Limestone Nightmare

**Groutcho Marks** · 26-01-2010

Hello to all,
here goes, I have laid an anhydrite floor screed over a piped UFH system. On this i used a few coats of BAL apd and used flexy cement based ady and grout. The floor was 60 sqr meters and was limestone in an opus pattern. It looked stunning when it was done, all good so far. Then I foolishly used a acid based cleaner to try to remove the stubbon grout from the pitted surface. Massive mistake. This is in my new dream home which I have renovated myself. Gutted. Lots of faded light patches, looks shocking. I will notice every bit that is wrong every time I sit in the room if I don't repair it. The only time it looks at its best again is when its wet, when I have been coating it with impregnating sealer. I have paid 70 quid for a colour enhancer, it looks great when it is wet but when it dries it goes back to the streaky pattern. So my question is, is there a product that I can add to the surface that keeps it looking wet (preferably matt) and so keeping the colour even, or have I really, really messed up?

Thanks WT

**whitebeam** · 26-01-2010

How many tile are infected

**Groutcho Marks** · 26-01-2010

I'd of said more than half. There is a few different colours and some are more etched than others. V gutted

**Dave** · 26-01-2010

Questions..

1 which limestone.

2 which grout

3 which sealer

4 which acid remover

5 pics..

**Daz** · 26-01-2010

The acid cleaner wasn't your best move - sorry mate

.

You need to get the stone back to a stable appearance before you can go forward with final sealing.

My suggestion would be to try cleaning the tiles with an alkaline grime remover (testing a small hidden area first). If you get an even clean finish then you can start thinking about sealing when thoroughly dry.

Don't be under any illusions, this is going to take a lot of elbow grease or a professional restoration company.

By the way, "wet look" means shiny IMO.

Good luck and I hope this works out for you.

**hillhead** · 26-01-2010

not nice when a floor goes like this,you need them streaks out so stripping is the way to go.

**Groutcho Marks** · 26-01-2010

Don't know which type of limestone, it was "Minster" from Classical Flagstones part of Marshalls.

BAL Supaflex wide joint grout.

HG Impregnator Sealer

Everbuild Patio Cleaner (yes i'm sorry)

I have sealed again after the acid mistake.

**Groutcho Marks** · 26-01-2010

"All the Minster antique stone tiles are sensitively and ethically sourced from India"

If that's relevant.

I'll take some pics tomorrow

**Dave** · 26-01-2010

When you applied the sealer.... what did you use and how did you apply it..?

**Groutcho Marks** · 26-01-2010

I used HG impregnator/sealer. I rollered it on before grouting, and wiped off after 5 mins as instructions. I grouted, left a week, used acid, left a few days sealed again. I tried the acid on a tile before using, it seemed ok. How wrong i was.

**Dave** · 26-01-2010

Ok.. how many coats...?

Just to add.. Not the best sealer for porous limestones..

**Groutcho Marks** · 26-01-2010

Two in total. One before grouting one after. I have tried some lithofin colour intensifier on a couple of tiles it darkened a bit. Could a few coats of this be an answer?

**Dave** · 26-01-2010

Be careful...mixing sealers could be costly... personally i would have used lithofin stainstop or LTP mattstone..

Also how long are you leaving the tiles before you are trying sealers..?

doug boardley · 26-01-2010

restoration work is not my forte, but I'd imagine that a stripping solution for the sealer, altho' you did say it was HG impregnator, and then maybe an alkali solution to neutralise the acid, would that bring it back maybe?

**Groutcho Marks** · 26-01-2010

I left the floor for two weeks after tiling before i sealed then a week and a half after grouting.

**Dave** · 26-01-2010

I mean after stripping it...

And did you neutrilise the stripping solution.

**Groutcho Marks** · 26-01-2010

Originally Posted by doug boardley

restoration work is not my forte, but I'd imagine that a stripping solution for the sealer, altho' you did say it was HG impregnator, and then maybe an alkali solution to neutralise the acid, would that bring it back maybe?

Thanks doug. As I used the acid i was thoroughly washing the acid off as I worked across the floor so I don't think there is any still present.

**Groutcho Marks** · 26-01-2010

Originally Posted by Dave

I mean after stripping it...

And did you neutrilise the stripping solution.

A couple of days. I was washing as I went with clean water.

**Dave** · 26-01-2010

So how does the floor stand now...?.. clean or re-sealed.

**Groutcho Marks** · 26-01-2010

Originally Posted by Dave

So how does the floor stand now...?.. clean or re-sealed.

Re-sealed now. Do you think the acid would have removed the first coat of sealer?

**Dave** · 26-01-2010

I think so yes.... Is the shading visible standing above the tiles or just at a side glance..?

**Groutcho Marks** · 26-01-2010

Originally Posted by Dave

I think so yes.... Is the shading visible standing above the tiles or just at a side glance..?

Both unfortunately.

**Groutcho Marks** · 26-01-2010

When I seal the floor though they disapear, until it dries.

**Dave** · 26-01-2010

I think the only one that might work and this means stripping the floor again but with a less harsh stripper...

Once clean/dry, then try a small area with Aqua mix Enrich and seal....