What rate of movement can I expect to achieve using the cimex or swing machine to strip the sealer off of an old terracotta floor? Do you treat it the same as stripping a vct floor as far as speed goes?
Thanks.

Ken Martin

Ken,

There's no telling what's on the floor. It could be regular floor finish (finish can be challenging enough). Or it might be urethane (much harder than traditional floor finish). Or it could even be a lacquer (just get a gun and shoot yourself). On top of that the tile is fairly soft and porous so you can damage the clay if you get too aggressive. Therefore there's no way to really give advice on how long it will take or difficult it might be.



Here's something that came from a true Tile & Grout professional...

[Copied from the Dirty Grout Board]
http://www.network54.com/Forum/message?forumid=279673&messageid=1118630816


Re: Terra Cotta Pix MY FIRST JOB!!!!!! Thanks to Karen, Derek, John and David
June 12 2005 at 10:46 PM
John Rupich (Login JohnRupich)


Response to Terra Cotta Pix MY FIRST JOB!!!!!! Thanks to Karen, Derek, John and David

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James, looks great too me. I have done my fair share of saltillo jobs and most have turned out as good as yours. But I have learned to walk from these for now on. Too much trouble even with the money I was charging and a lot can go wrong. My feeling is there is easier jobs to earn money on. I was always up for a good challenge but got tired of it quickly and like the easy money.

Don't get me wrong, I am not telling you to run from these jobs just know some of them never get easier and the stress is sometimes harder then the actual job.



John Rupich
VP of Tile and Grout Cleaning Division






Rick Gelinas
encapman

Efflorescense came back a few days later from the thin-set/concrete. If you are going to do it, charge $6.00-8.00 a sqaure foot minimum or tell them to stick it where the sun don't shine and walk. TRUST ME!!!!!!

I am still not done with this floor, ordered some grout brushes from Rick last week to finish up the job next week.

James