Restoring Terrazo Floor

paintycait · Post by **paintycait** » Sat May 09, 2009 12:13 pm

In my new premises I have a lovely original Victorian terrazzo tile floor that has been a bit unloved
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/painty.ca ... 5147786546
We scrubbed mountains of dirt from the floor just using sugar soap but it is still grubby. I know there are products out there that can clean these tiles up and I also know that you can damage them if you use the wrong product...I have seen the results.
I have a supplier locally of Lithfin products and Lithofin have an intensive cleaner. The spec says:

A strong alkali based cleaner for the removal of very stubborn, engrained dirt and for regular use on vitrified ceramic and porcelain floors in high foot traffic areas.

Is victorian terrazo vitrified ceramic or is it not? Is this just the wrong range of product? Should I be looking elsewhere?

Thanks

Cait

m3 fitter · Post by **m3 fitter** » Mon May 11, 2009 3:25 pm

Hi paintycait, your floor is not terrazzo, just encaustic victorian frost free ceramics, terrazzo is where a resin is poured inbetween usually stone tiles and the tiles are then ground down with a buffer and the colour coded dust fills the grout lines. As you said above use the intensive cleaner, extensive sell at a good price;
http://www.extensive.co.uk/product.php/ ... 7a619b04c4

paintycait · Post by **paintycait** » Thu May 14, 2009 9:49 pm

Sorry, what a dork I am...I have no idea why I thought it was terrazo...just had that term in my head from the day I looked at it.
Anyway thank you. My husband popped out and got the cleaning stuff and I applied it today, with good results.
When we first went into the property we washed it with sugar soap and took what, for a small area, was a ridiculous amount of dirt off the surface. Today I checked the instructions on the cleaner and it said it could be used neat or at a dilution of up to 10:1. It was pretty dirty looking so I went with a 1:1 dilution and took bucket after bucket of filth off that tiny 1.5x1.5 metre floor...some areas reuired neat application. When I first finished it , I wasn't that pleased but it has dried out very nice.
Should I be sealing it?

m3 fitter · Post by **m3 fitter** » Fri May 15, 2009 5:19 am

You can apply FZ sealer if required, here:
http://www.extensive.co.uk/product.php/ ... ator-500ml