strip and refinish of ceramic tile and grout.

[ACE]

This is for a government building with budget issues. The tile is 50 years old. They say they want it striped and waxed. The tile has a ton of buildup maybe up to 1/8 inch on some of the grout lines. I could do a half butt strip job and put on 2-3 coats which is what they are used to. I want to talk them into striping it all the way down and not applying any finish. This has a ton of build up and it will look like crud if I don’t get all the wax off. I would do my best on the grout lines but make it clear I can’t make them look perfect. How much would you charge to strip the all the way down? Any chance this could be some type of tile that requires finish? Sorry just had my cell camera: http://s471.photobucket.com/albums/rr74/mjhgecko/bid/

 

[Ron Lippold]

I did one like that, was a pain in the ass. high psi and heat lots of stripper

 

[ACE]

Hey Ron what would you bid? Just to strip it down with 175, brush and spinner

1700 sq ft
21 8' steps

 

[Fon Johnson]

I probably would not get the job.. I would bid at least .60 or .70 psf just to strip it, and probably about $25 per stair. This can turn into your worst nightmare. If someone has used something such as Plaza, technique, on'n on, etc. it will be a tough job. I also would use stripping equipment to strip it, and then use the turbo with the tm to do a final clean. I would NOT use the tm to pick up the stripper slurry. It could ruin your blower, amongst causing other problems.

 

[SJA]

I would give a very high ballpark number and explain how difficult of a job it is. If they are still interested, I would say I will do a demo and then price it. This will set a realistic level of expectation and help you determine what is involved to price accordingly. I would bring a variety of strippers and figure out which works best. It should not be difficult to strip the tile ... if they are ok with that ( I doubt) it will be a much easier job. But if you have to get it off the grout as well it will take multiple steps and I would charge allot. If I had to GUESS at a price it would be $2.00 - $3.50 psf. or if I thaught that 2 men can do it in 2 days = $3250 / 3 days = $4495 / 4 days = $5695. On a job like this ... when in doubt charge more. Or base it on whatever your daily revenue goal is and then add some..

 

[floorguy]

Test area first and foremost, make sure you use what ever chemical you would plan on using there... if it comes up with ease bid according to that... if its a pain that has to be SCRAPED then bid according to that..

i did one almost identical, not ceramic but brick...so be sure to check that...i charged .40...but it came off fairly easy....used my propane strip machine and 2 auto scrubbers with brushes on all...was about 3000 sqft took the workers and me about 4 hrs...(12 man hrs) and me another 4 hrs (slow drying finish)

 

[ACE]

Thank you all for the input. After talking to Ron, I think it is brick. I would start with a test area. Here is what I sent to my contact:

Assessment: terracotta / sanded brick tiles with heavy buildup due to ineffective stripping procedures and Incorrect type of finish. Despite heavy finish buildup tile and grout lines appear to be in excellent condition.

Recommendation: Restorative procedures to remove all existing finish from tile and grout lines using rotary machines and self contained pressure washing units. Apply 5 coats of premium finish designed for this application.

Entry Area, Stairs, Landing and Hallway Tile $1334.00
All Tile Including Filter Gallery $3300.00

Conclusion: Recommended procedures will restore 50 year old tile and grout to like new appearance and will eliminate the need to strip tile. If our recommended finish is cleaned with a neutral product it will only require a light machine scrubbing and application of new finish every 1.5 to 2 years. Due to the reputation of our company, we cannot offer any lower level of service in refinishing tile and grout. We are confident this process would be the best value for the City of Lawrence despite initial cost. We would be happy to demonstrate this process on a small area. Link to image of our self contained pressure washing equipment: http://s471.photobucket.com/albums/rr74 ... 0_0240.jpg