The Tile and Stone Blog

Tile and Stone Maintenance

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How to Strip a Coating Sealer

Having shown you how to apply a coating sealer, it makes sense to show the opposite. Coating sealers, by their very nature, coat the tile or stone, therefore they are in the ‘wear zone’. This means that they will wear much more quickly than their impregnating counterparts. From time to time it may be necessary to strip back a coating sealer so you may start again. Often, when renovating an old, neglected floor, we may not know the entire history of that floor and so we will not know what coatings and polishes may have been used, so again, a complete strip is needed. IN the following video, my good friend A’nge at Aqua Mix Australia shows us exactly how this should be dine. He uses Sealer and Coating Remover to safely remove the sealer then Heavy Duty Tile & Grout Cleaner to help remove all residues.

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

How to apply a coating sealer to terracotta

My buddy A’nge at Aqua Mix Australia has done it again, a great instructional video showing exactly how to apply a coating sealer, in this case to terracotta type floor tiles. In this video you will see exactly how to apply Seal & Finish Low Sheen for a low sheen or satin look.

In addition to this he then adds a high gloss, sacrificial coating with Floor Shine & Hardener. This will both raise the level of the shine to a high gloss (polished wax look without the hassle)  and help protect the sealer below. It is easy to maintain, and can be topped up as often as required.

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

Re-Coloring Grout

I get a lot of questions about recolouring grout with Aqua Mix Grout Colorant, so it is great to be able to show the process instead of just talking about it. Thanks to our friends at www.tradetiler.com we have the video demo below:

And, yes, it really can be that simple; in this case it was easy as the grout was new, clean and in good condition, making application and clean-up a breeze. However older grout joints can be re-coloured just as well, with just a little bit of preparation.

In most cases, old grout will need a quick clean with a dilute, mild acid based cleaner (or the ready mixed Pre-treat Cleaner by Aqua Mix). This removes old dirt and prepares the surface of the joint in readiness for colouring. Once the grout joint has been rinsed and allowed to dry, the Colorant can be applied.

Sometimes, if the grout joint is not quite as new as the one above, then a slightly more aggressive brushing technique may be required (using a brush with stiffer bristles than a standard paint brush). However the results are the same:

  • New, uniform, consistent colour
  • a grout joint sealed with an epoxy coating – so much easier to keep clean and far less likely to stain
  • Massively improved water resistance – helping to keep mould and mildew at bay for much longer

Hopefully this will be the first of several video demos so keep checking back for more.

Ian

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

Beware of Cheap Stone, it may cost your dear in the long-run

“The bitter taste of poor quality lingers long after the sweet taste of low price is forgotten”

So goes the oft-quoted saying (or a version of it), but more often than not, they are wise words. Buying stone is no different; for many years having stone in your home was somewhat of a luxury. Granite work-surfaces and counter tops have not always been as widespread and affordable as they are now and it was not that long ago when a limestone floor was more likely to be seen in some old French castle than in a suburban kitchen.

Continue reading

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