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,
Ok, we don’t know if you have got a tile previously treated with linseed. So we do not know if you have stripped only the surface (old coating sealer or wax) and any primer/ or impregnator.
If you have some boiled linseed oil to hand, or can get a small sample, try applying some and see if the tile will accept it, and if you like the look. If not go straight to your chosen topical sealer. If on the other hand the tile seems to darken and take in the linseed the follow the steps ion this blog to apply the linseed, then yes, you should be able to use a coating sealer over the – but test first!
Hope this helps
Ian
hi Ian, many thanks for the response above!
I stay in South Africa and no one here seems to know how to work with terracotta, I have been to all of the tile and hardware shops with little luck. I finally got a company that can strip the floors and then we just have to seal it ourselves. They however said that they spoke to someone who said the tiles should not be stripped with commercial tile stripper as it could damage the tiles?
My questions are:
Would it be OK if they come in with their machines and professionally strip it (doing it by hand is almost impossible – the whole house and porch is terracotta!?
and
If we seal it ourselves (with commercial sealer) how will we get a nice glossy finish and generally how long does the sealer take to dry before we can move furniture back in?
Your expertise and response is greatly appreciated.
Regards
Tanya
South Africa
Hi Tanya,
People strip terracotta all the time, in the USA and now in the UK, there are people who do nothing else. machines should be ok, unless your terracotta is really soft and is easily eroded by just a pad or brush head – and you can quickly test for that (any company coming in should be able to do a small test to show you what result they can achieve, I would insist on a sample test).
A stripper designed for the job, should be fine, as long as it is all rinsed away afterwards, I have seen terracotta damaged in the past, but this is usually by using acidic cleaners that were too strong, and over aggressive scrubbing with too hard a brush/pad – basically people using a sledge hammer to crack a walnut – black pad instead of white, hard nylon brush, or even a tinex one instead of a medium nylon brush head and strong, acid cleaners (which would do little to oil and sealers in any case) etc.
to get a gloss you you would to get a top coat sealer that leaves a gloss – there are low sheen and high gloss varients available on the market, I do not know what brands are available in South Africa – but there must be some.
Most are just mop or sponge or better still, paint pad applied and simply dry to a shine, no buffing required. They usually require multiple coats (anywhere from 3 to 8 depending on the product, and how porous the tile is) and the sheen/gloss may not show up, or appear even until after a number of coats.
How long they last depends on several factors; the tile itself, the environment and the type and volume of any foot traffic, and finally on the cleaning regime – a one person household with no pets, mopping the floor with just water once every couple of weeks – the sealer and gloos may last 3 years, versus a family of 5 like mine, with cats and dogs, the floor getting a hammering, and being moped with stronger cleaners several times per week, you may get 6 months to a year between renewing coats.
Hope this helps
Ian
HI Tanya, I misread the last part of your question:
These topical glossy coating sealers can take a little bit of time to dry, especially in cold, damp conditions, if it is warm and not too humid outside (unlike here in the UK at the moment) then just open the windows, and if you can gently blow some COLD air through the room it will help. But I would suspect a multi-coat application to be touch dry in 4 hours but leave it 24 at least before attempting to walk on it and bring back furniture
Hope this helps
Ian
Thanks a lot for your comments, really appreciate it. I think best bet for me will be to just do it myself as so far all the people who I have contacted to do it have no clue and I am sure they will mess up.
I am going to rent a scrubber en wet vac for stripping and then just do it room by room over time, with proper drying times, instead of trying to do it all at once.
If I like the look of boiled linseed (which I do). Would it give a more durable seal (and use less commercial sealer) if I first saturate the tiles with the oil and just put a coat of topical glossy sealer on top of that for the shiny look?
These tiles are really giving me grey hair 🙂
Hi Tanya,
OK, well good luck – it is not rocket science, take your time as you say.
Nothing wrong with linseed oil, but, you can over do it, you may find that you cannot strip all of the exiting oil out (if there is any ) and in that case you may only be able to get one more thin coat in (when dry) Don’t just keep piling it on, it will reach a point where it is full – you do not want to leave any linseed on the surface.
