Back in the 1980’s there was a bit of a craze for using terracotta. It was everywhere, in magazines, on TV, and it was soon being used extensively in homes and also in commercial properties like pubs and wine bars. After a few years it seemed to disappear almost as fast. This is due in part to the over-exposure and the ever changing fashions for interior design, but I also suspect that more than a few people experienced a number of headaches in terms of sealing, cleaning and maintaining it.However, all things work in circles right? Well not exactly, but I do see that Terracotta is making a little bit of a come back, not like the last time, but people are it seems one again being swayed by the rustic charms and warm tones and using it in selected areas.
So, I though it timely to do a little article on the methods for sealing terracotta. There are basically two systems (and lots of variations for both) :
1. The traditional oil & wax treatment, or,
2. The modern, synthetic approach.
1. Traditional Oil & Wax.
Many Tilers still prefer this method, largely I think because this is the method they were taught. One of the most popular methods for sealing terracotta is to use a combination of boiled linseed oil and then polish with a neutral Beeswax.
First the tile is treated with several coats of boiled linseed oil; the oil is spread with a cloth or sponge as evenly as possible over the terracotta, before grouting. The first coat is the hardest as the oil is pulled into the extremely porous tile very quickly, so it takes a bit of skill and practice to get an even coat. Subsequent coats are a little easier, until the tile approaches saturation. Care must be taken not to over-apply the oil, making sure any surplus is not left to dry, as this would become sticky and require scraping off. Once the tile is sufficiently sealed (it will take several coats) it will also be considerably darker. It is the oil that gives terracotta that characteristic amber shade that many people like. Once dry, they can be grouted. When the grouting is completely dry, the tiles can be finished off with a coat or two of wax polish – there are many to choose from, some in paste form that require thinning with white spirits (a messy job) and others that come ready to use as a ‘floor wax’.
The advantage of this system is really just aesthetic, if you like that ‘warm look’ then go for this. However, there are several drawbacks: It is a much more involved process in the beginning; ongoing maintenance is also more arduous, the wax will quickly dull through traffic and cleaning, thus it will require frequent re-polishing and this is a hands and knees job, unless you are prepared to purchase a buffing machine. After a while, the wax will build up in layers and will start to actually attract and hold dirt, becoming darker and even tacky to the touch. At this point it needs stripping off, right back to the tile surface using solvent stripers (the oil will not be removed) and the whole polishing process starts again.
2. The Modern, Synthetic Approach
While possibly not offering quite the same depth of colour as oil and wax (it should be pointed out that not everyone likes that artificially darkened colour anyway) is much simpler and far easier to maintain. Again there are several propriety products available. Water-based, acrylic type coatings sealers are safe and relatively easy to use, offering both a surface seal and a degree of shine or gloss in one operation. This saves both time and money. Typically several coats of this type of product can be applied to the tile, depending on its porosity and the degree of sheen you are after. After grouting another coat may be applied. And that is it, job done. As it is a surface coating, just like wax it will of course wear, but it is more resilient and will not dull quite so quickly. With proper care, using neutral cleaners it can actually last for up to 3 years, but typically will not require any topping up before 12 months (this is dependent on many things of course). When it does start to dull down, there is no need to strip; instead a fresh coat can be applied right over what is already there.
If a very glossy finish is required, like a highly buffed wax, then adding a coat or two of a sacrificial acrylic polish on top of your coating sealer will add that high-gloss look. In addition to this, as it is also a sacrificial layer, it helps to protect and prolonging the life of the sealer beneath.
Copyright Ian Taylor and The Tile and Stone Blog.co.uk, 2013. See copyright notice above.
Hi Ian,
Thank you for your prompt and in depth reply.
Best regards
Sue
Hi Ian, Thanks for you efforts writting this Blog. I have re-layed Quarry tiles on Back-door steps. I just need to grout now and have bought some Lithofin Stain-Stop (Liniseed oil based) sealer to prevent the surface from becomming a mess during grouting and to seal. But before I do I just want to re-confirm that this oil wont prevent the Grout from afixing properly.
Just being cautious!
Thanks in advance
Hi Danni,
Ok, well I don’t think the Stain Stop is based on linseed oil! – but it is a good sealer so no worries.
Apply it as per instructions but don’t let it pour into the joint and flood it. It is an impregnating sealer and so will be absorbed into the tile edges and only minimal surface residue will be left. A little won’t hurt as the grout will be left to set, in a deep cross-section (relative to the thickness of any grout haze/fill that you are trying to prevent on the surface).
