TILE CARE & MAINTENANCE REAL TALK -
HOW TO CARE FOR AND MAINTAIN TILES
Leigh Price, Managing Director of Real Stone and Tile, gives an expert insight into the cleaning and maintenance of tile and stone flooring.
With tiles in any environment, cleaning and ongoing maintenance to them is paramount to ensure you keep a fresh appearance to the flooring and prolong its life.
IDENTIFICATION The key consideration before any cleaning or maintenance is the identification of the surface type, which is crucial to ensuring that the correct treatment is received.
Whether the tiles are ceramic, natural stone, porcelain or slate, etc, the cleaning and maintenance needs to be slightly adapted to suit. For example, limestone alone varies greatly in porosity dependent on age, shape and size; and therefore the absorbency of any natural stone surface will need to be established. This can be tested simply by placing a teaspoon of water on a clean, completely dry tile and timing how long the water takes to be absorbed. If the water is absorbed into the tile within the five minutes, the level of porosity is high. An absorbency time within 15 minutes indicates a medium porosity and water taking within one hour or longer to be absorbed shows a low level of porosity.
SEALING When considering the amount of traffic passing over the flooring, it is necessary that the area is protected using a suitable sealant to reduce the risk of any damage and to also help towards the ease of maintenance. However, before a sealing product can be used, it is vital that the surface is free from any dirt or grime and is completely dry. Failure to correctly prepare the flooring can result in the
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effectiveness of the sealant being compromised.
The variety of sealants on the market is large, whether you want to leave a glossy finish, matte finish or enhance the colour of the flooring, there are products to suit. But whichever you choose, it is imperative to make sure that the tiles are correctly preserved with the right application.
The type of sealant and the amount used is all dependent on the surface type that you are protecting. The tile’s level of porosity can help to establish how many coats of sealant need to be applied to ensure that a suitable defence is being provided. A low level of porosity would typically require 1 to 2 coats of sealer, medium porosity requiring 2 to 3 coats and finally a high level of porosity would need 3 to 4 coats of sealer.
In most cases, tiles would be sealed in two stages; however both stages are also able to be carried out alone if suitable for the material of the tile. The first stage is to protect the surface by using an impregnating sealant; the purpose of this is to fill the little pores in the tile which then reduces the level absorbency. Following on from this, a surface sealer can then be used to act as an additional seal that can reduce the risk of staining by preventing the surface from being penetrated.
CLEANING A floor seal doesn’t last forever and that’s when intense cleaning is required to prepare the floor for initial and further protection. Sweeping over the floor with a brush is a simple yet effective way
to remove the main bulk of surface dirt, but specialist products would be required to remove more stubborn blemishes or marks. There are a large range of products available on the market to tackle a range of problems such as mould and mildew, lime-based stains and grease; it is recommended that specialist advice is sought to ensure that the product is suitable for the surface.
The moisture-absorbing nature of grout means that it is subjective to the collection of dirt particles causing discolouration if not cared for properly. However, the maintenance and cleaning of this can be eased when selecting which tiles are going to be used. Selecting a tile design can be very exciting but it also helps to think practically, and it’s important to remember that practical doesn’t always mean bland or unattractive. Large format tiles are a great way to cover a larger area whilst minimising the amount of grout needed. In addition, if a dark shade of grout is used this will show less staining and help to ensure a fresh, clean look to the flooring.
STAIN REMOVAL It is likely that the floor is going to be victim to some form of spillage or stain. Damage including minor discolouration can still be caused if a liquid is left in place for long enough, despite a sealant being in place. Most fluid contaminations, if tackled quickly enough can be simply removed by wiping over the floor with a damp cloth. However, should this not suffice, Fullers Earth is a great product to deal with those tougher
www.tomorrowstileandstone.co.uk
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