Wickes Porcelain

[mazda]

After my recent successful kitchen floor job measuring addy using kitchen scales my daughter has asked me to tile her kitchen, she has bought Wickes black porcelain 300 tiles as they are on offer, I think they are manufactured in Turkey,what is worrying is there is no mention of having to seal them on the packaging and she said the lady in Wickes told her they didn't need sealing, I must admit they look ok to me as a DIY'r but is there anything I should be aware of apart from another relation asking me to tile a floor for them..............

 

[GazTech]

My advice is simple, take a piece of tile and put it through a series of tests. Raw..try cooking oil on it does it stain. Raw..try wine does it stain it. If so use an impregnator sealer on it then try the same tests.....then you may know how to tackle the job...Gaz

 

[mazda]

Thanks GazTech that sounds an excellent idea and it should soon be obvious if they need sealing or not
Cheers

 

[GazTech]

Sometimes these cheap types come with wax coating...this must also be removed before any sealing can be done....:yes:

 

[doug boardley]

if they're porcelain would they not already be vitrified due to the silica content in the kaolin, metamorphis taking place during firing. ( I remember this from when I did my pottery A level ,28 years ago!!)

 

[Olz]

if they're porcelain would they not already be vitrified due to the silica content in the kaolin, metamorphis taking place during firing. ( I remember this from when I did my pottery A level ,28 years ago!!)

:whatchutalkingabout ..... Whats that in english then :lol: ......

 

[DHTiling]

if they're porcelain would they not already be vitrified due to the silica content in the kaolin, metamorphis taking place during firing. ( I remember this from when I did my pottery A level ,28 years ago!!)

even though they are vitrified..( glass like) this isn't what makes them stain....it is the open pores in the surface of the tile that grabs the stains....
Porcelain tiles have a very low absorption rate so liquids tend to not soak in like other tiles do.."naturals"..

A through bodied porcelain tile is the type that will need a porcelain impregnator and not a porcelain glazed bodied tile...

hope this helps...

 

[doug boardley]

it's all coming back to me now! does that help you oli? thanks dave

 

[doug boardley]

sorry to deviate from thread a little,but if it was a purely porcelain tile, after it's been fired would it not be translucent?

 

[DHTiling]

sorry to deviate from thread a little,but if it was a purely porcelain tile, after it's been fired would it not be translucent?

I think the terminolgy" porcelain " is a bit misleading.....when you think of porcelain you think white and brittle.....and we know it is far from that with porcelain tiles....