As for putting a shiny topical sealer on, again, too much linseed and you will make this harder. when the linseed is completely dry- I would leave it a good few days. you may find that giving the tiles a light wash with a weak solution of alkaline cleaner is required (followd by rinsing and allowing to dry) in order to get a topical sealer to lay down and form a good even coverage and bond.
Hope this helps
Ian
Thanks for your help Ian and thanks for an awesome blog!
Tanya
Thanks!
Ian
Hi Ian, I have purchased and laid some patchwork encaustic tiles. Although we have sealed them they are not as bright as I would like. Can you recommend a product that would do this? Would I treat them the same as terracotta?
Hi Mary-Lou,
Well encaustic tiles are not dissimilar to terracotta in that they are unglazed, natural fired clay. They will most probably be a step up in terms of density, hardness, lower porosity etc though. I do not know what you have used to seal them, but it may be that you can put a wax type polish (real or synthetic) over the top to give them a lift and a bit of a shine.
however, if you have used a good quality, modern impregnating sealer, you will find it difficult now to get any kind of surface coating or polish to stick
Hope this helps
Ian
Hi Ian, thanks so much for your advice. The sealant we used was Lithofin Stain Stop. Are you familiar with that one?
yes, that is a good product, so it might not allow you to get a wax or coating on top – you could try giving the floor a good scrub with an alkaline cleaner – that sometimes helps to break down the surface tension enough (without removing he sealer from inside the stone) to get a coating /wax to lie on top.
Hope this helps
Ian
Brilliant, thanks so much for your help! Will give this a try on a spare tile we have.
No Problem
Hi Ian,
Great blog- very informative!
We have a new unsealed terracota floorin our bedroom in Spain. They have been left to dry for a month and I really like the paler pinky effect the tiles have. I have bought two different sealants, but both hvae darkened the tiles to a dirty red colour. Can you recommend a product available either in Spain or in the UK to preserve the pinky coluor and add a bit of shine?
Thank you so much for your help!
Poppy
Hi Poppy, OK, there are a couple of things to remember, many older or traditional methods to seal terracotta, involved oil and wax – these methods always darkened the tiles significantly. People got used to this being the ‘look’ for terracotta, so naturally when some modern sealers were created some, deliberately sought to mimic the old oil and wax look.
The other thing is that any sealer that is a coating, that is a sealer that is designed to be left on the surface, and impart some degree of shine, is going to unavoidably add ‘something’ to the colour. The only way to retain the natural shade of the tiles near enough 100% would be a water based impegnating sealer – but that is not practical on indoor terracotta, and you get zero shine.
There are some coating sealers that add very little in the way of darkening (they darken initially while the sealer is still wet, but dry out to almost the same shade as they were before), subsequent coats can darken a tiny bit more, but not much. One is Seal & Finish Low Sheen – it gives a kind of mid gloss and adds very little darkening. It is available in the UK.
Hope this helps
Ian
Thank you so much Ian or your quick and knowledgeable reply!
I shall look for Seal & Finiah in the Uk.
All the best,
Poppy
Hi Ian,
I have stripped my terracotta back to the original tile, now in the process of applying commercial sealer… we want a high gloss finish so using a product that is suppose to achieve that, but it seems to dry very ”spotty” with patches that still look wet, not at all getting a very even look. Am I suppose to wipe the floor after a few minutes of applying with a dry towel to prevent this ”pooling effect” or what other causes could there be?
thanks so much
Tanya
Hi Tanya,
you don’t say which brand of sealer but if it is high gloss, on raw terracotta, it will need several coats. Very porous tiles can be uneven in their porosity, so it will take a few coats until all the pores are filled up to the top, at which point the sealer starts to lie on the surface and begin to make the shine. Some parts will get there before others (hence the spots and apparent patchiness) but it should even out after a few coats.
You should not wipe away sealer with a cloth – that is for impregnating sealers, you want this one to dry on the top. However, don’t allow pools of the sealer to sit for longer than about 10 minutes or so (depending on actual sealer and conditions) try to apply it evenly but not too think, anything still sitting in a pool after say 10 minutes, drag to a fresh part of the floor, or onto the grout joints, or, if you have really over applied it, take some back off with whatever applicator you used.
