Tile Cleaning -- I sold I job I don't have the equipment for

[B&BGaryC]

On top of that I don't really know what I'm doing.

The floor has a sealer on the tiles themselves. She doesn't want me to take the shine off the tile. I told her I need to make another appointment and test the sealer. I didn't think ceramic tiles were supposed to have a topical sealer on them.

What do I do?

How much should I have charged?

Should I walk away?

 

[boazcan]

If she wants the shine to stay, then walk.

If you want to go to the trouble, take your tile cleaner at dilution and clean one tile - see what happens.

 

[B&BGaryC]

I checked with an IICRC instructor and he told me a complete neutral cleaning with spinergy 7 should leave the finish on. It is a hard enough sealer that I wasn't even able to scrape some off a tile.

 

[Brian R]

I've ran into that before.
Why the hell anyone would want to put any kind of sealer on tile like that is beyond me.

I always explain that it's supposed to look the way the factory made it look.
Whattyagonnado?

 

[B&BGaryC]

If they decide to have the finish taken off after I speak with them again how will I know I can get it all off? What test can I do? I know it is not a shelack or a urethane. The finish is thin, low shine, durable, mutes and alters the subtle accents of the tile. Not level, but sinks into the pits... Anybody got any ideas?

 

[tmdry]

A good floor stripper will remove it.

 

[B&BGaryC]

I should use whatever bridgepoint spinergy or viper product they supply for stripping?

Not cause it's the best but because it's available and I have support for it.

Or is the bridgepoint product not good enough to remove finish?

Thanks

 

[Jim Nelson]

Walk you do not know what you are doing. If you screw up her floor will she tell her friends yes that will be good for your biz.

 

[B&BGaryC]

Walk you do not know what you are doing. If you screw up her floor will she tell her friends yes that will be good for your biz.

Keep in mind I was sent out with no training and a turbo hybrid to do quite a bit of tile at the last company and was fine until I stripped a vct and vowed never to do a floor until I got certified. I am now certified. As long as I don't choose to walk I am getting olson to send me a turbo hybrid and will have the equipment. I am just a little rusty and know that this tile should not have finish on it and want to make sure I am promising the correct results and want to make sure this finish is something I can either keep in tact or fully remove. I did my acid testing, scratch testing, prorosity absorbsion testing. I am trying to do this right. Now that you have all the information do you think I should walk or do you think i should try to convince her to have it done a different way or just re- affirm what her expectations should be.

A note on the vct: I described the tile ( without the word vct) to the owner and asked him to look at it and he insisted I turbo the wax off with a stripper and leave it bare without looking at it. Not my fault. I knew it wouldn't end well.

 

[Ron Werner]

so you let the customer tell you what to do?

Sorry, continuation from another thread.

 

[Bruce Humphrey]

If your going back to test , GET THE DAMN PICTURES!!! shiteatinggrin

 

[Brian R]

so you let the customer tell you what to do?

Sorry, continuation from another thread.

 

[rwcarpet]

Are you sure that the shiny sealer isn't urethane sealer? That can be real tough to remove, and if not trying to remove, you can run across spots that will be removed, leaving a splotchy surface. Then yoyr really screwed.

 

[J Scott W]

I should use whatever bridgepoint spinergy or viper product they supply for stripping?

Not cause it's the best but because it's available and I have support for it.

Or is the bridgepoint product not good enough to remove finish?

Thanks

The Bridgepoint, Viper or Spinergy products should remove most finishes. However, there are some urethanes and maybe a few other finishes that Viper Venom, Spinergy StonePerfect will not remove. I would suggest testing a small area before you committ to the entire job. This will allow them to see the results and you can see hwat is required to remove the finish.

Stonetech has what I would call a "last resort" product called coating stripper. It will remove anything. However the work is slwo and you have to beware of the fumes.

 

[tmdry]

Post pictures of the floor.

 

[B&BGaryC]

I will have pictures posted thursday, but thursday is my SECOND inspection and will probably turn down the job at that time. I will still get pictures for the learning experience though.