New marble mosaic on wall is very patchy and dirtier than before it went up

[mrjameskent]

Hi all,

This is my first post here. I've just had my bathroom completed and have small marble Carrara (I believe) mosaic tiles up.

Before they went on the wall they were quite bright and clean looking; since being installed they seem dirty and hazy in patches which I put down to grout hazing.

However I am slightly worried as the installer mixed sealers - my fault as the first product I bought ran out and the second product was HG Marble Impregnator.

As you can see from the pictures, the grout seems to have been affected as well with some areas darker than others.





Here is a shot of one area before it had been sealed after grouting:


Same area after final sealing:


Any advice appreciated.

Kind regards
James

 

[Spud]

nice design James ,you are concerned about the grout changing colour ?

 

[mrjameskent]

Thanks Gary; yes the inconsistency in grout colour is the main worry. I have tried lightly scrubbing those tiles that seem the most affected by a murky finish and they do clean up, although I don't look forward to scrubbing each and every mosaic!!!

 

[Scott]

what have you used to clean them?

 

[mrjameskent]

what have you used to clean them?

When I tried scrubbing them last night I just used a kitchen pad with the rough green side and water, no cleaning products or anything else.

 

[Tats]

Try some hg spot stain remover

 

[mrjameskent]

Hi all,

So I found out the first sealer I used was Meta Creme:



And the second sealer they used was HG Impregnator:



The installer has made an attempt at cleaning them off but basically if I scrub the walls using water, which worked although took elbow grease, will I need to reseal the areas I've scrubbed?

Thanks
James

 

[Gall.B]

did he seal them before he put them up, the impregnator should be used first never heard of the other sealer.

 

[enduro]

Meta creme is made by DRYTREAT.The world’s most environmentally and technologically advanced impregnating sealer. META CRÈME™ is the next generation of sealing technology, the ultimate invisible and breathable impregnating sealer for protecting natural stone, tiles, masonry, pavers, concrete and grout.
('META' definition: change; transformation; at a higher stage of development)

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• Super penetrating and permanent
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• Low odour, non-drip cream. Ultra low VOC, exceeds USA, UK and WORLD Green Building Council standards.
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• Fully breathable - water vapour escapes freely, helping to avoid harmful moisture buildup inside the treated material
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• 15 YEAR PERFORMANCE WARRANTY available when applied by a Dry-Treat Accredited Applicator

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[Gall.B]

where is it available, is it expensive.

 

[enduro]

where is it available, is it expensive.

Go to www.drytreat.com they will tell you local stockist and prices. Drytreat make very good sealers but they are not cheap.

 

[Rich]

Do you know if the tiler sealed the mosaics before he grouted/after he grouted or both?

If the haze comes off with elbow grease and water then it should be fixable but IMO this should be done by the tiler.