What's wrong with my new kitchen tiles? - Tile Advice

[Unregistered]

Hi. I am a mum of 3 young kids. I've just had a new kitchen and extension and got a lovely, porcelain tiled floor throughout. Unfortunately though the tiles are hideous to clean! I actually have to scrub them with a scourer and fairly strong grout remover every time I need to clean them, which is pretty labour intensive a couple of times a week. Just mopping does not get off any dirt. This has only started since we sealed them, as they were initially unsealed tiles. We used the HG sealer for porcelain tiles. I don't know what to do to make them better! They are slightly non slip, but I don't understand why they were ok to clean before they were sealed as, if anything, they were a bit more abrasive. Any suggestions to make my life easier and help me to LOVE my tiled floor (I hate it right now), very gratefully appreciated.

 

[doug boardley]

can you tell us what the tiles are? ( where purchased, name etc) ?

 

[jdceramics]

Hi, I have been tiling for 25 years, i have not once recommended to seal a porcelain tile, granted, some manufacturers may recommend that you do, but personally i don't see the point, there are products out there that strip sealer off tiles, if it was easier to clean before you sealed them i would advise that you do that and see how you go, you can always reseal them at a later date if the outcome is not satisfactory, hope this has helped, kind regards, Jason

 

[doug boardley]

what about polished porcelain Jason? the polishing process opens up microscopic pores in the surface that grout, dirt bacteria etc get embedded into.

 

[jdceramics]

As i said Doug, some manufacturers recommend you seal them

 

[kilty55]

so you still dont seal jd? even if its reccomended on some polished porcelain?

 

[Alan.P]

MMmmm, stain test for me, I've known some unsealed porc take a battering from all sorts of materials and liquids and they come off unscathed, others that I've fixed ..................... well let's say that I only marked them once over the cut line.

 

[DHTiling]

Hi. I am a mum of 3 young kids. I've just had a new kitchen and extension and got a lovely, porcelain tiled floor throughout. Unfortunately though the tiles are hideous to clean! I actually have to scrub them with a scourer and fairly strong grout remover every time I need to clean them, which is pretty labour intensive a couple of times a week. Just mopping does not get off any dirt. This has only started since we sealed them, as they were initially unsealed tiles. We used the HG sealer for porcelain tiles. I don't know what to do to make them better! They are slightly non slip, but I don't understand why they were ok to clean before they were sealed as, if anything, they were a bit more abrasive. Any suggestions to make my life easier and help me to LOVE my tiled floor (I hate it right now), very gratefully appreciated.

A number of options...

1: could be transit wax and sealing will not do anything.

2: did you buff off excess sealer before it dried..?

 

[DHTiling]

Hi, I have been tiling for 25 years, i have not once recommended to seal a porcelain tile, granted, some manufacturers may recommend that you do, but personally i don't see the point, there are products out there that strip sealer off tiles, if it was easier to clean before you sealed them i would advise that you do that and see how you go, you can always reseal them at a later date if the outcome is not satisfactory, hope this has helped, kind regards, Jason

Oh how many times we have heard that old phrase...

Just because you have done it your way for X amount of years does not make it the right way Jason... we are all here to learn and maybe you can as well.. but as Doug has said the polishing process open pores and a suitable sealer does make the cleaning of this type of tile easier and it isn't just to seal the tile but to aid maintenance..

 

[jdceramics]

I agree, we are all here to learn, my advice may be wrong if it is polished porcelain, but if it isnt??????????

 

[Stef]

That old Phrase Dave.

I was tiling my mates kitchen floor about 5/6 years back, tiles over tile, they were rock solid but they had a glaze on them, I gave them a going over with a grinder to give a better key, nothing too severe.

Ideally i would have lifted them but they just wouldnt come up.

The night before i was due to start my mate said to me, "spoke to the tiler at our work & hes been tiling for 20 years & said just to PVA the tiles & they would be ok, no need to go at them with a grinder.

Experience counts for nothing if you have been taught wrong to start with.

 

[doug boardley]

I agree, we are all here to learn, my advice may be wrong if it is polished porcelain, but if it isnt??????????

that's what I was trying to find out from original poster Jason, in my first post in this thread, if it was or wasn't polished porc, then we could take it from there

 

[jdceramics]

sorry doug, your post wasnt up when i posted mine

 

[Time's Ran Out]

I've been tiling for 38years and I only listen to the WIFE!:yikes:

 

[jdceramics]

nice 1 timeless, :lol: