The 'What have you cleaned today?' Thread

« **Reply #961 on:** August 22, 2015, 07:24:16 pm »

Nice job but the stone looks like it has shrunk a wee bit on the right

« **Reply #962 on:** August 27, 2015, 08:51:19 pm »

Drives and travertine and block paths today..

« **Reply #963 on:** August 27, 2015, 08:55:29 pm »

And self promotion....

« **Reply #964 on:** August 27, 2015, 09:01:34 pm »

Nice work and the sign looks great,
Never seen a trav patio before, the holes would do my head in.

« **Reply #965 on:** August 27, 2015, 09:31:40 pm »

Yes my first one, thankfully all went well (phew)

Darran

« **Reply #966 on:** August 27, 2015, 10:02:38 pm »

« **Reply #967 on:** August 27, 2015, 10:08:17 pm »

Interesting picture Chris
Is there a story to go with it ?

Darran

« **Reply #968 on:** August 27, 2015, 10:09:26 pm »

Great job Chris, looks like a test patch take it you got the job?

« **Reply #969 on:** August 27, 2015, 10:20:24 pm »

Just a test at the moment with an offer to quote.

« **Reply #970 on:** August 28, 2015, 12:15:10 am »

You'll get it.
It won't let me upload pic's but this week I have mainly soft washed a big roof, done a oil spillage clean at a police station, pressure washed a roof, two driveways, three patios and still got tomorrow and Saturday to go.

« **Reply #971 on:** August 28, 2015, 06:45:37 am »

Quote from: chris scott on August 27, 2015, 10:02:38 pm

Chris,

I have stopped sharing my knowledge on the forum but as you sent me a boatload of photos on this project and you posted it on here I came up with the following! I did a little more research and as such assumed what we are looking at here are 6" square earthenware relief moulded tiles below the dado rails, also in 6" sections. These were popular in the period 1870-1910 ish. The glaze is frequently referred to as 'majolica' as they have a copper tinted lead based finish. Before you consider proceeding is that whilst the decoration is enhanced by the pooling of the glaze it is relatively 'soft' and particularly prone to crazing. There would have been initially barely discernible fissures in the surface of the tiles since the day these left the factory rather like the hidden fissures in poilseed porcelain today. The wall surface has clearly been painted over time after time with coats of whitewash or more recently with a water based polymer. Consequently the bone dry earthenware interior will have sucked the paint into the crazing which is what appears to have happened in the photo if you look at the dado border. So whilst the surface paint would be relatively easy to remove the resultant white 'veining' would be rather more of a challenge. Furthermore, as I mentioned to you yesterday, I can only speculate in respect of the damage to the tiles disguised by the paint. Craven Dunhill do an excellent job on repro tiles and reproducing encaustics but my view is that these tiles would be impossible to replicate - not least because the hazards of using lead glazes were known as early as the 1890s being replaced by lead 'frits' by 1913. What a fantastic project this would be to win - but, nonetheless, like anything else worth doing, lots of hidden difficulties.

Kev

« **Reply #972 on:** August 28, 2015, 08:22:01 am »

Duly noted….I have quoted to " remove the paint' to this (test patch) standard whilst wearing a short mini skirt. Any hazing ,cracks,repairs are down to them. The test patch will be agreed on by all concerned and the "sealed up" and untouched till the end of the project. I have also suggested the one complete stair well is stripped to give a true indication of the amount of "damage"
As you know sometimes thing look a hundred times worse cleaned.