Let that coat soak in and dry in accordance with the manufacturers instructions, then apply the next coat in the same way. Keep doing this until enough coats have been applied to give a uniform, even shine.
Hope this helps
Ian
thanks Ian!!
I’m using TFC Top Seal. On coat #4 now, some areas still looking a bit patchy : / but hopefully all will even out!!
Thanks again for your excellent advice.
Tanya
Hi again,
Another question – after stripping the terracotta and sealing the one (tiny) room to see how it comes out, we got a nice glossy look (with 10 coats of sealer!!), but now I am not too happy with how the grout looks – still seems to be darker in some areas probably because it wasn’t clean enough after stripping and scrubbing.
Any suggestions how to get nice looking grout.Tried a commercial grout cleaner but still doesn’t look great. Do you get a grout dye or should I try vinegar/bakingsoda maybe??
Thanks so much
Tanya
HI Tanya,
OK, for the tiny room you have done, there is nothing you can do as any remedy will involve stripping off all that sealer first.
For the other rooms, really try hard to get it clean before you seal. Try using a high alkaline cleaner, deep clean the joint. If you cannot get it clean, you could try a test with an acid based product (not based on HCL of course, more like a phospohoric) – it will lighten the grout and might get rid of some staining due to removing some (a fine layer) of actual grout also)
There are some stains and grout colourants – but you need a seald terracotta and an unsealed grout joint for best results – not easy to do, as how do you strip the joint without stripping the tile – etc – I have tried this personally and it is hard.
Hope this is some help
Kind regards
Ian
Hi Ian,
Appologies if this has been asked before. i have recently had some terracotta tiles laid in my kitchen. they have been treated so are no longer porus, however the texture is very rough. What would you reccomend to coat the tiles that will make it a more pleasent surphace. I notice you reccoment Seal & Finish Low sheen. What kind of a finish will htis give? Are there any other products that may give a similar but slightly different finish?
Hi Sam,
OK, well if the tiles are really that rough and textured (a lot of terracotta intended for outside is like that) then I don’t think there is any coating that will do much to alter it – several coats of an acrylic finish might help a bit.
The product you mention is a very thin coat and would tend to coat the individual peaks if you like, but not be so think as to cancel them out if you can picture what I mean. There are acrylic polishes that can be applied over the top of such sealers – synthetic alternatives to wax, and you can build the layers up a bit but, it will depend on how textured the terracotta is.
Hope this helps
Ian
Hi there,
I live on a little island in the Caribbean. We just bought a house with terracotta tile floors. They were installed 5 years ago but no one lived in the house for 4 years. My questions:
1. I do not know if they were sealed or not. there is no staining. I was thinking of sprinkling water on then to see if it beads up.
2. They are covered in dust and droppings from bats and rats. Can I clean them myself or do I need to hire the guy with the machine?
3. What should I use to clean them? We have access to main island Puerto Rico which is kind of like the States. Meaning they have Home Depot, etc.
4. I want to darken them a bit. I love the linseed oil/ wax idea but the reality is I have 3 large dogs. Dog toenails and wax do not mix. What sealer should I use to darken them as much a possible. Can I use linseed oil and a synthetic sealer?
Many thanks for you help,
Kate
Hi Kate,
OK, first of all, 5 year old terracotta, with no staining? – they are sealed! – However when you clean all the bat stuff off you may see some staining. You can certainly drop some water on them but I suspect this will only confirm they are sealed – but look for the water wetting out the tiles and making them go dark, very quickly terracotta is typically about as absorbent as blotting paper so unsealed (or inadequately sealed) it will quickly soak in and darken the tile.
However this may be to some extent a little academic, as in order to clean all the muck off you are most likely going to need a high alkaline cleaner and this will likely affect any sealer or wax that is on the tiles, necessitating a re-seal or at least a top-up afterwards.
