Cleaning and polishing old floor tiles

tagz

The tiles in our hall are the original black and red hexagonal ones (some are cracked but never mind) and after all the building work we have had done they are filthy. Can anyone tell me what I should use to give them a good clean and then how to polish them. They have never looked really shiny and vibrant (except when they are wet!) and was wondering if they might need sealing? Someone told me to scrub them with hot water and bleach and then use a mix of linseed oil and beeswax, but I thought the bleach might discolour them and also what ratio for the oil and beeswax and then what type (raw or boiled linseed and all the beeswax I found was coloured!). I really don't want to ruin them!

pegginout

we used to brush our quarry tiles with a hard yard brush and a bit of wet sand. Brush it like mad and then just brush up the sand and chuck it away.

Fen1

DOn't put bleach anywhere near them! This will damage the glaze on top.

Quarry tiles are different from glazed tiles, so don't scrub them with a hard brush. Again, you'll damage the glaze.

THe following sites will give you lots of information on tiles and how to treat them:

http://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/tiles/tiles.htm

http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=34318

tile_guru

Here you go.

http://www.tileforums.com/index.php?showtopic=2771

vansboy

At our last place, I found the red & black tiles were more or less as good as new, under the concrete floor which had been laid over them.

When I dug them up for our new floor, they were all scraped to remove the concrete, wire wool & some diesel, then when I relaid them in the porch, polished up with linseed oil, £1.99 from Wilkinsons.

Looked really smart & I was quite pleased with my Monesaving & recycling effort - despite it taking forever!!

VB

debbie42

Fen1 wrote: »

http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=34318

Just thought I'd recommend the Lithofin products that this link cites, from http://www.extensive.co.uk

I have used them on my terracotta floor, since laying it a few years back. I know yours are different tiles, but the company are very helpful and have some useful advice, both on the website and by phone.