Hi,
I hope someone can help.
I’ve moved an Island from my kitchen….saltillo tile floor throughout. And the coloring difference is very noticeable. Plus the floor looks really worn.
I’m told that I need to strip the sealer and gunk from the tile and re-seal it. Frankly I’d like to do it myself.
I’m pretty handy. Is this something that I can do? What am I talking about in terms of materials and tools?
Thanks in advance!
lp
Replies
Go buy super-sealed saltillo and redo it, you'll be glad you did.
DCS Inc.
"He who xxxxs nuns will later join the church." -The Clash
Part of the charm of saltillo is the patina that comes with age and wear. And being a soft terracotta material it ages and wears quickly.
Stripping the old finish is a question of what finish was used. Very traditionalists would have used wax. Modern HO's use a spray-n-buff product. You culd do a mechanical strip using scotchbrite pads, and/or get a floor stripper from HD-Lowes in the janitorial section.
Have you ever laid saltillo? If not, be sure to seal before grouting, or else you will have a horrible mess. You might buy an extra tile or two and experiment with finishes to match the old tile. Shoe polish would work. You might have a problem using liquid stains because of the very absorbent nature of the tile.
Ed Hilton
Do a search on Saltillo and use my name oe Wrecked Angle as the posters name............I gave GWA some good instruction on install ,grouting and sealing the old fashioned way.
Don't know much about stripping, I could ask my guru though. I'd say try to find an old timer to do it for you as you stand a much better chance of matching the areas.
Good luck.
Eric
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Look here............
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=58079.1
It's Never Too Late To Become
What You Might Have Been
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Edited 8/13/2005 7:53 am ET by EricPaulson
If you put a space in front of that URL, it will probably turn into a link.