Polished cermaic floor tiles
Discussion
Considering these for a kitchen as a harder alternative to travertine which I did use in the bathroom (which does scratch easier than porcelain). Benefits are that it is harder than 'natural' stone, yet it is still coloured all the way through, so I can use the offcuts to make the 'skirting' with which adds a nice finishing touch (did this with the porcelain tiles in my conservatory too). My only issue is that many 'designs' seen to be very smooth and shiny, which might make it slippery when wet and it might show dirt and marks like shiny granite worktops do.
northwest monkey said:
Incredibly slippery when wet & a bugger to keep clean. The tiles are very difficult to mark, but the grout will stain like mad & it's incredible hard to get a sealer on it.
Agree on the slippy bit, but we used a rubber backed cloth mat for daily use to get around this.The tiles themselves are easy to keep clean but as has been said, the grout will discolour in time - the solution is to keep the spacing between the tiles to a minimum (use smaller wall tile spacers, rather than the standard 4mm floor tile ones), so that discouloured grout isn't so noticeable.
Harry Flashman said:
And any way you can protect the grout to prevent discolouration?
I have white grout with natural sandstone tiles. Was going to use a stone sealer to protect them - will this help with keeping the grout clean, or is there something else I should use on the grout first?
Have you used anything to seal the tiles yet?I have white grout with natural sandstone tiles. Was going to use a stone sealer to protect them - will this help with keeping the grout clean, or is there something else I should use on the grout first?
I was 'googling' that the other day. There seems to be a lot of differeing opinion as to whether you should
1. seal before fitting the tiles,
2. seal after fixing the tiles but before grouting, or,
3. sealing after fixing and grouting the tiles.
(or combination of above)
Then there was the debate as to which type of sealer is best (water based vs solvent based), and then which product is best (one frum raves about a certain product, the next forum says it's rubbish)
When installing natural stone this is how I do it.
Seal straight out of the box, this allows any adhesive that comes into contact with the surface of the tiles to be wiped away easily.
Once installed (but before grouting) clean and seal again. The additional coat of seal means helps prevent the grout from staining the tiles.
Once grouted and cleaned, one more coat of sealant.
Every six months or so a good clean and re-seal.
Lithofin products are great for this.
I've never seen good long lasting results on a floor using beige or white grout. Go with charcoal or grey. Alternatively go with no grout gaps but be aware your tiling will have to be absolutely first class.
Seal straight out of the box, this allows any adhesive that comes into contact with the surface of the tiles to be wiped away easily.
Once installed (but before grouting) clean and seal again. The additional coat of seal means helps prevent the grout from staining the tiles.
Once grouted and cleaned, one more coat of sealant.
Every six months or so a good clean and re-seal.
Lithofin products are great for this.
I've never seen good long lasting results on a floor using beige or white grout. Go with charcoal or grey. Alternatively go with no grout gaps but be aware your tiling will have to be absolutely first class.
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