restoring hallway floors in pre-war co-op
Hey Everyone, I am going to have my super try to make the hallway floors in our co-op nice again. The pic shows the landings. typical hex tile but there is a lot of paint and other stuff on the tile. what’s the best way to clean and try to make these tiles look nice…
Hey Everyone,
I am going to have my super try to make the hallway floors in our co-op nice again. The pic shows the landings. typical hex tile but there is a lot of paint and other stuff on the tile. what’s the best way to clean and try to make these tiles look nice again? Are there tools for this I can rent?
Also, the floor in the lobby is terrazzo. What’s the proper way to try and restore it’s luster?
Any help is really appreciated.
Second on the muriatic acid. If there are calcium or lime/rust stains, try white vinegar. Soak the floor in it and keep it wet for about 30 minutes, then scrub it down with a vinyl scrubbing sponge. This will also kill mold and neutralize any odors (except for the smell of white vinegar for a few hours).
Use Bonami on a wet soft cotton buffing wheel. It’s abrasive enough to remove paint and clean the surface of the tile without causing any damage to the tile or mortar joints. Works great on HONED marble steps and saddles typically associated with these kinds of tile floors, though DO NOT use it on smooth polished marble surfaces.
If there is any specific adhesive or carpet glue stuck to the tile anywhere, I’d consult Brian Byrd at American Restoration Tile. He’s the president of the company and a ceramic engineer with every bit of experience you’d every want or need to handle situations like this.
If you have any metal in the hallway (door jamb, radiator pipe) or think the hallway may have been cleaned at one time or another with TSP (a very common cleaning chemical years ago) I wouldn’t go with muriatic acid. You can end up with a strong chemical reaction and posionous gases in a small, enclosed space which is a pretty bad combination. Actually I wouldn’t go with muriatic acid either way. If not mixed correctly it can be really hazardous. Given the OP’s statement that the super needs hand holding, do you really want him handling this stuff? Add to that the fact that it etches the surface of tiles and it may not be the best bet. The only time I’ll let anyone working with me use muriatic acid is if I want to etch concrete for paint adhesion, or some knucklehead screwed up during grouting and didn’t clean the grout haze off in time and it set up, and then I still make sure it’s two people, one keepin an eye on the other. A good rule of thumb in most cleaning situations is to start with the least toxic and work your way up, I’d save muriatic acid for a last resort.
Ok folks, this one’s easier than you think…Go to Home Depot…get some acrylic paint remover and some Muriatic Acid in the tile section. First spray on and remove the paint. Next, follow the directions, wear some protective gear, and scrub those tiles and grout clean with a diluted Acid mix. Rinse. And Enjoy 🙂
Just clean the tile with bleach. If you need replacement tiles, check out Restoration Tile in Arkansas.
just to clarify, i’m the board president so the money is there. i am just trying to figure out the best way to do it since our super needs some hand holding. thanks so far for the advice though.
And if you expect the super to do what bond says with no $, you got another think coming.
Gotta disagree with the paint scraper idea. That’s going to leave lots of scratch marks on that matte finish tile. I’d pick up some citrus based stripper, put it on, cover it with plastic so it has time to work before it dries out and then just sponge it off (don’t use super market shopping bags, the printing comes off and will stain the grout). The tile looks to be in fairly good shape, should be an easy fix. Then I’d cover the tile with soft scrub with bleach, same process, cover with plastic for a few hours, then just mop up. You might have to do one half at a time so people can still get in and out. The terrazzo, unless it’s in terrible shape probably needs to be stripped and waxed/buffed. For that, I’d just hire someone who knows what they’re doing. It’s not hard, but by the time you rent the buffer and chemicals, you really aren’t saving much.
you can buy a paint scraper at hardware store. costs about $5 plus get some extra blades… shouldn’t be too hard to get paint off tile. i’ve done it.