The Terracotta Floor Tiles were reclaimed and laid in our customers cottage a number of years ago. They were lovely, rustic and suited the cottage situated in Currie, Nr. Edinburgh. They had not been sealed for years and with lots of traffic and pets using the area the soiling was proving difficult to shift. It was starting to get ingrained.
Starting the Cleaning of the Terracotta Tiles:
As the tiles were laid with lippage and slightly uneven to look rustic it was important we used the correct methods to clean the tiles and gout lines. This was completed using the correct cleaning pads, materials, a rotary floor cleaning machine, hand held buffer and also deck brushes. The tiles needed to be deep cleaned using an Alkaline solution and then removed using a wet vacuum. The floor was then rinsed with clean water and removed using a wet vacuum. The second clean was an acid rinse to neutralise the alkaline wash, treat for any potential efflorescence and prepare the tiles for sealing. After the acid rinse the solution is removed using a wet vacuum and then fully rinsed again with clean water and removed using a wet vacuum. With the floor looking and feeling clean it is left to dry overnight so that it is ready for sealing.
Sealing the Terracotta Tiles:
The tiles were checked to ensure they were dry using a moisture reader. As they were ready for sealing the colour enhancing and matt sealer (from Tile Doctor) was applied twice to ensure the correct amount of sealer for the tiles. The first coat was applied, left on for a period and then all excess sealer was removed and the sealer was left to dry. After 60 minutes the second coat was applied using the same process. The full drying and curing process takes 24 hours so it was important the floor had no traffic for this period. The sealer chosen is a tough, waterproof sealer suited for the environment it was used for in this home. To maintain the sealer the floor needs to be cleaned with a PH Neutral cleaner. This will lift the soiling from the surface of the tiles and not affect the sealer. If other hard cleaners are used they will, over time, erode sealer and this is when the floor starts to get soiled and unable to be cleaned.
