[Graeme Smith]

Whats best for general stone cleaning? Say sandstone, slate, Victorian tiles not talking anything to do with polishing!!

Tynex seems effective you can see it cutting/abrading sandstone when using it - is there any benefit to switching to diamond or other.

What ranges are out there? Nulife do a diamond system but at around £150.00 verus the tynex for £80.00 with an intergagable collet off Kevin  -can't see a good reason to switch yet

[Rob Hall]

Whats best for general stone cleaning? Say sandstone, slate, Victorian tiles not talking anything to do with polishing!!

Tynex seems effective you can see it cutting/abrading sandstone when using it - is there any benefit to switching to diamond or other.

What ranges are out there? Nulife do a diamond system but at around £150.00 verus the tynex for £80.00 with an intergagable collet off Kevin  -can't see a good reason to switch yet

I dare not even comment Graeme for fear of a "clevering" from the voice of experience. Lets see what "The Master" has to say before us mere 'plebs' consider contributing...

[Kev Martin]

Whats best for general stone cleaning? Say sandstone, slate, Victorian tiles not talking anything to do with polishing!!

Tynex seems effective you can see it cutting/abrading sandstone when using it - is there any benefit to switching to diamond or other.

What ranges are out there? Nulife do a diamond system but at around £150.00 verus the tynex for £80.00 with an intergagable collet off Kevin  -can't see a good reason to switch yet

Graeme
The answer is various brushes work in various circumstances depending on factors like hardness of the stone, porosity, type of contaminant etc etc.  We are currently conducting extensive testing on lots of different brushes and the results have proved you need different types and grits of polypropylene, sic, diamond, tynex, union mix and recently brass brushes have proved to be the best in certain circumstances

[Jamie Pearson]

Ceramic brushes?

[Rob Hall]

Ceramic brushes?

Yeah. Ceramic, for people who won't pay for diamonds!

[Kev Martin]

Ceramic brushes?

Jamie

Sorry forgot to mention Ceramic when I was answering Graeme.  A lot depends on the selection of the correct machine as well when using these different materiel and different grit brushes and of course consideration of the Mohs scale.

Kev Martin
Tiling Logistics Ltd

[Graeme Smith]

What about travertine for cleaning - seems to be soft/medium brush and a powder, 800 grit flexi pad and some polishing powder if required. Tynex at around 80 grit seems harsh any of the above mentioned brushes any better?

[Rob Hall]

What about travertine for cleaning - seems to be soft/medium brush and a powder, 800 grit flexi pad and some polishing powder if required. Tynex at around 80 grit seems harsh any of the above mentioned brushes any better?

in my opinion, powders are a waste of money too. What are they doing what the diamonds aren't?

[Rob Hall]

Having spoken to different manufacturers of brushes, the general opinion is that they (ceramic brushes) are a fad!
What stone has suddenly appeared today that Silicone Carbide and/or diamonds cannot handle?

He that cannot be challenged says that it depends on the mohs scale and I ask him, "Which stone is it that ONLY a Ceramic Brush will do?"

[Graeme Smith]

Guessing powders are cheaper

[Kev Martin]

Guessing powders are cheaper

Graeme

You have it in one!   Honing powder is a lot cheaper in fact in the right hands using the correct grit 20KG of 220 grit honing powder will do at least 800-1200M2 + so at £90 ish that works out at around 10p a M2 on average.  So a 50M2 floor is going to cost you £5ish.  We have also proved in a lot of our testing it is a quicker than just Diamond Brushes alone especially if you throw some High Alkaline into the mix.  This of course is all based on extensive testing of different types of brushes in fact we have tested in excess of 10 different grits of Diamond Brush at speeds ranging from 150 RPM up to 1500RPM and at weights from 30KG up to 100KG so far.  We have also tested smaller brushes up to speeds of 3500 RPM on 17" Planetario Machines.  We are nearly there now and the full range will be released in the next few months.

Kev Martin
Tiling Logistics Ltd

[Graeme Smith]

Be interested in brush systems particularly for Victorian tiles that have emerged from under carpets they are usually covered in everything possible. Did a horror recently and sure enough a bit of alkaline and a tynex removed the vast majority

[Graeme Smith]

Here's another putting a sheen on after would be good without a topical - I hate em

[SteveAllan]

Nice one Graeme

[Kev Martin]

Here's another putting a sheen on after would be good without a topical - I hate em

Graeme

It is coming but you have to remember that putting a shine or sheen on does not seal the tiles.  This is where something like Aqua Mix Enrich N Seal comes into it's own.  Have you tried Antique Wax yet with a Union Mix brush on these type of tiles yet to create a sheen?

Kev Martin
Tiling logistics Ltd

[Graeme Smith]

That is enrich and seal -my last bit left! Tried wax did not like it as it seems to scuff easily. I would prefer to just stick to impregnators but the sodding customers always get in the way (they tend to do that) and want a shiny (ish) this lady did not want shiny so it was left sealed with an impregnator.

[Tadgh O Shea]

Hi Graeme,  For deep cleaning travertine we have found the most effective way is to use microcleaning pads which are far better than using any type soft/medium brush and powder, just pre spray the tiles with your preferred safe cleaning solution no need to use aggressive high alkaline based cleaners, when it comes to deep cleaning travertine nothing will beat the combination and performance of microcleaning pad technology and a safe cleaning solution.

[Graeme Smith]

Pads will not make it go shiny - only diamonds and polishing powders do that. The big problem with Travertine I have found is when the entire surface of a tile starts to degrade i.e. the ones in front of the cooker - the surface ends up with tiny pin prick holes all over it which make the tile look grey and grimy cleaning will remove most but not all of that appearance as the tile itself is a bit shagged - the holes are too small for resin repair.

[Kev Martin]

Pads will not make it go shiny - only diamonds and polishing powders do that. The big problem with Travertine I have found is when the entire surface of a tile starts to degrade i.e. the ones in front of the cooker - the surface ends up with tiny pin prick holes all over it which make the tile look grey and grimy cleaning will remove most but not all of that appearance as the tile itself is a bit shagged - the holes are too small for resin repair.

The honing powder works here though because it cleans those pinpricks with the RIGHT BRUSH!  In addition you can fill those smaller holes and cracks you just need to buy the " Wax Iron Kit"

Kev Martin
Tiling Logistics Ltd

[Tadgh O Shea]

Hi Graeme, I was answering your question in regards to cleaning travertine, again using a microcleaning pad with a slow speed scrubbing machine the results will speak for themselves.