Any residue on the tile edges may make a 100% bond of the grout to the tile edge less likely in a few spots but unlike the grout residue, you won’t be attempting to remove it (and sealers only provide reaction time, not unassailable protection) – so the grout itself will have the benefit of being ‘en-masse’ and more than enough surface area of tile and bed to bond to that is not over protected by sealer, and will be allowed to fully cure – so it is not going to pop out.
I hope this is making sense, in fact it can be argued that sealing the edges may even help – think of it like a primer that reduces water ingress, so it will allow the grout a slower set and therefore it can achieve higher strength – this is perhaps debatable but it is one of the reasons some situations call for pre-sealing or 6-sided sealing of certain stones before installation.
Basically, keep the application nice and tight to the surface, don’t flood the joints, but don’t worry about the odd little bit of over-spill creeping over the edge and you should be fine.
Hope this helps
Ian
Thank you Ian. Great detailed response, very well put.
It is the Lithofin KF Stain-Stop that I have and I think your right I didnt see any mention of oil.
Just one more think if I may – Do you know how I should best apply this Stain Stop before I grout?
Thank again
Danni
HI, I think like most impregnators, use a paint pad or micro fibre cloth or brush, and apply a coat of sealer, allow it to penetrate the surface but do not allow it to dry on the surface – wipe away any surplus while still wet
I am sure there are very specific instructions on the container?
Kind regards
Ian
How can i use to seal and make a clay wall tiles shine?
Kind Regards
Robby
Hi Robby you would need to buy a low or high gloss coating sealer there are many on the market, especially designed for terracotta type tiles. I am not sure what the brands might be in your market.
Hope this helps
Ian
Hi Ian,
I’m hoping I might also be able to avail myself to your experience and knowledge.
I’ve just gotten some lovely reclaimed tomettes to use as flooring for a semi-protected outdoor install in San Francisco–they won’t be subjected to freezing or thawing, but they will get wet and see sunshine. (The sellers assured me that this would be alright, as they’d been outdoors in the previous installation.)
Because they are so porous, I’d imagined using something like oil and wax to give a nicely buffed and less grippy surface to dirt, but I don’t know if that’s the thing to do for an outdoor install. It’s a very low-traffic area, and we’re unlikely to use household cleaning products on it with any regularity. (Mainly, I imagine I’ll clean it with a broom and an occasional rinse.)
What are your thoughts on this? If oil and wax aren’t a good idea, what else might work to reduce the porosity on the surface and keep the water out of the body of the tile?
Thank you for any advice!
Hi Ian
I stripped back a blanc-rose terracotta floor that we laid 10 years ago using a chemical solvent and ended up with what looked like a pristine floor. Then I treated it with Lithofin Classic Primer (which I think is beeswax based). I was anticipating putting several coats on it, but after one coat some areas on tiles weren’t dry after 8 hours – maybe I applied too heavily. I now have some streaks on the tiles in areas where the oil was present longest and some where the oil was absorbed fastest. I’m tempted to go over the floor with a very thin layer of primer and make sure everything is impregnated to the same degree but don’t want to make things worse. I’d be extremely grateful for any advice!
HI,
My instinct is that you have over applied in some areas and under applied in others. The tile will take in what it needs but it may require an uneven amount across it’s surface (some parts of the tiles being more or less porous than others). Where you have oily streaks the tile has taken its fill and needs no more the other areas still require a little bit. I would not add more primer at this stage, instead I would try adding a small amount of the sealer to a test area where it is still absorbing it and rub it around – oversome of the shiny streaks – you may find that the fresh oil helps remove the over applcation – as long as you buff it dry imedataly after – and so do not leave more surplus to dry on the surface.
IF this works just repeat over the entire floor.
IF you need more help I suggest you contact Extensive they are lithofin experts with many years knowledge.
Hope this helps
Ian
Hi Kimberly, you know I am not 100% sure about how well oil and wax will work outdoors? – Certainly here in the UK it would not – too much ambient moisture in the air and, we generally feel that oil and wax will just not wear well, too much grit and dust in external situations. I realize your climate may be less problematical than ours, but even so it may not be perfect. Also you say it will not have much wear, so, in your circumstances, low wear and dry climate – it ‘may’ be ok.
Failing that there are plenty of impregnating sealers and also some synthetic coatings sealers out there that could work – Mapei USA have a range called Ultra Care – they have a low sheen coating sealer that might work well, it does say it can be used externally and would have a satin surface sheen – a bit like a wax – I have used this product and it is quite hard wearing as surface coatings go (notwithstanding the fact that any coating sealer will have a lower lifespan when used outdoors).