So, a high alkaline heavy duty tile cleaner (not an acidic cement stain remover) – a degreaser/deep cleaner – there are several available. Most terracotta has a coating of some kind, whether two part (like oil and wax) or a single part sealer and finish in one – and the alkaline cleaner is going to completely, or partially strip it.
It would be great if we knew what the original sealer was – so you could get more of the same. If you cannot determine what it was, then it may depend on how it looks after cleaning. If there are still signs of the colour but the surface is matt, and it now takes water in, little anyway, then you may have got oil left in and just removed the wax. If this is the case you could simply re wax.
If however you are not sure, or the tile looks almost virgin and now is much more porous you may have the choice of how to seal it – synthetic or wax.
I see no real difference regarding the dogs claws, sure, wax can be a ‘chore’ to keep it maintained, buffed, and occasionally stripped and reapplied, but synthetic coatings will scratch way more easily than wax in my opinion (but they can wear nice and are so much easier to maintain/reapply)
Your suggestion of linseed oil and synthetic sealer – may work; the oil (boiled linseed) will certainly darken the tile if there was none before, if the tile had been oiled before then it will just top up what is there and may not add much colour. If there was some other type of impregnating sealer then the oil may not get in at all, so you may have to strip it chemically first. If you do use oil, then wait a few days for the last coat of oil to dry, then scrub the floor with a very mild dilution of your alkaline cleaner and a scrub pad, then rinse well and allow to dry – this will help take any residue of oil from the surface (without stripping it from the tile itself) and help any synthetic coating sealer to lay down flat and bond – it may still prove tricky however.
Hope this helps
Ian
Dear Ian,
We own a holiday house in southwest France, and our builder recently laid a terracotta floor. We had sourced antique tiles (all about 100 years old) that had been used as ceiling (not roof) tiles in old buildings. Unfortunately our builder laid the floor and grouted it using what looks like concrete before we had oiled the tiles, as you recommend, although he says he did put a couple of coats of linseed oil on. We’re worried that the cement grout will make the tiles dirty when we oil it again.
1) What’s the best way to oil the floor given that the grout is already down?
2) If we’ve used linseed, can we then use a synthetic top coat on top? Given that it’s a holiday house in a hot region, would the synthetic products be better do you think, and easier to apply for DIY-ers? What’s the best product to use please?
Sorry for all the questions. Hope you can help please, because we’re confused. (Great site by the way)
Cheers, Pete
Hi Pete,
OK, IF, the builder did put a couple of coats of linseed on the tile BEFORE grouting then he will have at least stopped the grout from penetrating too deep. Sometimes just one coat is enough prior to grouting, sometimes it takes more, all depends on the tile.
If you now apply more oil, YES you will seal over the grout, so any grout staining/residue on the tile surface will be harder to remove, (and if you could remove it, you would also remove the oil you just applied in the process so it would seem pointless) and, any grout stain/residue on the tile, will also darken with the oil, so this might make it even more prominent.
You need to get the tiles as clean as possible BEFORE you add any more oil / sealers. You need to get the tile to a condition you are happy with before you add more oil.
You are going to need an acid based sealer. Anyone who has read my blog for any length of time will know how much I advise AGAINST ‘brick acid’ – this is because brick acid is usually based on hydrochloric acid and in most cases is way too strong, plus is had other issues. However there are some cases where you need that extra power, this MAY (and I say only may) be one of them, the reason I say this is your use of the term ‘concrete’ as it suggest the builder has really over grouted with a lot of grout/mortar and made a real mess (a picture would help us here)
That said, my normal advice would be use a cleaner based on phosphoric acid, it should be enough for most situations and is much safer all round.
Procedure:
1. Pre wet the tiles
2. mix your acid cleaner in accordance with instructions on bottle – try a weak solution first say 1:4 for a typical Phos Acid Cleaner, apply to small area of affected floor.
3. Leave to sit for 2 – 4 minutes, then agitate/scrub with a white pad and /or scrubbing brush. You may find a scraper useful for lumps and larger deposits. Keep scrubbing and scraping as these products stop working quickly and ca be reactivated by exposing fresh cement through scrubbing and scraping.
4. pick up dirt solution with a wet vac if you can get one, if not, by mop
5. RINSE – this means add more clean water, agitate and pick up.
Let it dry and repeat if required.
It may take several goes.
Note any acid can and usually will, lighten the colour of the grout in the joints. However this is less of an issue in your situation as you will ultimately be adding more oil which will darken it down again.
When you are happy it is as clean as can be, make sure it is well rinsed to remove any traces of cleaner, and allowed several days to thoroughly dry out before proceeding with the coats of oil.
In some cases, yes, you may be able to apply a synthetic coating sealer (in place of a wax) over the oil, but this may require a quick scrub with a slightly alkaline cleaner and a white nylon pad/brush first (then rise and dry of course)
Hope this helps
Ian
Dear Ian,
Like your recent correspondant I have a house in south west France. We have a roof terrace tiled with parfeuilles. These are actually an “under” roof tile, rectangular and about an inch and ahalf thick. Thay very decorative and mellow. Unfortunately they are badly put down. The levels are wrong so water does not drain away after a storm. However there is a good membrane under the floor so water does not leak through the ceiling below. I ought to have the whole lot lifted and replaced but this would be expensive and I am not in the market for that at the moment.
I would be most grateful if you could advise me of any product I could buy to proof/protect the surface of the tiles-a synthetic product would be the most appropriate, I think. Would I be able to buy this in France?
Also there has been a bit of frost damage to some of the tiles (about 90% are fine)and before proofing I would like to repair them. I am wary aboput prizing up and replacing individual tiles for fear of damaging the (still very effective) water restant membrane beneath.
Do you think you would be able to advise me?
Many thanks.
James Shepherd
Correction: the parfuilles on the terrace are nearer to an inch thick.
Yours,
james Shepherd
Hi James,
OK first of all there is no real way to repair the damaged ones other than by carefully removing them. Use an angle grinder or osculating tool to cut through the grout joint in order to isolate the tiles from adjacent ones. You can also put some cuts into the the tile in both directions to make it resemble a chocolate block – just don’t cut all the way through. Then gently tap the blocks with s pin hammer, if they start to come free leaving the membrane in tact, then you can carry on like that, you may need to carefully grid away any remaining tile to make enough room for the replacements. Also, bear in mind that although not very practical, you could also grind away some of the back of a replacement tile to make it a little thinner, so it is easier to go back in the space with room for adhesive. – If you have only a few this is a pain, but doable.
If you do break into the membrane, but only in a small way (the off little hole here and there, you can repair this locally with some liquid waterproofing membrane (there are plenty available, most tile adhesive manufacturers make one, some are paintable liquids that dry to form an elastomer film, others incorporate a fibre glass mesh. IF the bond between the tile and adhesive and the membrane is much greater than the bond between the membrane and the substrate, then it will come up. Again, this can be repaired with the right product.
As for sealing them, first give them a deep clean with a good alkaline degreaser then rinse and allow to dry thoroughly (for several days).
If you want an easy to maintain synthetic coating sealer (that leaves a slight gloss) then there are a number available, I am not sure of the brands in France but look for one that is a water based acrylic, low sheen finish, that also claimes to be suitable for outdoor use.
Hope this helps
Ian
Dear Ian,
Thanks very much I will give it a go. I will have to begin VERY early in the morning. If you think you are having a heatwave there remember it is usually like that here in July!
Yours,
James
Hi there Ian. I hope you can help me. I have a saltillo tiled kitchen which we laid 15 years ago. It was linseeded and waxed, but has gradually worn away and we have been very lazy and not re-waxed it 🙁 It has now begun to stain and we really need to do something with it. I steam cleaned it and am pretty sure that there is no wax left on the top of the tiles. So, the question is, would I now be able to just apply some modern sealer to the tiles?? Rather than use the wax again. I’m just not sure if I can use a modern sealer having started with the old method (even though ti was 15 years ago). Please help!! Thank you so much.
