware/diy store or tile merchant will have a range of HG products which are especially for tiles. You'll find what you want from these.

nightsong

mikeywills wrote:

A tile merchant would sell sealants for porous tiles such as terracotta, marble, and travertine.

It is possible that you have a water mark on them, what does the mark look like is it round and dotted, a line like a tide mark?

Thanks for your reply. The marks are whitish, iregular in shape, covering about a third of a couple of tiles. I thought perhaps it was salts?

They are all carefully covered up during the painting!

mikeywills

Hi nightsong,

You must have read my mind, as I was thinking it could be salt staining. Easy way to find out is, make up a solution of 9 parts water to 1 part chlorine bleach. Scrub the tiles, and wash off with clean water. leave to dry naturally.

(always remember to use old clothes and rubber gloves when working with chlorine, and keep the windows open)