Hope this helps
Ian
Thanks for the reply, Ian! I appreciate your thoughts on this. I used to live in the UK, and can imagine the excess moisture wouldn’t be very nice with the oil and wax for an outdoor application. Of course, we’re coastal, and there’s a surprising amount of sand coming in, so the grit is definitely something to consider.
I keep thinking on this, and trying to balance the UV degradation of everything out in the sun versus more subtle interventions. Thank you for the pointer on Ultra Care, I’ll look into it!
Hi, I just payed a terracotta tiles in my new refurbished kitchen-& I bought a natural based sealant -can I grout immediately after the sealant dried?-about an hour? Thanks for the reply
HI,
Apologies, I did not see this until now – so I guess too late to give you the answer you need. However, in most cases I would leave a new sealer a bit longer than than that before grouting. You say a natural based sealer so I assume linseed oil and or wax? I am also assuming that the terracotta itself has had plenty of time to dry after installation and subsequent washing/cleaning – (this is often measured in days and even weeks rather than hours).
Most sealers really benefit from being allowed a bit of time to fully cure/set/harden before you go adding more moisture and agitation in the firm of grout. For me, using a natural sealer on terracotta, I would have left it at least 24 hours.
Hope that helps
Ian
My husband and I just purchased a house that has terra-cotta tile. I am trying to strip it and reseal it as the floors were really dirty. I have stripped it and now put a layer of Behr wet look sealer. After letting it dry overnight, it is still tacky. I was told to use a water based sealant as it would be easier to remove if nessacery. Any suggestions as to why it’s still tacky? What do you recommend to seal my floors
Hi, I don’t know the product but a quick look online suggests it is a high gloss finish. This means it is a likely a high solids acrylic type product. This type of product can take a while to dry, particularly if the material they are going onto is dense, or still has some sealer left in it. It is possible that you have stripped off the visible signs of the previous sealer, taking away the dirt and any polish or shine, but the terracotta remains pretty well sealed inside.
If this is the case then it can cause the top coat to sit on top and not be absorbed, or simply to take a lot longer to dry, as more of the water (if it is water based) has to evaporate to allow the sealer to ‘set’. Or it could simply be that you have applied far too much product. If it is still tacky try rubbing now, you may have to strip it off – I suggest that you contact the customer/tech services of Behr and seek their specific recommendation. Once you strip it back you should be able to re apply it more sparingly and this should be fine.
Hope this helps
Hi Ian
Have just come across your great blog. We have just moved into a house with some beautiful large terracotta tiles on the floor. I don’t think they have been sealed, or at any rate a long time ago, they are very porous when liquids are spilt onto them and also very dirty. I have been advised to use lithofin WEXA to clean them initially and have tried this on a small area, which seems to be working well. Just wondering what you might recommend to intensify the colour and seal them, notice from the above that the linseed and wax method is more labour intensive, roughly how long would this finish last? It is in a kitchen so the use would be fairly heavy I expect, though I do like the colour that linseed gives, I am drawn more towards the ‘modern’ method for convenience. I prefer a darker colour with a bit of a shine, could I still achieve this using the synthetic approach? Would appreciate your advice!.
Many Thanks
Hi,
OK, I am going to stick my neck out here and say you would be better with oil and wax – just a hunch. I would describe the ‘work’ involved in maintaining an oil and wax floor as a ‘labour of love’ rather than a chore.
There are some stains that can be applied to a terracotta, prior to applying the modern type of sealers, but I have not seen them for a while, no brand names come to mind, at least not here in the UK. I guess if you were creative you could make up some kind of water based colour using some cement type pigments or paint tints – but I am not recommending it – it would be very hit and miss.
So, on balance, as you really seem to like the oil look – I would go with that – it is tried and tested and you know you will like the outcome.
Hope that helps
Ian
Hi Ian I live in Zimbabwe and havve just found your page!! I have an old terracotta tiled floor that is dull and dirty. I have scrubbed one section with vinegar and water and taken it back to a lovely pale colour. We tried another section with Handy Andy/Cif/Jif which had no effect on the ingrained dirt. Being in Zimbabwe, I would imagine that it was originally sealed with wax – we don’t have a lot of branded chemical stuff here. What’s your best advice for stripping the floor so that I can reseal with linseed oil/turps mix? Some web pages advise vinegar and some advise NOT to use vinegar! We can’t get specific products here that are generic stone cleaners etc, so I need an old fashioned method please!! Is vinegar the best?