Hi, I would say, or safety, give the floor a good scrub with a high Alkalie cleaner like Xtreme Clean by All for Stone. The reason is there may well be traces of wax left, and also if it has been a week or so since you steam cleaned the other dirt may have got onto the floor. I think steam cleaners can help but in my experience they are not a match for a good deep clean (which will also pull some wax from the grout joints and any pores in the surface of the floor.
Rinse the floor well with clean water and allow it to dry thoroughly. You should then be able to use a synthetic surface sealer. Try a small mount of your chosen sealer on a couple of tiles and a joint, see how it applies. If it seems to take then go ahead with the rest of the floor.
Hope this helps
Ian
Hi Ian,
I have a kitchen floor of antique french terra cotta parfeuille tiles, installed 13 yrs ago. They were sealed with a synthetic sealer (not sure of the brand), and were fine for the first 5-7 years. I have had them resealed about every four years. Over the past several years I have increasingly had small patches (some very small, some coin-size) pull up, often revealing bare tile underneath that is much lighter in color or a different color than the top layer of tile (ie, ivory is revealed under a gold colored tile). Sometimes I find the layer that has been pulled up and it is quite thin–like tissue paper. But it is as if the actual top layer of the tile has been pulled up. I thought the color of the tile ran throughout the tile, but apparently not. It is very unsightly! Sometimes this happens if someone walks on the floor with sticky shoes, or if something is sticky on the floor, but not always. Is this actually what is happening and what can I do prevent this? thanks!
Hello Ian, am hoping you might still be available for advice over the blog – have read through all the posts and haven’t quite find an answer to fit yet! We’ve just had gorgeous reclaimed french tiles laid, which the builder ‘waterproofed’ with lithofin stain stop to let him get the grouting done. He advised at time we would still be okay to use other sealants after as it was just an imprgnator, rather than a sealer – but I am now concerned that we get the most appropriate product to seal the tile and not get a sticky mess. Originally we had thought we would linseed oil and wax, but I’m not averse to a more modern approach if it is easier in application and ongoing maintenance. Ideally we would like to have a Matt finish , maybe with a little colour enhancer, and to reduce dusting as far as possible. any suggestions for the most compatible product to use on top of the lithofin impregnator? ( our tile supplier said they had applied a Matt , clear wood varnish recently to a floor and it came up great, but I see from earlier posts that you do not recommend a polyeurothane seal?) any suggestions gratefully received
Hi Ian,
My apologies if this has been asked before.
I had terracotta tiles laid on the entire ground floor of my house 18 years ago and at the time they were sealed with several coats of linseed oil and finished with a medium shade beeswax. I’d been given a choice of light, medium or dark shades of beeswax.
Because of wear and tear we recently had the floor stripped and then sealed with Aqua Mix Seal ‘N’ Shine, and then it was given a coat of LTP antique beeswax. In fact it was in the process of being given another coat of the wax when I decided that it wasn’t working out the way I hoped. It looked too orange, the grout was too bright and the look was hard. Not at all like the original soft, walnut sheen that I had with the linseed and shaded beeswax.
My question is can I put the beeswax on over the Aqua Mix Seal ‘N’ Shine, or do we have to have it stripped again and put linseed oil on it again. You mentioned above that even after stripping the tiles still remain soaked to some degree with the linseed.
I would be very grateful for your expert advice as I really don’t know what to do. I’ve rung several stone companies here and none of them know what to do. The original tiler is long gone unfortunately and I can’t even remember the name of the tinted beeswax that he used.
Hi Maria,
OK, first of all the Aqua Mix product you used is an alternative to the combination of oil and wax – it is intended to be less work etc and two products in one (base seal and top coat sheen). Given that it is intended to replace both it is not meant to have anything on top of it (except perhaps an acrylic polish). So, adding LTP beeswax on the top won’t work, the Aqua Mix product will repel it, so it won’t bond and it won’t penetrate. If the beeswax is solvent based then it may also damage the aqua mix product, remove some of it, and get through a little but it will just create a mess.
