The Tile and Stone Blog

Tile and Stone Maintenance

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FAQ – My Glazed Tiles Are Dull, How Do I Clean Them?

Glazed tiles are by nature ones that have already been effectively sealed with a very thin layer of glass. Now the dullness may be a result of wear and tear and may tell you that the tiles are nearing the end of their useful life. However, in most cases the dullness indicates there is a build up of deposits on the surface. Now, if this is limescale, we’d recommend you use a product like Shower Tiles Plus. If you have dull glazed floor tiles then we’d recommend you use something like Heavy Duty Tile and Grout Cleaner but make sure that you rinse the floor really well afterwards.

Copyright Ian Taylor and The Tile and Stone Blog.co.uk, 2013. See copyright notice above.

FAQ – Do I Need To Seal My Porcelain Tiles?

The answer to this is not so simple. The key factor is the type of porcelain used. Porcelain tiles have changed a lot over time and today there are a variety of differing standards associated with them. The first generation of porcelain tiles were actually so dense that sealing was not required at any stage. However, today, not all porcelain tiles in the marketplace are so impervious to water and other liquids.So, what do you do? Well, you need to do a simple water test on your tiles. Add a few drops to the tiles and if they appear to absorb water then we would recommend that you seal them. There are many different products around that can do the job but one of the best is Sealer’s Choice 15 Gold Penetrating Sealer. You can’t really go wrong with this product.

Copyright Ian Taylor and The Tile and Stone Blog.co.uk, 2013. See copyright notice above.

FAQ – How To Clean Grout?

If you only have a relatively small and isolated area of grout to clean then I’d recommend using a product like Grout Deep Clean. This product is ideal for cleaning grout on window sills, floors, walls and on worktops. If you have a larger area of grout to clean then I’d recommend using a product such as Heavy Duty Tile and Grout Cleaner because it cleans to a deeper level and will help bring up the grout to a clean condition. If your grout is really badly contaminated then I’d recommend using Grout Colorant which I’ll talk about more about later in this FAQ series.

Copyright Ian Taylor and The Tile and Stone Blog.co.uk, 2013. See copyright notice above.

FAQ – Should I Seal My Stone Flooring?

Well the answer is if you want to protect your stone floor from staining then you really should seal it. One key thing you should do is to test your stone for porosity. To do this, add a few drops of clean water to your stone floor and if they are absorbed, the stone is porous.Sealing a stone floor gives you something called “reaction time” in that you have an opportunity to react and wipe up any spillages and any stain producing contaminants before they seep deeper into the stone. Anything that is water-based will be kept at the surface where they can be cleaned up a lot easier also. You typically have spent a lot of money on a stone floor so using a relatively inexpensive (in comparison to the cost of the stone) sealer will help ensure you get the most our of this significant investment and help keep your floor looking fabulous for many years.

If you have a polished stone floor like marble, honed limestone or granite then we would recommend using something like Sealers Choice 15 Gold.

If you have a textured stone floor such as sandstone or rustic slate for example then we would recommend using something like Seal and Finish Low Sheen.

Copyright Ian Taylor and The Tile and Stone Blog.co.uk, 2013. See copyright notice above.
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