Hi Emma,
OK, vinegar is a mild acid and it will not really do too much for wax and ingrained dirt (it won’t harm the floor but any cleaning it has done is more likely to be as a result of its wetting action than anything else).
Old ingrained dirt, grease, grime and wax etc – best thing to try would be an Alkaline cleaner, or maybe even a solvent. I would try a high pH (alkaline) cleaner first – some regular household names like flash etc can be quite high pH. But you will more than likely need a solvent, some kind of paint stripper could be worth a try – like white spirit etc. I have tried turps in the past but it is itself quite oily and can leave a shadow/stain. So look for a d=generic paint stripper – they may not be the nicest type of product to use so be careful.
One quick test you can do is id you happen to have any old fashioned acetone based clear nail varnish remover – try dabbing a bit of that on a small test area, see what that does – if it does break down the wax/grime (you should see some come off on your cloth) then it is proving that a solvent stripper is what is needed. You may even be able to buy some acetone
hope this helps
Ian
Hi Ian, we put terracotta tiles down a year ago. At that time we were advised not to treat them and just leave them with a rustic look. Now that we realize they do need treatment we are not sure what to do. We tried sealing them with boiled linseed oil but it was put on too thick. How can we rectify this ?
HI,
OK you will need a thinner to soften and remove the surplus boiled linseed oil. Most likely something like white spirits (it is often applied by thinning with white spirits first. Try scraping any solid residue off first with a plastic scraper. Then using white spirit rub away any removing surface traces. You won’t get all of the linseed out of the terracotta but that is fine as you will want to re apply it anyway, just not so think this time.
So when happy that it is removed from the surface, and allowed to dry. Take more boiled linseed oil and add some white spirits to thin it a little, so it is not too thick or syrup like, but not too thin either. Using s paint pad and tra , or roller if you must (I don’t like rollers generally but they can be ok with BLO) – apply a thin coat, make sure it goes in, and is dry within about 15 to 20 minutes. If it hangs around any longer than that, take an absorbent cloth terry towel or paper towels and rub/buff it dry. If you cannot get any more to go in, then you have put enough on.
IT should now be sealed then when dry, you may want to apply a floor wax to give additional protection and enhance the shine. There are several brands out there for this, again most are thinned with a spirit, can be applied by cloth or roller but they need to be buffed to a shine, a machine buffer is I would say, almost essential for this.
Hope this helps
Ian
Hi Ian,
We have recently moved into a house with a badly neglected, very dirty terracotta floor in the kitchen. We met the person who initially installed the floor who said they had it polished with beeswax – so I believe it would originally have been sealed with linseed oil. Scrubbing with Jif liquid has shifted some of the dirt, but there is still a lot more cleaning required. The scrubbed tiles are not that absorbent – water sits on the surface for 15 minutes and when wiped off leaves a faint mark that quickly disappears. So I assume that the original sealant is mostly intact.
Please can you recommend a suitable cleaner that will shift the build up of dirt? When we have removed the dirt, how would you suggest we treat it to make ongoing maintenance easier? Would a modern water based sealer/finish be suitable or would the old sealer prevent it from adhering properly? We would prefer a low sheen finish if possible
I would be most grateful for your advice.
H Andrew,
I would say that you have likely got the surface wax off, or most of it I would try a high alkaline cleaner – not trying to push my own there are several on the market but mine is a good one (search Amazon for Heavy Duty Tile & Grout Cleaner Xtreme Clean for Stone, Tile & Grout 1Litre by All For Stone, done in 1 and 4 ltr bottles) the jif might help i combination (so you are getting a bit of a scrub but also the chemical clean)
As far as a water based surface sealer with a low sheen, it can work, as long as the surface is a little bit porous – after cleaning it should be, all I can suggest is to try one; if it lies down nicely then it is fine. If it is repelled by any remaining oil, then you will see it as soon as you apply it ( it will pull up and form blobs on the surface) If this is the case then you could take an abrasive white nylon pad and lightly rub the surface and then try again. If it still will not ake a synthetic coating then you can go back to a wax as a fall back without having done any damage.
Hope this helps
Ian
Ian,
Many thanks for your advice – I can now go ahead without worrying about causing any damage.
Andrew
Hi
I have just purchased an outdoor setting and the table top is terracotta mosaque and the sealer appears to be wearing in patches. How would you suggest/recommend that the surface is revealed.
Thank you for your time.