Whilst the ‘synthetic’ approach has many benefits as I have mentioned, it also has some cons – mainly in that the look is less ‘oldy-worldy’ – less warm, it adds no colour/warmth/depth to the tiles. So, if you had stripped them back pretty well then you will have lost that oil and wax ‘glow’ – Sure the tiles will retain ‘some’ of the original linseed but you will have removed a lot of it. The glow or warmth of colour comes form the combination of oil and wax, first the oil will darken and enrich the tile, but then the coloured wax you used will have further darkened the tile.
Unfortunately, trying to add colour after the aqua mix product won’t work – it is as though you have tried to paint a wall that you first covered with sellotape – there is a barrier there that won’t allow the new coloured wax to penetrate or bond.
So, yes to revert to oil and wax you will need to strip back again I’m afraid – but, stripping the synthetic product should be easier than the original oil and wax.
Hope this helps
Ian
Hi Alison,
OK, I wish builders would stop confusing impregnators and sealers – an impregnator is a sealer – it is just one that sits below the surface, and leaves no surface sheen. OK, in some circumstances other products can be applied over the top – especially when the tile is incredibly porous. But, if the impregnator has provided enough water-repellancy to help him grout, then it will also repel any top coat sealer you try to apply.
There are matt finish enancers available (I have one of the best) but it is very risky attempting it over a good impregnator like that – even if you strip it out, so I won’t recommend it. You could strip back and go with oil and wax and that may be more in keeping with the look of the tiles. I certainly would not use a polyurethane sealer.
Can I suggest you look up a company called Extensive Ltd, they are the leading UK suppliers of Lithofin products and the MD is a friend – he has many years experience of not just selling but also using their products and he would be the best person to advise you on what could go on top of the Stain stop, or how best to remove it.
0845 226 1488
Hope that helps
Ian
Hi Judy, it sounds as though you have built up the layers of sealer to the point where they really need stripping back. Most modern synthetic sealers should not need this, but some do unfortunately. It sounds as tough the tiles can no longer ‘breathe’ and maybe there is some moisture trying to escape (this could be from below, or even from within the tiles, from all those years ago when they were installed – slowly over time building up pressure). This pressure can blow the face of the tiles off (sometimes in dramatic/explosive style).
Older terracotta tiles and even some quarry tiles are not the same all the way through – think of it like baking a thick biscuit – in a hot oven the outside will darken considerably more (maybe even burn) than the centre. many older tiles like this have a darker outer crust of shell, plus the outer surface has had the wear and tear, and any sealer and or staining that it has been exposed to.
Suggest you strip back – good thing to do after all this time, you may not be able to repair the spots where the tile has flaked but you could replace individual tiles or look into a oil and wax approach which would darken everything down – do a small inconspicuous test first though.
hope this helps
Ian
Thankyou Ian, I really appreciate you answering my question.
I’ll just have to get the floor stripped again though I’m having difficulty finding someone who will do it the old linseed oil and beeswax way. I live in Dublin Ireland.
Thanks Ian for the speedy response – much appreciated. Spoke to the company as you suggested and James there has been very helpful. Will do a water test to gauge how much impregnator has gone on and then decide either re stripping, or application of a lithofin sealer on top (though one normally used for limestone so not ideal).
cheers
Thanks Ian for the response (and my apologies for the delayed reply). I was afraid you were going to say that I need to strip the sealer. It’s going to look terrible when all of the places where the top layer of tile has peeled off are again revealed. (I should have mentioned that I have been spot coloring and sealing those areas, so the floor actually looks great right now–at least until new areas pull up.)
Is the stripping and sealing something that I can do myself, or should I try to find a professional to do it? (It’s not easy to find someone you can trust.) Are there products that you can recommend that will be more durable and leave a shiny surface?
I would probably rather not go the oil and wax route. Thanks very much!
Hi Judy,
No problem. If ti looks fine for now, why not leave it a little longer?
you may be able to do it yourself, it is not rocket science, but it can be tedious and messy, a local professional may be better equipped to do it more efficiently that is all> Looks from your ip address that you are in California – you should have no problem finding someone who can help. If you send me an email (use the contact us form on the blog) I can put you in touch with a good friend of mine who is a tech advisor for one tile chemical company – I am sure she could help either advise you on what to do, or point you to a professional.
