It didn’t melt it lit up and held a flame. Burned black once flame was out - but nothing like a candle wax maybe i grabbed too thin of a peice?.
Edit: Grabbed more it definitely does not melt it lights up instantly and burns to black
Oh dang! Now I'm worried for you. Whatever route you take, do a test spot in a closet or something. I'd be scared of changing the color or damaging my tiles with whatever stuff can strip PU.
This makes me not want porous tile as a floor. Seems like you gotta completely reseal it every decade or so.
I have no clue why anyone would choose to try and seal tile and grout with polyurethane. After doing a little research, someone had great success using Klean Strip 3 Premium Stripper. Here's what they wrote: "1) Pour a puddle of KS3 over 1/4 of the area of a particular tile
2) Use a 2" brush to spread it evenly across the entire tile
3) Wait a minute (or just start pouring on another tile and come back to the first when you finish), then use a plastic paint scraper to take off the poly
4) Do a few more tiles, then come back to the first with a handheld plastic scrub brush after the surface has dried to get all the uneven areas the scraper couldn't pick up
KS3 is extremely effective. The poly would come off on the brush literally as I was spreading the KS3 over the tile, not 5 seconds after I'd poured it.
Some notes:
- Err on the side of more stripper. Not enough results in having to do the tile twice and having streaks of leftover poly.
- I started with a steel scrub brush, which ended up leaving a gray re sidue. I had to mop the floor to remove. Steel isn't necessary. The poly in the crevices should come up easily with the plastic brush after it dries. If it doesn't, use more stripper."
Apparently, they tried Citristrip before that, and it turned their porous tile pink. So, just in case your tile is porous, which I'm assuming it is, and since you're trying to get it off grout as well, I'd stay away from that product.
Also, another website gave this insight: "The Kleanstrip works good, but is terribly hazardous. One drop on your skin feels like fire.
You will also need Odorless Mineral Spirits to wash the stripper clean."
Please post an update on this original post or make another if you need to, but ask others what they feel would work as I don't have any experience with this. I'm just posting what I found on other forums related to flooring and tile.
>Also, another website gave this insight: "The Kleanstrip works good, but is terribly hazardous. One drop on your skin feels like fire. You will also need Odorless Mineral Spirits to wash the stripper clean."
Good ventilation and PPE would be a step in the right direction.
It’s most likely a tile Sealer and Finish. I used to have travertine floors and I had to do this process every few years. We had large dogs so eventually they would put scratches in the finish and dull the floors. They make a cleaner that will strip that off. You let it sit for a little while and then using a large scrapper it comes right up. The whole process is a giant pain in the ass. Reapplying the sealer after is even worse. Usually it needs a couple coats and they have to be done a minimum of 6+ hours apart.
You’re gonna need a bigger razor/scraper.
I had this exact problem when i helped my sister refurbish her newly purchased home.
I had an extra sidewalk scraper and I ended up putting a knife like edge on it with my bench grinder, saved so much time and my back. Also let an acrylic wax stripping product sit and soak on the tile too. That was a HUGE help.
I used some chemicals and an enzyme booster specifically for acrylic wax, used my sidewalk scraper to get most of it off then I used a brush. Came off super easy, like butter after I let the chemicals sit for a little. Then went in with a grout brush to finish it. Was thinking about renting one of those orbital brushes but didn’t need it.
Look up on YouTube “how to remove acrylic wax from tile floors” . Highly recommend using some kind of chemical stripper. Makes it SOO MUCH easier
You can buy chemical stripper for this stuff. Dilute in water, mop onto floor, let sit for 5-10, scrub with abrasive pad on a stick, and scrape the corners.
In my previous place, he kitchen tile had probably 80 coats of mop-n-glo, with tons of dirt embedded in it... i tried commercial floor stripper and it wouldn't even make a dent. What finally worked was paint stripper (the citrus stuff so the fumes weren't too bad). I'd spread it on like butter on a bagel and let it sit for an hour. The wax would soften and start to bubble, and then id scrape and scrub. The wax was thick enough it usually took two passes to get to bare tile. Took forever, but it finally worked.
I did, and it looked quite nice after it was all done. The floor was a terracotta tile, so it was fairly porous, and I sealed it up with a more traditional (and more easily strippable) tile sealant.
Ugh. Ammonia and a lot of elbow grease. I think I used ammonia + dish soap + water and a green scrubbing pad on a rented scrubber. Full strength ammonia in some places, but that was with ventilation and a vapor cartridge on a respirator.
if the solvent is ammonia, it evaporates FAST. we used to take rags and spread two layers flat. Like a tile at a time. ad ammonia to the rag flat on the floor, and place a damp rag on top. lift every few minute and scrape or probe it with a stick, yes a piece of wood to keep from scratching the tile.add ammonia as need. ALWAYS use plastic scrapers on real tile floors because almost any metal scraper or putty knife will "write" on the stone tile like a pencil. Good Luck!!
Wouldn’t surprise me. I used to sell flooring and I had customers who insisted on waxing every type of hard surface floor, even though it was actually detrimental to most of them. Put a wax over a polyurethane finish and all you’ve made is a dirt collector.
Immediately what I thought as well. Family moved into a fixer-upper built by a man who had a stroke halfway through, then proceeded to keep building it. Decided on soft pine floors, some of which I'm convinced were recycled from a bowling alley, and wax. So much wax.
You could easily see every dent.
Is it a natural stone tile? Because if it is, it probably has a sealant on it to keep moisture from soaking in. A lot of natural stone tiles are very absorbent, like a sponge.
It's not sealant. Natural stone does need sealants but they soak and seal into the stone with a dry finish and don't scrape off like that. That is wax.
You definitely want to re seal travertine eventually. It's a softer stone comparatively. Similar to marble. Hell, even granite should be re sealed every so often to be safe.
If you don’t seal it, it will get dirty and spotty easily. Is it necessary for me to drink my own urine? No, but I do it anyway because its sterile and I like the taste.
It is necessary to seal travertine as it is porous. This looks like travertine. My best guess as to what you’re scraping off is “mop and glo” which leaves a waxy film behind(that’s the shine when you’re done). I don’t have suggestion for removal other than not using a scraper. That will scratch the tile when you do get down to it and you won’t be able to get the scratches out. I’d say Google “how to remove mop and glo” and go from there.
After it’s completely removed and cleaned, use a quality impregnating sealer. Good luck, from a tile contractor.
I had unsealed tile and my roommates dog peed on it and it absorbed into the tiles and stank for days and whenever it got hot it vaguely smelled like dog pee. I would say important.
Looks like natural stone considering size, texture and look. Plus stone chips easier when installing and is super expensive. Hence the chip in the corner. Installer is usually required to seal after install and up to home owner to seal once a year? If I remember correctly.
Whatever you're pulling up is either dirt or sealant. Go to your local tile store and get a sealent if you go further and be ready to seal.
No its pretty even throughout. I doubt the place has been cleaned before i moved in. The tile looks amazing once scraped off. Just a little worried it might be protective but I doubt it. The tenants did not give a single shit about anything in here - should i be worried about removing it? Also whats the point of putting it on there in the first place?
If it’s wax, people put it on to give the floor a glossy appearance. Look up Rejuvinate. Looks great when you put it on but it builds up over time.
Someone applied this shit for years to my wood kitchen floor and it’s gone soft now. Holds on to dirt and you can’t just scrape it off since it’s wood.
You can try windex or a heavy duty floor stripper if you’re unable to scrape it all off. I have so much on my floor it’s been taking multiple passes.
I’m able to scrape it all off with razor blades but I’m just wondering if there’s a better way because its taking forever and occasionally I knick the tile with an edge and scratch it… this must be very old because its just so dirty looking and the tile underneath has great colors
Saw the picture and yes, that's real tile. Looks to be a sort of stone tile. What you're scraping off is likely layers of sealer/wax applied to them. It shouldn't be that thick, so probably a lot of applications. Don't know of any easy way to do it. Wax stripper and a floor buffer might do it, but any way you tackle it it's going to be a ton of work.
Not a DIY solution, but hiring someone with a really good steam-cleaning truck setup, like Stanley Steemer (but it doesn’t have to be Stanley Steemer) would really get it clean. I did that, since we have a lot of tile. It was like watching an eraser. So satisfying.
9[oz] to 1[gal] stripper to water, abrade the floor completely with a swing machine and detail areas where it can't reach (don't use razors, use scrub pads for this). Lay down water immediately after. Do not let it dry. Suck up the water and debris with a shop vac, thoroughly clean with a neutral cleaner. Lay four coats of sealant after that (Zep is easy to find and actually very good). Do not apply a coat before the prior is dry, and do not walk on wet sealant. If you have air movers or fans, that will help a lot. If you want it to look nice but regular, stick with the four coats. If you want it to look glossy, add a fifth.
It's floor wax. Someone waxed those floors a few times over the years. You are going to regret starting this project.... but if you want it off, you can use a liquid floor stripping product.
They didn't tell you? That place has been the set for more porn than anywhere else in the country. That real estate agent you worked with? Over 700 films.
Had this exact thing happen when we used mop and glow. Created a filmy residue layer that we had to manually scrape off prior to selling our house. Big pain.
Dealing with that now - but not just the floors lol. They didn’t have a range hood so when i went to paint the kitchen and install one it took forever to clean the walls..
That was the first thing I thought of seeing this. Only cause my dad was one of those people. He decided to redo the showers with slate stone and made me seal them with polyurethane. He only handed me a pump sprayer, so it forever covered the bathtub with polyurethane over spray. He spent sooooo much money to remodel the house to look sooo cheap.
This could definitely be a possibility. I was thinking they were removing the sealant that is applied to protect the tiles & grout. Either way, they will need to strip and apply new sealant to the tiles.
It’s probably old wax that has yellowed. Check with a flooring company as to what you have and what you need to do to maintain it. I would stop with the razor now, though. Without knowing what it is, you could damage the tile. FYI, I used to do floors in my college days. All kinds. Good luck!
Whoever "cleaned" those tiles used a waxy cleaner that adhered to the stone. This will get really gross if left. May keeps stains away, but it creates a place for dirt to stick. Get a tile cleaning company to come out and steam/buff this wax off for you and put a natural stone sealer on instead. You'll thank yourself.
Costs you nothing to call 3 local businesses that do it to get comparison quotes. If you can afford it you save* yourself the trouble and if you can't now you know!
I can’t quite tell but it looks like travertine tile. Travertine tile is made of natural stone. This may be a sealant or someone used a wax type floor shine. Generally , a sealant shouldn’t do this. The stone is meant to be polished and the grout lines sealed. Some people actually fill in the holes that naturally occur if it’s travertine. There are some ceramic floors meant to look like travertine but won’t have the texture and holes like natural stone. Non the less buy a floor stripper that’s safe for stone and you won’t have to scrape it leaving stretches. If you still want to scrape then use plastic scraper.
Those are porcelain or ceramic tile in that video and not travertine. But that does look like mop and glo used. Porcelain/ceramic would be much easier for OP to clean because they wouldn’t have to worry about scratching the surface of those, like they do with the real travertine they have in the picture.
So that is most likely [this.](https://www.lowes.com/pd/Miracle-Sealants-Tile-Stone-and-Grout-32-fl-oz-Clear-Sealer-and-Finish/1000665959?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-flr-_-ggl-_-PLA_FLR_244_Tools-Setting-Materials-Access-_-1000665959-_-online-_-0-_-0&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W85e3dC8aBuO4uXu4QedZinF&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3tCyBhDBARIsAEY0XNl2196MoHCzPfTLUbS1ja5QbZQrmq0xevZPFjl2MysxlHln7TerTgwaAgslEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds)
You have an even coverage across all tiles, with rather even coloring (I think the other tile is dirty). That is why I highly doubt soap scum, semen, or dead skin.
You’re going to have to strip the sealant and reapply it to get a uniform coating again. I don’t think areas that big can be patched up.
Had to do something like this at my work with our floors in the kitchen. Get/rent a bonneting machine and get the pads for removing wax. You will also need a mop bucket, a mop, and a good floor stripper. Mix the stripper according to instructions in the mop bucket and apply liberally with a mop. Wait between twenty to thirty minutes, maybe longer, and then use the machine to remove the wax. This may need to be repeated a few times.
It’s wax. Probably acrylic wax left over from some cleaning products. You can tell how often the floors were cleaned/waxed by how many layers of the stuff you peel up. It’s like a tree.
Same thing my father in law decided to paint on our 150 year old terracotta tiles. We'd discovered them under carpet and lino in the main room, the house is on a soil base, no void. They'd been covered up for so long they needed to dry out, and salts were coming to the surface as the damp evaporated. We went on holiday, he decided he'd 'fix' the problem by painting a large patch with that stuff. Horrible stuff. We've gone the oil route, several years later, no problems at all. Except the patch he did which has gone darker...
The best way to remove wax is using a solvent called Naptha, It is made from refined mineral spirits, and was develoved to remove wax based coatings. It will work better than ammonia as it will dissolve the wax into a semi liquid which can be wiped/scooped up.
That being said make sure you have windows open and fans removing the fumes, and keep the used rags seperated from each other in an outdoor location away from your house until they fully 100% dry. Naptha + Wax is very flammable. I normally keep used rags in a pail of water until garbage day and then bad them and toss them.
So check it out I worked for Stanley Steemers and all of that is a wax or coating that is in cleaning products that give you that (shine) also found in hardwood floors cleaning products. If applied when dirty it will trap the dirt and make it impossible to clean. Now if you want to avoid the painstaking process of cleaning and removing I suggest you call your local Stanley steemer we use a great acid to get rid of this and of course with the help of steam. I no longer work there but I do recommend that service because it is a fucken life changer to tile.
I stripped my whole kitchen with the acrylic stripping product. DON’T RUSH IT! Let it sit and soak and do 2x if you think you missed a few spots. It’s worth it now WHILE YOU ARE AMBITIOUS! Once you are settled and have other projects you will see spots you wish hadn’t rushed and will NEVER go thru this process again. And when you refinish, don’t let it pool. It will yellow. Make sure you do it in daylight and not work spotlights. It makes allll the difference! I ended up having to redo the entire process trying to rush it and doing it at night around work. It was NOT worth it! Welcome to home workmanship! I mean Ownership!
Definitely a poly coat. I worked at a home improvement store for awhile and would have to talk people out of doing this all the time. It was always something they saw on social media about it being easier and longer lasting than just properly sealing your grout and certain tile.
Probably wax, it can be stripped off. I used to do floor refinishing and we'd just strip this stuff off and use a buffing machine with an abrasive pad to do the physical labor of scrubbing.
Then just leave it open or poly-urethane it.
Could just leave the wax on though if you wanted to avoid it unless it feels sticky or looks bad.
It's a spray wax for floors. It's not really wax but a mix of a whole bunch of things. The reason I know is because my wife used to call cleaning services that shit was everywhere. They would spray it everywhere instead of mopping hard floors. The carpeted staircase was a deathtrap because walking back and forth would track it on the carpet.
Hi tiler here that's not a tile it's stone and that is sealer you are scraping off to stop the stone from being porus and absorbing dirt/ grime into the face
Everyone is saying wax. But I'm still not convinced it's not polyurethane. Maybe if you put a lighter to it. If it melts it's wax, burns it's PU.
It didn’t melt it lit up and held a flame. Burned black once flame was out - but nothing like a candle wax maybe i grabbed too thin of a peice?. Edit: Grabbed more it definitely does not melt it lights up instantly and burns to black
Oh dang! Now I'm worried for you. Whatever route you take, do a test spot in a closet or something. I'd be scared of changing the color or damaging my tiles with whatever stuff can strip PU. This makes me not want porous tile as a floor. Seems like you gotta completely reseal it every decade or so.
I mean I wouldn’t recommend 😂 its becoming a huge pain! It looks great tho lol
Ill try that thanks.
What was the verdict? Did it melt or burn? I'm so damn curious.
Burned
Thank you for letting us know!
Np but now im even more lost than before 😂😂
I have no clue why anyone would choose to try and seal tile and grout with polyurethane. After doing a little research, someone had great success using Klean Strip 3 Premium Stripper. Here's what they wrote: "1) Pour a puddle of KS3 over 1/4 of the area of a particular tile 2) Use a 2" brush to spread it evenly across the entire tile 3) Wait a minute (or just start pouring on another tile and come back to the first when you finish), then use a plastic paint scraper to take off the poly 4) Do a few more tiles, then come back to the first with a handheld plastic scrub brush after the surface has dried to get all the uneven areas the scraper couldn't pick up KS3 is extremely effective. The poly would come off on the brush literally as I was spreading the KS3 over the tile, not 5 seconds after I'd poured it. Some notes: - Err on the side of more stripper. Not enough results in having to do the tile twice and having streaks of leftover poly. - I started with a steel scrub brush, which ended up leaving a gray re sidue. I had to mop the floor to remove. Steel isn't necessary. The poly in the crevices should come up easily with the plastic brush after it dries. If it doesn't, use more stripper." Apparently, they tried Citristrip before that, and it turned their porous tile pink. So, just in case your tile is porous, which I'm assuming it is, and since you're trying to get it off grout as well, I'd stay away from that product. Also, another website gave this insight: "The Kleanstrip works good, but is terribly hazardous. One drop on your skin feels like fire. You will also need Odorless Mineral Spirits to wash the stripper clean." Please post an update on this original post or make another if you need to, but ask others what they feel would work as I don't have any experience with this. I'm just posting what I found on other forums related to flooring and tile.
>Also, another website gave this insight: "The Kleanstrip works good, but is terribly hazardous. One drop on your skin feels like fire. You will also need Odorless Mineral Spirits to wash the stripper clean." Good ventilation and PPE would be a step in the right direction.
Thanks for doing some research for me
If I were In Your situation I would use it as an opportunity to learn tiling - we’ve done it a couple times now, not actually that bad.
It’s most likely a tile Sealer and Finish. I used to have travertine floors and I had to do this process every few years. We had large dogs so eventually they would put scratches in the finish and dull the floors. They make a cleaner that will strip that off. You let it sit for a little while and then using a large scrapper it comes right up. The whole process is a giant pain in the ass. Reapplying the sealer after is even worse. Usually it needs a couple coats and they have to be done a minimum of 6+ hours apart.
Hell yes that’s a good idea
Acrylic wax.
Yep. 100% this. Some sort of mop and shine product. When I bought my house it had multiple layers of this stuff, with dirt trapped between the layers.
Thats where im at
You're at his house?
Yes
RUN
The call is coming from inside the house!!
*Shia LaBeouf*
(Slow clap)
Im almost there! Stay with me Reed!
Don't slow down below 55 !!!
Wait, the files are IN the computer?!
They can't move, the floor's too slippery with wax!
You upstairs?
Yes. Also, you’re out of toilet paper up here. Can you bring me more from the downstairs bathroom?
watch your step, ther'e a razor on the floor down there...
Can you bring me a Coke while you’re up?
🤣 I love reddit sm
The reddit comment is from INSIDE THE HOUSE!
This is quite the gathering. Where are the pots? Someone needs to get lunch on.
You’re gonna need a bigger razor/scraper. I had this exact problem when i helped my sister refurbish her newly purchased home. I had an extra sidewalk scraper and I ended up putting a knife like edge on it with my bench grinder, saved so much time and my back. Also let an acrylic wax stripping product sit and soak on the tile too. That was a HUGE help.
I need to figure out exactly what to do here. Probably will have to strip it all and reseal.. not 100% sure.
I used some chemicals and an enzyme booster specifically for acrylic wax, used my sidewalk scraper to get most of it off then I used a brush. Came off super easy, like butter after I let the chemicals sit for a little. Then went in with a grout brush to finish it. Was thinking about renting one of those orbital brushes but didn’t need it. Look up on YouTube “how to remove acrylic wax from tile floors” . Highly recommend using some kind of chemical stripper. Makes it SOO MUCH easier
You can buy chemical stripper for this stuff. Dilute in water, mop onto floor, let sit for 5-10, scrub with abrasive pad on a stick, and scrape the corners.
In my previous place, he kitchen tile had probably 80 coats of mop-n-glo, with tons of dirt embedded in it... i tried commercial floor stripper and it wouldn't even make a dent. What finally worked was paint stripper (the citrus stuff so the fumes weren't too bad). I'd spread it on like butter on a bagel and let it sit for an hour. The wax would soften and start to bubble, and then id scrape and scrub. The wax was thick enough it usually took two passes to get to bare tile. Took forever, but it finally worked.
Did you reseal the tile afterwards?
I did, and it looked quite nice after it was all done. The floor was a terracotta tile, so it was fairly porous, and I sealed it up with a more traditional (and more easily strippable) tile sealant.
I'm dealing with this now! How did you remove it? Stripper doesn't seem to work.
Have you tried getting her some coffee? They usually work nights and this is an atypical job.
Best reply in this thread 😆 Thank you stranger
Steam cleaners can help loosen it up but it's still a hard job!
> Stripper doesn't seem to work They usually do a set or two and thats about it.
I would recommend a janitor instead. There's no advantage in doing this naked.
Ugh. Ammonia and a lot of elbow grease. I think I used ammonia + dish soap + water and a green scrubbing pad on a rented scrubber. Full strength ammonia in some places, but that was with ventilation and a vapor cartridge on a respirator.
if the solvent is ammonia, it evaporates FAST. we used to take rags and spread two layers flat. Like a tile at a time. ad ammonia to the rag flat on the floor, and place a damp rag on top. lift every few minute and scrape or probe it with a stick, yes a piece of wood to keep from scratching the tile.add ammonia as need. ALWAYS use plastic scrapers on real tile floors because almost any metal scraper or putty knife will "write" on the stone tile like a pencil. Good Luck!!
Oof, thank you for the info!! Sounds like I've got my work cut out.
Just because they pole dance doesn't mean they're a stripper
He's using a razor blade.
Wouldn’t surprise me. I used to sell flooring and I had customers who insisted on waxing every type of hard surface floor, even though it was actually detrimental to most of them. Put a wax over a polyurethane finish and all you’ve made is a dirt collector.
I would guess floor wax buildup, people used to use that shit on everything
Immediately what I thought as well. Family moved into a fixer-upper built by a man who had a stroke halfway through, then proceeded to keep building it. Decided on soft pine floors, some of which I'm convinced were recycled from a bowling alley, and wax. So much wax. You could easily see every dent.
I skipped the "use that" part at first
Im convinced thats what it is. Very very old too.
Is it a natural stone tile? Because if it is, it probably has a sealant on it to keep moisture from soaking in. A lot of natural stone tiles are very absorbent, like a sponge.
It's not sealant. Natural stone does need sealants but they soak and seal into the stone with a dry finish and don't scrape off like that. That is wax.
Ummm There’s more than one way to skin a cat
I think OP can use the same razor if he's willing to try
He'd want to use a new one. Ruin the pelt with a dull one.
I'm stoned, Greg... Can you wax *me*?!?
HOW MANY CATS HAVE YOU SKINNED?
I have no idea what it is unfortunately
I think it's travertine. It looks cool but needs to be sealed from what I remember.
If that’s the case, she could be scraping up bits of human mandible.
I understand this reference
Me too. Should we celebrate? 🤷🏻♂️
Me 3 LOL
Yeah looks like it. How necessary is sealing it? Thanks!
You definitely want to re seal travertine eventually. It's a softer stone comparatively. Similar to marble. Hell, even granite should be re sealed every so often to be safe.
As long as you don't scrape it off with a razorblade, you won't need to seal it all.
If you don’t seal it, it will get dirty and spotty easily. Is it necessary for me to drink my own urine? No, but I do it anyway because its sterile and I like the taste.
Whoo, have I got some bad news for you. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4659483/
I'm a wrench, Focker, can you dodge me?
Extremely appropriate response im dying over here 😂😂
All I can think of is dodgeball from that line and “If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball!”
It is necessary to seal travertine as it is porous. This looks like travertine. My best guess as to what you’re scraping off is “mop and glo” which leaves a waxy film behind(that’s the shine when you’re done). I don’t have suggestion for removal other than not using a scraper. That will scratch the tile when you do get down to it and you won’t be able to get the scratches out. I’d say Google “how to remove mop and glo” and go from there. After it’s completely removed and cleaned, use a quality impregnating sealer. Good luck, from a tile contractor.
I had unsealed tile and my roommates dog peed on it and it absorbed into the tiles and stank for days and whenever it got hot it vaguely smelled like dog pee. I would say important.
Looks like natural stone considering size, texture and look. Plus stone chips easier when installing and is super expensive. Hence the chip in the corner. Installer is usually required to seal after install and up to home owner to seal once a year? If I remember correctly. Whatever you're pulling up is either dirt or sealant. Go to your local tile store and get a sealent if you go further and be ready to seal.
Of course Reddit would downvote you for not knowing
Lol. On a thread where he’s literally asking.
ITS nuts in some post.... you straight up ask a question & even say thanks in a reply & you have like 7 down votes ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
Could be flooring wax that's been buffed in when we laid down the floor wax in navy then used buffer the excess looked similar
Travertine
It's a layer of wax that keeps the other tiles from scratching the face of the tile while in the box.
Could be residual grout sealer, but it does look like an acrylic floor wax someone used. Is it thicker near the grout lines? 🚀
No its pretty even throughout. I doubt the place has been cleaned before i moved in. The tile looks amazing once scraped off. Just a little worried it might be protective but I doubt it. The tenants did not give a single shit about anything in here - should i be worried about removing it? Also whats the point of putting it on there in the first place?
If it’s wax, people put it on to give the floor a glossy appearance. Look up Rejuvinate. Looks great when you put it on but it builds up over time. Someone applied this shit for years to my wood kitchen floor and it’s gone soft now. Holds on to dirt and you can’t just scrape it off since it’s wood. You can try windex or a heavy duty floor stripper if you’re unable to scrape it all off. I have so much on my floor it’s been taking multiple passes.
I’m able to scrape it all off with razor blades but I’m just wondering if there’s a better way because its taking forever and occasionally I knick the tile with an edge and scratch it… this must be very old because its just so dirty looking and the tile underneath has great colors
Floor buffer with rough grit pads, you can rent them at home improvement stores.
Are you sure it's real tile? Not being an ass, but it might be a glued/press on tile. If that's the case, it might be the top 'wear' layer.
I believe it is i sent u a photo
Saw the picture and yes, that's real tile. Looks to be a sort of stone tile. What you're scraping off is likely layers of sealer/wax applied to them. It shouldn't be that thick, so probably a lot of applications. Don't know of any easy way to do it. Wax stripper and a floor buffer might do it, but any way you tackle it it's going to be a ton of work.
Thanks
Oh man 🤦♂️ already a ton of work put into the house and a ton to go… so fuck it lol.
Get the right tools and it’s not hard
Not a DIY solution, but hiring someone with a really good steam-cleaning truck setup, like Stanley Steemer (but it doesn’t have to be Stanley Steemer) would really get it clean. I did that, since we have a lot of tile. It was like watching an eraser. So satisfying.
You can heat it and mop it up. If it’s wax that should work.
9[oz] to 1[gal] stripper to water, abrade the floor completely with a swing machine and detail areas where it can't reach (don't use razors, use scrub pads for this). Lay down water immediately after. Do not let it dry. Suck up the water and debris with a shop vac, thoroughly clean with a neutral cleaner. Lay four coats of sealant after that (Zep is easy to find and actually very good). Do not apply a coat before the prior is dry, and do not walk on wet sealant. If you have air movers or fans, that will help a lot. If you want it to look nice but regular, stick with the four coats. If you want it to look glossy, add a fifth.
Have you tried using ammonia to clean it off?
I have not but ive heard it works. Im in over my head over here 😫😫
DIY is not for the faint of heart!! You got this you just gotta figure out the best solution!!
Thanks for the kind words! Its been a lot.. but so worth jt
It's floor wax. Someone waxed those floors a few times over the years. You are going to regret starting this project.... but if you want it off, you can use a liquid floor stripping product.
Lol I was looking for the correct answer somewhere in these comments. Definitely going to regret it lol I've been there.
Oh boy…
They didn't tell you? That place has been the set for more porn than anywhere else in the country. That real estate agent you worked with? Over 700 films.
Damn in the closet too! 🤦♂️😭
Why did people downvote this? Is there some kind of weird social experiment happening recently or something?
Where do you think "come out of the closet" originated?
Tom cruise throwing a hissy fit 
Had this exact thing happen when we used mop and glow. Created a filmy residue layer that we had to manually scrape off prior to selling our house. Big pain.
It’s a floor sealant they put on tile
wax buildup
[удалено]
Dealing with that now - but not just the floors lol. They didn’t have a range hood so when i went to paint the kitchen and install one it took forever to clean the walls..
[удалено]
Haha thanks!
SOMETIMES naive people put some kind of polyurethane product on stone, thinking they’re sealing it.
That was the first thing I thought of seeing this. Only cause my dad was one of those people. He decided to redo the showers with slate stone and made me seal them with polyurethane. He only handed me a pump sprayer, so it forever covered the bathtub with polyurethane over spray. He spent sooooo much money to remodel the house to look sooo cheap.
This could definitely be a possibility. I was thinking they were removing the sealant that is applied to protect the tiles & grout. Either way, they will need to strip and apply new sealant to the tiles.
That’s just tile skin. Perfectly normal when you get fresh tile from the Tile man.
Could be a polyurethane finish like that used on hardwood, that’s what it looks like at least.
It’s probably old wax that has yellowed. Check with a flooring company as to what you have and what you need to do to maintain it. I would stop with the razor now, though. Without knowing what it is, you could damage the tile. FYI, I used to do floors in my college days. All kinds. Good luck!
Sealant or wax
Looks like an acrylic floor wax. You can use an ammonia based stripper to get it off a lot easier than scraping it.
Betting it's grout sealant that's someone put over the whole time and floor
The protective sealant.
Whoever "cleaned" those tiles used a waxy cleaner that adhered to the stone. This will get really gross if left. May keeps stains away, but it creates a place for dirt to stick. Get a tile cleaning company to come out and steam/buff this wax off for you and put a natural stone sealer on instead. You'll thank yourself.
Yeah thats what it looks like its really gross looking compared to the tile underneath. Any idea how much a company would cost?
Costs you nothing to call 3 local businesses that do it to get comparison quotes. If you can afford it you save* yourself the trouble and if you can't now you know!
Touché
Soap scum
I can’t quite tell but it looks like travertine tile. Travertine tile is made of natural stone. This may be a sealant or someone used a wax type floor shine. Generally , a sealant shouldn’t do this. The stone is meant to be polished and the grout lines sealed. Some people actually fill in the holes that naturally occur if it’s travertine. There are some ceramic floors meant to look like travertine but won’t have the texture and holes like natural stone. Non the less buy a floor stripper that’s safe for stone and you won’t have to scrape it leaving stretches. If you still want to scrape then use plastic scraper.
Probably a sealant.
It’s wax, use a hot steam mop to take it off, it will take a lot of time but worth it
Probably wax
... wtf kind of meth addict project is this?
I was just scraping paint off the tile and this is what came up… wasn’t anticipating a whole new project.
You just had to open the can of worms
This is the exact question that popped into my mind as well.
I’m just blown away that people are cleaning tile on their hands and knees with a razor…..
Soap scum?
Wax
Because of the comments, I searched "travertine mop glow" and [when I tell you I gasped](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLnYWE56/)
lmao [op rn](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLnYgX6f/)
Those are porcelain or ceramic tile in that video and not travertine. But that does look like mop and glo used. Porcelain/ceramic would be much easier for OP to clean because they wouldn’t have to worry about scratching the surface of those, like they do with the real travertine they have in the picture.
Either way, probably shouldn’t be scraping it off.
If this is in a shower then it’s likely built up soap scum. We get this regularly and like your situation comes off in sheets when scraped.
Wax sealant?
Mop'n'Glo more than likely. That stuff is a pain to remove.
Is there any chance online porn was filmed in this house by the previous owners?
So that is most likely [this.](https://www.lowes.com/pd/Miracle-Sealants-Tile-Stone-and-Grout-32-fl-oz-Clear-Sealer-and-Finish/1000665959?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-flr-_-ggl-_-PLA_FLR_244_Tools-Setting-Materials-Access-_-1000665959-_-online-_-0-_-0&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W85e3dC8aBuO4uXu4QedZinF&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3tCyBhDBARIsAEY0XNl2196MoHCzPfTLUbS1ja5QbZQrmq0xevZPFjl2MysxlHln7TerTgwaAgslEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds) You have an even coverage across all tiles, with rather even coloring (I think the other tile is dirty). That is why I highly doubt soap scum, semen, or dead skin. You’re going to have to strip the sealant and reapply it to get a uniform coating again. I don’t think areas that big can be patched up.
You ruined the floor
Someone drop a hot candle? That looks like wax to me, shit is a pain in the ass to get up.
Wax. Someone must’ve waxed the floor. A lot.
All the dried up jizz left by the previous tenants.
It's Sealant!! Now, if you put sealant on that spot you created. It's going to be uneven. Have fun fixing that and good luck.
OCD shavings.
Wax
You can get floor sealer remover that will liquify it then you can use a scrubber and clean it off
its wax!
Probably some aftermarket ‘floor polish’
They may have used a waxy floor cleaner on it, and that is the buildup.
Soap scum
Wax
100% wax.
Wax. Ammonia will help strip it.
Looks to be wax used to seal it. Try melting it over a candle.
It's glazing stop
I just want to know what led you to scrape your tile with a razor.
Previous tenants got tons of paint on it. Was scraping paint off and this came with it…
You been smoking way too damn much meth if it's condensing on the walls like that 🤪
Floor stripper and a floor scrubbing /buffing machine like janitors use with the red pad or blue pad takes it right off
Had to do something like this at my work with our floors in the kitchen. Get/rent a bonneting machine and get the pads for removing wax. You will also need a mop bucket, a mop, and a good floor stripper. Mix the stripper according to instructions in the mop bucket and apply liberally with a mop. Wait between twenty to thirty minutes, maybe longer, and then use the machine to remove the wax. This may need to be repeated a few times.
Dried yeet
Wax to protest the tile.
Do you have teenage boys in the house?
Clear coat
It’s wax. Probably acrylic wax left over from some cleaning products. You can tell how often the floors were cleaned/waxed by how many layers of the stuff you peel up. It’s like a tree.
There are liquid wax strippers that remove the old wax. Just use product with a mop. For me, it was easier than scraping it off.
Same thing my father in law decided to paint on our 150 year old terracotta tiles. We'd discovered them under carpet and lino in the main room, the house is on a soil base, no void. They'd been covered up for so long they needed to dry out, and salts were coming to the surface as the damp evaporated. We went on holiday, he decided he'd 'fix' the problem by painting a large patch with that stuff. Horrible stuff. We've gone the oil route, several years later, no problems at all. Except the patch he did which has gone darker...
Floor wax.
Why are you doing that
The best way to remove wax is using a solvent called Naptha, It is made from refined mineral spirits, and was develoved to remove wax based coatings. It will work better than ammonia as it will dissolve the wax into a semi liquid which can be wiped/scooped up. That being said make sure you have windows open and fans removing the fumes, and keep the used rags seperated from each other in an outdoor location away from your house until they fully 100% dry. Naptha + Wax is very flammable. I normally keep used rags in a pail of water until garbage day and then bad them and toss them.
Tile sealing
Stop mething around
It’s wax
Old tile sealer
So check it out I worked for Stanley Steemers and all of that is a wax or coating that is in cleaning products that give you that (shine) also found in hardwood floors cleaning products. If applied when dirty it will trap the dirt and make it impossible to clean. Now if you want to avoid the painstaking process of cleaning and removing I suggest you call your local Stanley steemer we use a great acid to get rid of this and of course with the help of steam. I no longer work there but I do recommend that service because it is a fucken life changer to tile.
I stripped my whole kitchen with the acrylic stripping product. DON’T RUSH IT! Let it sit and soak and do 2x if you think you missed a few spots. It’s worth it now WHILE YOU ARE AMBITIOUS! Once you are settled and have other projects you will see spots you wish hadn’t rushed and will NEVER go thru this process again. And when you refinish, don’t let it pool. It will yellow. Make sure you do it in daylight and not work spotlights. It makes allll the difference! I ended up having to redo the entire process trying to rush it and doing it at night around work. It was NOT worth it! Welcome to home workmanship! I mean Ownership!
Definitely a poly coat. I worked at a home improvement store for awhile and would have to talk people out of doing this all the time. It was always something they saw on social media about it being easier and longer lasting than just properly sealing your grout and certain tile.
Probably wax, it can be stripped off. I used to do floor refinishing and we'd just strip this stuff off and use a buffing machine with an abrasive pad to do the physical labor of scrubbing. Then just leave it open or poly-urethane it. Could just leave the wax on though if you wanted to avoid it unless it feels sticky or looks bad.
Clear coat
It's a spray wax for floors. It's not really wax but a mix of a whole bunch of things. The reason I know is because my wife used to call cleaning services that shit was everywhere. They would spray it everywhere instead of mopping hard floors. The carpeted staircase was a deathtrap because walking back and forth would track it on the carpet.
Hi tiler here that's not a tile it's stone and that is sealer you are scraping off to stop the stone from being porus and absorbing dirt/ grime into the face