Cheers Tanya
If you can see it coming off then it is some kind of surface sealer/coating. Usually some kind of sealer stripper/paint stripper will be required to break the rest of it down
Hope this helps
Ian
The tile I purchased has a ceramic finish on it it’s the back that isn’t finished it’s terracotta I want to put it in a bathroom is the synthetic sealer enough to protect it
Hi, I am a bit confused by the terminology, ceramic on the front, terracotta on the back? – I think you mean that it is a glazed ceramic tile, where the face is glazed but the back is unglazed and therefore porous (most tiles are ceramic that included terracotta, normal tiles and porcelain – all just types of ceramic tile) – this is a normal ceramic tile and should not need any kind of sealing at all. If the face is also unglazed then yes a sealer of some kind will help to protect it from staining.
Does that help?
Kind regards
Ian
Following your invaluable instructions we have the inside of the house in beautiful new raw terracotta, acid cleaned and many coats of linseed oil. Now we want to continue on to the patio. How do we prepare the tiles for outdoors. The temperature ranges from -10 deg C to +55 deg C full sun. Thank you. Sue
Hi Sue,
OK, to be honest there are two schools of thought on external sealing of terracotta. First of all, you seem to be in Italy? – so not the same climate as here in the UK. Also if you have a classic Italian ‘Cotto’ then this is I think slightly less porous than something like Mexican Saltillo – but nevertheless it is still very porous. One school of thought is that external applications are so prone to changes in temperature, soiling, abrasion from grit etc and moisture levels, that there would be no effective way to seal them – in fact if you have a potential for them to get wet and freeze at certain times of year, there is an argument that sealing them, will prevent the moisture that will inevitably still get in (from below even) from getting out again and this can cause freeze-thaw spalling. I am not 100% sure this will happen however, I think that the oil and wax treatment is not a great idea outside for a number of reasons: Moisture can make it go white, The elements in general mean that the wax will not last 5 minutes. Fort this reason many people will simply leave them unsealed and just accept what will be.
You could try an impregnating sealer – one that allows the terracotta to breath. If you can, and have time, seal a couple of samples and leave them outside for a season with various sealers, a water-based impregnator, an enhancing sealer, etc and see how they fair before committing.
Hope this helps
Ian
Thanks for your help. We have the tiles stacked and they went through the closest winter on record this year and haven’t seemed to suffer. So I think your idea of what will be will be….. plus elbow grease will probably be best. Thanks
Hi Ian,
I live in the south of England and I’ve been considering buying a supply of Mexican saltillo terracotta tiles for use on a new patio area but having read so many of your comments I’m not too sure if this is a wise move as outside installations seem to have many issues! The reason I’m attracted to these tiles is they seem pretty nice in colour although I’d be happy if they were a little darker if possible. Also they are very reasonably priced.
What are your thoughts on this use of such tiles. I’m assuming I should be using a synthetic sealant and not go for boiled linseed oil as recommended by the seller.
Or maybe I should just leave them untreated but I’m concerned they’ll just look like rubbish after a short period?
Any advice you can provide would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Roger
Hi,
Personally, I would not use Saltillo outdoors, in this country – admittedly you are on the south coast and I am in Wales! – but never the less I feel they are just too friable and porous for our climate. They are very soft and prone to lime pops from moisture – I just do not think there would be any way of adequately protecting them from moisture and freeze thaw issues.
If I were to use them here outside, most likely not got for oil OR a synthetic coating sealer (I quite like the oil and wax look indoors, it is just a little more work)- best you could do I think would be an impregnating sealer – but as I have said before, there are two schools of thought on that, some feel that it is best to leave unsealed – but then they are not protected in anyway against staining or water ingress. I would choose a more suitable material.
Hope this helps
Ian
I really appreciate your comments Ian. That’s decided me against these tiles. You say you would choose a more suitable material. Is there ANY terracotta material which would be reliable in the application I’m contemplating?
Roger
HI,
Well sure terra cotta is just kiln fired clay – they are not that different to bricks. And plenty of people put rustic bricks down in gardens and for pathways etc. It is just that the Saltillo is a particularly soft one. There are plenty of European (Italian, Spanish,. Portuguese, French etc) terracotta out there – basically the denser they feel and the less water absorption they allow the better they will be in our climate.
