1950s tile restoration update!!

[nomad5]

So I posted recently about restoring original 1950 tiles that my plumber found under vinyl flooring in my bathroom. FINALLY got off the last of the adhesive and cement that was under the vinyl. A week of working every night on it with a wallpaper steamer and scraper.

Now what??? Can anyone advise? I'll ask the plumber if his usual tiling guy can come round and take a look but would be grateful for advice. Maybe some bits I should do myself and others left to the tiler. I was going to try and clean it up with HG cement/mortar remover.

Not sure what the hell to do about the grouting as the lines are tiny tiny. No idea what would be necessary to finish them to make them glossy again.

Should the tiles be finished before the new bathtub and the toilet is put in? Or just cleaned up?

Try the HG stuff on the patterned surface of that spare tile. It will have some sort of ceramic topping and glaze so I'm sure it will protect the concrete the tile is made of (if indeed it is concrete). Put it on neat, leave it for 1 hour for a worse-case scenario test! If the tile is undamaged after that, I think you could be confident that it's suitable.

Looks like they may need sealing or some sort of top coat to protect them? Is there any sign of damp coming up from underneath?

@origamiwarrior thank you, that's good advice!! Will give that a try and report back...

Yep, you've definitely got cement haze. Google it!

@villanellesproudmum they have been under a vinyl floor and concrete for the best part of 30 years. Not sure what signs of damp would be. They're laid on a concrete subfloor, directly above the kitchen. The plaster ceiling in that room is the original 1950 one, has some cracks in it (it had a fake lowered plastic ceiling covering it for the past 30 years too) so no idea if there is damp. There is no dripping/signs of wet. I was concerned about the potential for the steam to seep through and get underneath, but it seems to dry quickly.

Also, just occurred to me the instruction on the HG bottle not to use it on concrete tiles probably refers to the trendy poured concrete slab tiles, rather than one with a ceramic glaze that will (should!) be impenetrable to its concrete disolving properties. Really looking forward to seeing your progress!

Ok, the result of the 1 hour neat solution test was good!! Appears to be no damage to the surface of the tile. Will give the floor a clean and scrub this evening and then update!

How long do you reckon I need to leave the floor to dry between scrubbing/rinsing and applying the sealant?

What a great surprise! Fabulous floor, hooe you get its glory back!

How long to leave the floor - overnight? Probably depends a bit where you are/how cold it is, maybe stick the heating on, windows open to let moisture evaporate?

Oo picture please!

So, some progress!! Attached photo is after one treatment with HG stuff (a whole bottle, neat) and then a scrub and rinse 2 times with plain water.

It needs a second pass I think (esp around that doorway area), and some more steaming and scraping of some spots of leftover concrete/adhesive.

My plumber came back yesterday and said that in fact the floor doesn't have to be finished before he installs sanitaryware and the walls get tiled. So that's good I guess? I can't completely finish the floor around the new fake wall area until it's been tiled. There's a bit of plaster on the floor from where that wall building work was done.

So I plan to do a second treatment with the HG stuff tomorrow evening, and let it dry for when plumber comes back on Friday. Will get hire a buffer machine on the weekend.

Wondering if I should try and check the tiles by the door (at the front of the picture) for looseness before I reseal? Hmmmm

Further thoughts and comments very welcome!!

That picture is dry, by the way - 24 hours after treatment and scrubbing. So good progress on the haze removal, I reckon! Front area by the door is the most tricky.

A lot less hazy! It's starting to look much more vibrant. I think your plan for another go-over is good (obvs focussing particularly on the bits that won't be under sanitarywear).

Horror - the second pass with the HG products has fucked the tile I think! Damaged the surface. FFS!!

Argh!!

Lovely floor!

The period property forum might be able to help with restoration tips - there are some very knowledgeable posters on the site.

www.periodproperty.co.uk/forum/index.php

Dont panic yet! Do the tiles still look okay when wet? If so, i think the wet appearance is the one you'll end up with when sealed. Take advice on the best sealer to use.

Yes @origamiwarrior they do look when wet. Very nice actually. Then it started to dry and all the white came back!!

The restoration company I spoke to weren't that helpful. They said they wouldn't have done anything different to what I did.

Basically I'm wondering whether to throw in the towel and lay luxury vinyl tile on top!! Or try the sealant before I do that.

Hmmm.

Try the sealant first - you can always tile over it.

Fwiw OP, I admire your tenacity and the fact you have worked hard on this. Good info on products too.

So I think you're going to need a sealer that 'soaks' into the (possibly now porous?) surface of the tile, to give it that lustre and darker colour you see when it is wet. A quick google shows there are sealers that are advertised as impregnators/penetrating so maybe something with those properties? You can even get tile 'wax', which I'd imagine would be penetrating www.tilinglogistics.co.uk/LTP-Clear-Beeswax. Maybe call the helpline of that company - they seem to manufacture all sorts of sealers so could likely advise.

Over at the house now. This is what they look like this morning. They feel more rough now too.

Will have a think about the sealant. There are small amounts of extra residue that need to be scraped off before sealing. Indeed, can always tile/LVT over it afterwards if necessary!!

Thanks @wowfudge it has been an effort. I think the task was always going to need to happen unless I paid someone to tear it all out!! I've spent a lot of time but only about £50 in products, so that's ok.

FWIW the number 11 HG product (recommended by all the pros and the manufacturer when I asked for advice) did the damage I think.

I forgot to attach the photo in my grumpiness

Yep @origamiwarrior I do think it is porous now.....!! thanks for the tip.

An impregnating one is what I had in mind.