saltillo sand and seal

[pallwall]

OK.... I've researched a lot about saltillo and have decided that I may have to sand and seal a neglected, beat-up, older saltillo kitchen floor (until we can afford to replace it later). I know that I will get mixed results on the sanding, but from everything I've seen, refinishing is not easy nor fool-proof in any case.

My questions are:

How aggressive do I need to be with the sanding? I'm thinking one of the big, orbital floor sanders (about 18 x 24 inch rectangular footprint with a brush skirt to help catch the dust) from Home Despot rather than a circular floor-buffer type. Does anyone have experience with these types of sanders on saltillo?

I assume the tile is actually quite soft. So, I would start with something like a medium grit, but maybe have a couple of the really nasty looking sheets (20 grit) on hand in case it goes too slowly. I would finish up the sanding with a 150 grit screen. Sound OK?

And most importantly, what should I seal with? I've seen everything from motor oil to terribly expensive stuff recommended. I will have raw tile and grout and hope to get a satin or matte finish (no gloss!). I don’t mind sealing the floor on a regular basis, but want something that will be water and stain resistant with minimal effort.

Thanks, Paul

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[Davestone]

Paul, if you sand your saltillo that aggressively you'll open all kinds of holes inside the body of the tiles, you won't like the result.I very lightly sand mine initially just to remove heavy dust, with a very light sandpaper, like 220,by hand.The most aggressive thing i would use would be a hogs hair pad,or tampico brush on a regular buffer,but if your floor is up and down you'll get mixed results,the highs will be polished off and the lows will be untouched.Why do you need to sand or buff it? Is the finish blistering or something?Pics might help.Also ;i'll give you a link to some sealers,i would concentrate on the ones designed for saltillo........http://www.aldonchem.com/

[pallwall]

The reason I have to sand is because there is some much ground in grime... the finish is toast... I have a few broken tiles anyway... and my wife does not like the fact that they are so uneven. We will eventually replace with terra cotta, but I thought that I could get more life out of these.

I understand what you mean about the holes in the tiles. I would expect that, but it might be worse than I imagine. I also noticed yesterday that lots of the grout is broken and very poorly done. Sanding won't cure that.

We might just have to replace it ASAP and so live with the floor the way it is. My hope was that I could make it "livable" for a while longer. I really don't want to put a lot of effort into it is we will just replace it soon anyway.

Thanks, Paul

[doitright]

Hi Paul :)

Personally, I'd leave the floor alone until you replace. That will help motivate you to get it done, or at least keep it a priority.

Can you post any pictures? :shades: