Terra cotta pavers, also called quarry, saltillo, Mexican or Spanish tiles, provide a hot end to a patio or sunroom. While the clay tiles are usually used both indoors and outside, unless the porous surfaces are sealed, they quickly show stains and dirt. To resurface and refinish your own pavers, they must be thoroughly washed, stripped of almost any existing end and resealed using an exterior grade, UV-resistant sealant.
Clean and Strip the Pavers
Put on gloves, shoes, long sleeves, long trousers, a dust mask and safety goggles before cleaning, stripping and sealing the pavers. If you are operating in an enclosed patio or sunroom, open all the windows and install fans to keep the air circulating.
Sweep the whole floor to remove debris. Then vacuum thoroughly using a wet and dry shop vacuumcleaner.
Scrub the grout and pavers using a soft scrub brush and a solution of 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid mixed with 3 gallons of water. Utilize a low-speed floor scrubber using a scrubber pad in case you are cleaning and rebuilding a large area. Remove the soapy solution together with the wet and dry vacuum, then rinse with clean water and vacuum . Permit the pavers to dry overnight.
Apply a floor stripping product formulated for tile or stone in a 6- by 6-foot square. Allow it to soften the old end for 20 minutes to two hours, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Scrub the floor with a floor scrubber and a black scrubber pad.
Remove the loosened finish using a squeegee and dust pan, or a wet and dry vacuum. Rinse with warm water and twice with cool water, with all the wet and dry vacuum to remove the rinse water.
Apply the stripper to the next 6-foot-square part of pavers and replicate the stripping process. When the whole floor is stripped from the old end and rinsed, mop a neutralizer across the whole floor and then remove it using the wet and dry vacuum. Permit the floor to dry completely.
Wipe a part of the floor with a black or dark towel. If a white residue is on the towel, rinse the whole floor again using fresh water to remove the rest of the neutralizer. The porous terra cotta pavers may need several days to dry completely before you can use the sealer.
Sealing the Pavers
Sand any chipped or flaked regions lightly using a medium- to fine-grit sandpaper to smooth the edges of these damaged pavers.
Clean the floor with a dust mop and thoroughly vacuum the pavers before employing the new sealer.
Roll the initial coat of an exterior stone or terra cotta sealant on the pavers according to the manufacturer’s instructions. In general, you permit the sealer to boil into the pavers for 20 to 40 minutes then wipe off excess sealant .
Wait between 30 and 60 minutes after the initial coat of sealer was applied before applying another coat. Apply two coats of sealer, again waiting 30 to 60 minutes between coats, and allow the whole floor to dry for 24 to 72 hours.