joidevie Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Hello all..I've just returned to the house here after having left it for 4 weeks. When I left, I'd just laid around 50 m/2 of parefeuilles/tomettes on a sand bed (lime+sand) and 'grouted' it with the same. It's 'cured' well and seems solid, and the joins are around 10mm.I'm new to this, and after the 'grouting', I mopped the surface well with water, but now there is a fine 'smear' of white over the tiles. Not solid mortier, more like a residue.What is the best way of cleaning this off before impregnating the tiles? I've done a couple of tests - sugar soap seems ineffectual, but HCL fizzes and 'wipes off' fairly clean.How should I go about large areas of cleaning? I'm aware that the lime/sand process is an alkaline curing method, and I naturally don't want to compromise this with using acid.According to the laying instructions/advice I've followed, it recommends a 6 week curing process after laying. Will using acid after this ruin any chemical bonding achieved with the lime? Or has it done it's 'thing' by then?And, any general working method anyone can recommend on such a large area? Sponges, working solutions, wiping clean after? (Perhaps neutralising with sugar soap to lift the dirt/acid?).Any help would be hugely appreciated, I really don't want to undo all the hard work we did!Many thanks if anyone can share any tricks or advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG MAC Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 What are the tiles made of? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joidevie Posted October 11, 2011 Author Share Posted October 11, 2011 Sorry, wasn't clear on that, they are reclaimed parefeuilles (large tomettes if you like, basically, terracotta, and currently very absorbant..).. Been pressure washed, are around 25mm thick, and sitting on a sand + lime 'chape' of between 20-45mm.. (depending on the sub-surface)The bed seems very solid & cured now (very happy with that).. But looking to clean now before treating..Cheers.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG MAC Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Did you seal the tiles pre-laying.....if not....woops Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joidevie Posted October 12, 2011 Author Share Posted October 12, 2011 No I didn't, but the method I followed (and all the others I'd read about) very much said not to as the stone wanted to cure with the lime, so it said to treat after..Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gyn_Paul Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 I think you might try sponging the stuff off the tile surface with a HCL solution. Doing you best to keep it out of the grout lines. The only thing I will say is that - as the tiles faces are absorbent - the longer you leave it, the harder it will be to clean the tiles. I laid 64 sqm of big (40cm) tiles, and grouted them and came to do the final clean up a few days later and then discovered to my horror that they were FAR more absorbent that I had supposed. And the 'brush/wipe the grout dust off the surface' process which had been the routine with other tiles, was useless with these. It took 2 days of v.hard labour and several bottles of HCL to shift the damned stuff. It bleaches the grout colour too if you're not careful. And make sure the room is well ventilated. I have some exposed copper CH pipes in the ceiling which I notice have gone quite black, which I can only assume is the effect of the fumes (God knows what it's done to my lungs!)p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joidevie Posted October 12, 2011 Author Share Posted October 12, 2011 Hmmm.. Sounds daunting..I presume the lime will have cured by now, so I'm guessing that the final 'wipe' (after HCL) could be with some St Marc which is alkalie?Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG MAC Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 I think if memory serves that sealing with linseed oil may have been the way in the past I wonder if using a puzzi type cleaning machine may work (Like what a car valeter would use) and using a very weak solution of brick cleaner (Disclean or similar) my theory being sponge on the brick cleaner (use rubber gloves) then use the vacuum and rinse of the puzzi to rinse and remove quickly before significant damage to grout line occurs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joidevie Posted October 13, 2011 Author Share Posted October 13, 2011 Thanks again..I'm having a modicum of success with SCRUBBING hard with St Marc (sugar soap) which leaves the parefeuilles 'clean' though a little 'cloudy' looking. A small test with some oil seems to remedy this (much like oiling leather or wood) in that the colour becomes saturated.What has gone out the window is the plan to use "impermabilisant hydrofuge" which really only seals, and in now way enrichens the colour, leaving the look 100% 'as is' (a good thing for some projects ;o)Regards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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