Hope that help[s
Ian
Hello Ian,
I’m in a bit of a jam here, and hopefully you can help me out. I just had hand made terracotta tiles laid, about 18 sqm total. This rough finish is very porous. Before the grouting we applied 5 liters of HG Impregnator product 13. The tile soaked so much that we could only do one layer, it was late in the evening and the tiler said we needed more impregnator, The only product that I could find was Vitrex tile and protect, we used one liter of this and still it was barely enough ( I think this was oil based). Next morning the tiler grouted and told me to use a sealer after 5 days after the grout hardened. I decided to do a water test for absorption and the tile is still darkening and absorbing. What should I do?? Should I put a few layers of a sealer on, and then wax? Or would I use more impregnating product until the tile cant absorb anymore? I’m not opposed to using boiled linseed oil and wax. But I am worried that I’ve already used up to two types of Impregnator. In the end I want a high shine. Can you recommend a sealer and a wax? Thanks so much in advance. Stephen
Hi Stephen,
Ok I am not sure about the Vitrex product bt doubt it is oil based – but yoou might want to check with them (Vitrex). Personally as youu have started with a synthetic impregnator I would conntinue with that. All though you have not completely sealed it, you may have put enough to prevent an oil from getting in ‘evenly’ and so could lead to apatchy colour/ apearance.
Put seeral/more coats of the impregnator on leavibg a good few hours between coats, until the tile appears to be takig in vvery littl/water. It will always absorb some at the surface as it is just too porous for an impregnator like like this. You can then look to put a coating on the top, it would have to be a wax type i think as a modern single/compoent acrycilic would need to have been applied to/raw tiles with no impregnator. HG used to/makea number of coating products tht/may work/over their impregnaotr but Ihave lost touch with their range now, might be worth a quick look though.
Hope this helps
Ian
Hello,
I note you say use a “Water-based, acrylic type coatings sealers ” under you modern, synthetic approach. Could you recommend any? Many thanks Beccy
Hi Beccy,
There was one I used to sell, which I knew well, but it is no longer available in the UK. There are several on the market, made by LTP, LITHOFIN, Fila for example, you would need to enquire for each as to their recommendations
Hope this helps
Ian
Hello Ian. We live in. 15th century house in France with lots of Terra cotta floors, some new, some old. Most have responded to lined oil/wax treatment and look lovely, and Ned virtually no maintenance. However there is one room where the tiles are so old and worn that the surface is pitted and in various places is flaking off leaving ugly white patches. We have retreated with oil/wax/stain but northing seems to work. More flakes off when I clean (which isn’t often!) Have you any suggestions, please?
Could I use a coloured breathable varnish? They are laid on earth.
Hi Andrea,
Ok it sounds like they are just too old and worn. Very old tiles, especially soft clay tiles like terracotta are usually quite thick, the old kilns were not as hot as modern ones, nor where they as consistent, so as a result tiles varied very much even within the same kiln. It is common to see tiles with a hard skin and softer , less well baked to use a cooking analogy, centre. So, like a crusty loaf of bread, the materials on the inside can be much softer than the ‘crust’ on the outside – once this surface layer has been worn away, the softer body is exposed and it will begin to wear much more rapidly and also come away in flakes and chunks etc. The white spots may well be little pockets of lime; impurities in the clay that were never properly mixed before pressing and firing. The problem is that no coating, sealer or varnish is likely to hold this crumbling surface together. It might be possible to use a watered down version of an SBR or pva type bonding agent as a kind of ‘glue’ but don’t think it would look good, and may only help prevent a bit of dusting. There are specialist hardening chemicals on the market for concrete – but they involve chemically bonding with the calcium in concrete / cement if I am not mistaken and so I don’t think they would be any help with a your issue.
The problem with trying to use a varnish is that the tile will still crumble underneath the coating and thus take the coating with it. I suspect the tiles have just come to the end of their useful life, they have done very well to be fair. It may be worth trying a varnish – you might extend the life a little longer but I would not think it will be all that effective
Kind regards
Ian
I have read all the posts and your answers with delight. We are building our house, like an Earthship, and we want a flagstone floor. I love the boiled linseed oil look and the deeper richer color it will achieve. Until reading your blog and posts I didn’t realize that it wouldn’t last. What is the life I can expect of the oil/was until it needs to be redone?
Am I understanding correctly that I oiling the floor first so that the grout won’t stain the stone? Then only was over the top of the stone and grout?
Hi Elaine,
An earthship – sounds facinating!
