removing sealant from quarry tiles

[londoncall]

This is the worst DIY job in the world. Cowboy builders lay and seal tiles.. total bodge job. I try to strip away the sealant with the toughest H&G cleaner (acid based) and after 5 goes (and blood poisoning - don't ask) am left with what looks like a patchy clear (but when the light hits it - shiny) residue.

I have two options - 1: gloss the tiles or 2: find a sealant stripper that really works.

Can anybody save my sanity!!!!? For you information the sealnt used was H&G's matt sealant (brown bottle)

 

[nellyb]

Was it HG Golvpolish they put on as this has a brown label and is a surface polish. If so use HG Remover (yellow label) to strip it off.

Possibly, it was HG Impregnator they used which also has a brown label. This sounds more likely. If this is the case, it seems like it has been over applied and the excess not wiped off quickly enough. AFAIK, HG Spot stain remover and an emulsifying pad should sort this out for you. Will need plenty of elbow grease though.

You can contact HG on 01206 795200 for any technical advice.

 

[londoncall]

thanks for the advice but I've tried every H&G product under the sun... in evry colour - you're right - it was the impregnator brown bottle. I'll try the spot remover (if I haven't already)

And if that doesn't wrok - should I use another sealant and wil this hide the almst shiny patches? Or will it just increase the uneveness.

Thanks very much for your advice. Spoken to loads of experts who just as baffled as me.

Think there's an opening for a new business venture here (quarry tile cleaning . Although I won't be applying.

 

[EllieC]

I had exactly the same problem that you've described - quarry tiles with a very patchy sealant that was glossy in places. I tried all the chemical products I could find and none worked. Then I came across the solution completely by chance. I accidentlally spilt a glass of apple juice, didn't clean it up immediately and when I did it had stripped all the polish/sealant. I managed to strip the whole floor with 2 litres of pure apple juice! A very cheap solution. I found it best to leave the juice on for about an hour and then scrub with soapy water to rinse. It did mess up the grout but I put on a new layer of grout and my kitchen floor now looks brand new. I'm now just looking for the right sealant to use that won't dry shiny/patchy.