our hearth had some very ugly ceramic tiles laid over 6 in sq red tiles. i've removed the ceramic tiles and cleaned up the original red tiles, but now i see that they are all scratched as if they were scored to enhance the glue for the ceramic tiles. how can these scratched be removed? i don't know what kind of tile this is, but it must be heat resistant as it was laid into the firebox. the house is 102 years old. thanks!
red brick tiles scratched
- Thread starter lannij
- Start date
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Sounds like you're on a looser. Dependant on the nature of the tiles, you may be able to use a diamond polishing wheel, but the expense of the equipment would probably cost more than it's worth. I'd rip them up and replace them (or leave them in place and put some more over the top). 
Thanks for your reply, TexMex! I appreciate your suggestion. Yesterday, in desperation, I happened to try some mineral oil I had in the cupboard. I use it to season and restore my cutting boards, so I figured that it might help the tiles. It worked very well. The scratches have disappeared and the tiles are much darker. I don't know how effective the oil will be in the longterm, but it is relatively inexpensive so it will be the best solution for now.
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lannij said:
Thanks for this. I was looking for a solution for my red and cream hearth tiles. Have tried all cleaners to no avail. The mineral oil has brought them up lovely (NB cant be toxic as IKEA sells it to oil the wooden worktop)
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