Ok, you are correct in that it does not last forever but how long? well how long is dependent on a variety of things e.g. the stone, the environment, the wear which the floor is subjected too, the harsness and frequency of the the cleaning regime etc. But you should get many years from it. In truth, the usual system is a combnation of oil and wax, the oil providing the deep sealing, as well as most of the colour, the wax providing a bit of s shine to the surface, but more importantly a sacrifical coating to help protect the oil below. The scarifical coating will of course wear and it is this coat that needs the regular maintenance – keep the wax in good order and the oil will last pretty much indefinately. Over time it may dimishish a little in intensity but by then the floor will have built up a patina of its own. If you keep the wax maintained you may never need to do the oil again, even if you have to periodically strip the build-up of wax and start again, as sometimes happens. If you don’t want to use harsh chemicals then you may have to be creative – letting the wax wear down a little then scrubing with a little hot water and a mildy abrasive pad, and some soap of some kind, may be enough to cut back a build-up of wax just enough to then rinse and start again.
So, in short – look after the wax and you most likely won’t need to oil again. Go without a wax top coat and I can’t say, maybe you might have to just top up the oil every few years (guessing 3 to 5 years) as the floor wears (all floor surfaces wear) any oil in that surface will wear with it.
You mention ‘flagstone’ there are different meanings for that word, over here in the UK a flagstone – refers more to the size and shape of a flooring slab – (which can be regular or irregular) rather than a specific geological type of rock. So, we could have sandstone, slate or even concrete flagstone. I believe that in the US though you are most likely talking about some kind of sandstone? Whatever it is, make sure that oil looks good on it – Oil looks great on terracotta, but can look awful on some light coloured limestone for example. So do a little test on a sample, the more porous the stone, the more coats you will need. So you may need 3 or 4 coats. Don’t let it pool on the surace, spread it around or remove any oil that is still wet and pooling before it has a chance to dry – depending on how warm it is with you, that could be anywhere from 30 minutes to 10. The last coat – when the stone is ‘full’ so to speak, needs careful attention, as there will be much more surplus oil standing aroun on the top – remove it while wet. Otherwise if it dries on the surface it will be sticky and may even crystaluse like out-of-date honey – and it is not much fun removing that.
Other points – yes, great idea to give it at least one coat before grouting. Depending on the porosity and texture of the stone, maybe even two coats. Then let it dry properly before grouting. Grout then clean up and let the grout dry for a good couple of days before applying any final coats, these final coats make sure the stone is properly sealed, replace any sealer that was removed in the grouting process, and also, importantly seal the gout (and darken it).
You are now ready to move onto the wax – there are lots of floor wax / beeswax type products for floors- some are thinned with spirits – shop around and try a few to find one that meets your needs. Get the wax on and if you have a large floor, it would pay to hire a buffer for a day – just to really buff up the wax when you are done.
Sounds like a really interesting project – it would be great if you could keep us informed – maybe even post some pics for us – let me know if you want to do that
Good Luck
Ian
Ian – thank you for taking your time out to make this blog..
I have just laid a terracotta floor – and had many conflicting pieces of advise..
Grout 1st, impregnate then seal
or
Impregnate 1st then grout then seal…
Reading your blog has helped my understanding the right way..
again – Thank you
Excellent, glad we could help
Ian
Hi Ian
Many thanks for your detailed and informative blog.
We are in the process of renovating an old coaching inn that dates to the early 1800s, and we’ve just uncovered an old Pamment tile floor. Unfortunately at some point it seems a bitumen adhesive was used to stick down some kind of flooring over the top. We have used white spirit on a few tiles and it seems to be getting it off, but it’s taking a lot of scrubbing and cleaning, and leaving a strong smell. Do you think this is the best thing to use? Also, once scrubbed with whites spirits, any ideas on what we could use to then clean the tiles before waxing? Reading the SPAB info, they suggest sulphate free household detergents, but these are proving difficult to find.
My last question relates to sealing and waxing…. as the pamments are laid directly onto earth with no dpc, we need them to breath. Does boiled linseed still allow them to breathe? Or should we only be using a beeswax & turpentine mix?
Thanks so much
Laura
Hi Laura,
I’m afraid I’m not an expert on this subject, but I do know a bit about ‘bitumen adhesive’ as I had a flood in my kitchen some years ago which involved various experts being fielded by the insurance company to sort the floor out.
One thing which seemed to invoke panic was the bitumen adhesive used to stick down the Marley tiles which had come up as a result of the flood. The tiles were laid in the 1970’s and apparently at that time the adhesive (and the Marley tiles themselves) contained asbestos. As a result experts were drafted in to seal the kitchen and scrub the floor with machinery whilst wearing spacesuits!
I don’t know how much of this floor you have to clean but please be aware you could be dealing with asbestos.
Hi Laura,
OK, sounds like a very interesting project.