Kind regards
Ian
Thanks Ian. I could leave it a little longer, it just seems to be pretty fragile now, needing touching up and spot sealing more and more often.
A referral to your friend would be great. I will email you.
Thanks again!
Hi Ian,
I’m back again (my last comment was september 25th).
I had my terracotta floor re-stripped and they then put 3 lots of linseed oil on it. This is now 4 days later and they are still downstairs about to put a 3rd coat of beeswax on the floor because it just won’t buff to even a sheen and is staying matt. It’s not very nice, certainly not like the first time I had it done about 15 years ago.
I wonder is it possible that not enough linseed oil was absorbed by the tiles and is the wax being absorbed too much.
The tilers themselves are flummoxed, they haven’t dealt with terracotta tiles before and they don’t know what to do to fix this beyond attempting a 3rd coat of beeswax.
Thanks.
Hi, I have had this exact same experience – and it did not end well I am afraid. Similar story, 15 year old terracotta (or there abouts) had been beautiful, linseed oil and wax, the wax was maintained lovingly by the homeowner but she had cause to have it stripped due to moving some kitchen furniture and needing some new tiles/repairs.
The original contractor stripped it back and persuaded the customer to go for a synthetic sealer, which they duly applied – they did an ok job from what I saw, but the customer just did not like the look, so asked me to strip it and go back to the oil and wax – I stripped it and re oiled it, several times, it did seem porous (usually stripping does not remove 100% of the original oil).
However it look ok up to this point, but it was when we tried to re apply the same brand of wax she had been using for years – we could just not get the shine back, we put multiple layers on – and buffed like crazy –
In the end I concluded that the years of wear and tear, and in our case, the unknown method of stripping by the previous contractor, had altered the surface of the tile, I could not fix it. The customer resolved to keep applying the wax in the hope that it would build up sufficiently to reach a shine. We also suggested leaving the wax to dry/harden a little before buffing but I don’t think it helped.
In your case it is possible that insufficient oil was applied, might be worth stripping back a couple of tiles and rinsing, letting them dry then applying another good coat of oil or two, let it dry thoroughly, before trying the wax again.
I sincerely hope this helps, but it might be that the tile, for whatever reason (age and or the stripping process used) has taken its toll and the floor is no longer the same as it was
Ian
Thanks again Ian,
That is very interesting and I will tell that to the stone specialists who did the second stripping, linseed etc. They worked like Trojans and we are all a bit traumatised. They will feel better about the situation.
It now has a slight sheen over a big portion but remains stubbornly matt in some places. We did exactly as you suggested, left it to dry/harden overnight and actually that did make a bit of a difference but whether it shines or not it still looks a million times better than the orange mess I was left with before.
Anyway, it’s staying this way. I will however strip a tile or two in a corner under the stairs and try what you suggest.
Many thanks!!
Maria
Hi
I am about to lay a new raw terracotta flooring, I always imagined the warm patina of oil and wax, but I would like the easier maintenance of a modern approach.
Is it possible to use an acrylic sealer over an oiled tile?
Or is there a better way to get the best of both?
Also..
What is your opinion of using household steam cleaners on sealed terracotta?
Thank you
Hi Sue,
Bottom line is it is tricky, but ‘some’ topical synthetic sealers can be applied to terracotta floor that has been oiled but it is not always easy. Many topical sealers need porosity and texture to get a grip, but if you have oiled the floor well then the sealer may not be able to bond. There are acrylic top coats and polishes that may go over the top, so you are really using the oil as the sealer and to acrylic finish as a synthetic alternative to wax.
My view on household steam cleaners is, well, not great in that i don’t think they do anything other than superficial cleaning, I have not yet found one that would replace a chemical for deep cleaning. they will remove the daily/weekley surface dirt that builds up. However in the case of terracotta tiles (whether waxed or synthetic) they will do the same as a chemical in that they will strip or at least dull the finish. So be prepared to keep replacing the wax/finish more regularly if you use one. Better to use a vacuum and mop occasionally with a neutral cleaner
hope this helps
Ian