Bitumen: – No shortcuts I’m afraid, it is really hard to remove. Generally, you would want to try to remove as much as you can of the solids by scraping, or some mechanical means, provided you can do so at all, and that you can do so without damaging the pammets. Once you have removed as much of that as you can, then you would have to use a solvent for the residues. Using a solvent, such as white spirit, on any thickness of bitumen is going to take an absolute age. Your could try heating it up with a specialist flame gun/bitumen or roofing torch (not in the presence of the white spirit obviously) this is done to melt and soften the bitumen so that you can use a scraper to scrape up most of the bitumen. However I have never done this but I do know it is a messy process, I do not know if you could use this in your building, if you can, certainly try it on a small test area to ascertain that it a) works and b) does not damage anything. One way or another there is a lot of hard work ahead of you and as for the smells – either process is going to smell I am afraid so all I can suggest is very good ventilation – try to rent or borrow a good air blower and open windows and doors when the job is being done.
As for cleaning – By this, I trust you mean a cleaner for all the years of grease, grime, wax and polish that the floor had been subjected to, prior to being covered in bitumen. I am not sure about the reasons for suggesting sulphate free, but many available cleaners for this type of work should qualify. Not to push my own products but we have two, a traditional high pH (alkaline) degreaser and a slightly less powerful but neutral pH cleaner that also works very well as a degreaser and deep cleaner, neither contain sulphates (if you want to know more please email me via the contact us form on the blog). The bigger issue here though is simply that fact that whatever cleaner you use, it is going to involve using rather a lot of water. Given that you have no dpc the water is going to get into the bed below the tiles and this may cause efflorescence issues – worst case so much water after such a long time could even be a catalyst for weakening/loosening some of the tiles, and with a floor like this if just one or two tiles come loose it can release the tension and the whole lot can be affected. You would have to look at the floor and be satisfied that it was very sound and firm before proceeding, and again I would conduct a test, maybe a m2 first. A mechanical rotary scrubber brush and a wet vac would be two very useful pieces of equipment, taking a lot of the backache out of the job and faster more efficient removal of the cleaning water.
Once clean, allow the floor to dry out thoroughly. You may see some efflorescence as a result of the wet cleaning, you may have to use a very weak/mild acidic cleaner here using something based on phosphoric acid – but very dilute. Here the trick is to pre-wet (or pre dampen) the floor then apply the dilute cleaner, agitate it straight away for a few minutes, then pick up the solution with the wet vac – work in small areas a couple of M2 at a time and extract with a wet vac. When done lightly mop the floor again with clean water and wet vac up immediately. Now help to dry the floor with an old towel on a broom or flat mop, add the blower and open doors to facilitate a faster drying – this helps to reduce the reoccurrence of efflorescence. If you do get a reoccurrence of the efflorescence, it should be much less than the first time, repeat the above.
DO NOT USE A BRICK CLEANING ACID – OR ANYTHING STRONGER THAN PHOSPHORIC – ABSOLUTELY NO HCL
Once you have the floor sufficiently clean (with a floor this old it will never be 100% clean/new looking) then you can look at sealing. I think you are right to consider traditional methods here, it will be in keeping with the property. As for boiled linseed oil – as far as I can tell, it would appear that people seem to believe it is breathable I cannot give you a guarantee for this so I would advise that you check with whichever supplier you use for the oil, they should be able to obtain a tech data sheet for the product. By ‘breathable’ we mean that it will allow moisture vapour transmission (MVT) so moisture from below can escape through the floor as a vapour, rather than becoming trapped beneath whereby it can build up hydrostatic pressure over time and cause other problems. Bear in mind though that things are not simply either breathable or not breathable, some materials are more, or less breathable than others, the more breathable a sealer is the faster it will allow vapour to move through it to the surface and visa versa for a less breathable material. I do not know for certain, but given its resin-like nature and semi-solid curing, I would guess that boiled linseed oil is at the less breathable end of the spectrum. This just means that it will allow less moisture vapour though, less quickly, but the point it is, it should still allow it.
The other thing to say is that on a floor like this, of this age, it is highly likely that it has been sealed with BLO more than once in the past, and the chances are that some of that oil is going to remain in the tiles even after intensive cleaning, so you may find that you do not need to apply any more. The usual system is to use the BLO as a presealer/impregnator, to deep seal the tiles and add some colour, This is then followed by the spirit-thinned wax as a top coat and buffable/renewable finish. So, it is possible that in your case going straight for wax could work – again a small scale test will show if this is the case.
Hope this helps,
Ian
Fair point Roger, thanks for that, it is certainly true that some bitumen adhesives did contain some type of asbestos, so Laura may well want to investigate that first, although I am not sure quite how you would go about it.
Ian