Porcelain tile help

[David-M.]

I have a quick question about grout colour. My tiler reckons that a mid grey grout will look best on the polished black tiles and would look better than charcoal or black grout. Does this sound right, I've never seen any of the shades, so I really don't know what to expect.

Does anyone have any photos of jobs they've done with polished back porcelain tiles that I could have a butcher's at please?

Thanks.

 

[Scott]

Id go anthracite, black or charcoal. It could be he wants to use what he's got in stock, black and really dark grouts can be hard work when cleaning it off. Your the customer so you get what you want!

 

[David-M.]

You were right Scottley, he only had the light/mid grey on the van and just a small amount of charcoal. I mixed a bit up and spread it on a tile to see and to be honest, the grey looked a greeny, sort of Khaki colour, so I went for the charcoal instead, not sure he was too happy about that, but it does look great, so thanks for that!

I have a quick question regarding the sealing of the grout. Am I OK to use MPG on this? If so, what's the best method of application, a little paint brush, or the sponge again?

Cheers

 

[David-M.]

Apologies for not coming back with photos yet, the job went a bit sour.

After the tiler had gone (and been paid), I noticed he'd left a few of the white spacers in the grout and had just snapped them off so there were two prongs of sharp white plastic sticking up, and then I noticed that there were patches of yellow in the grouting.

The yellow in the grouting is a little odd, on closer inspection it's as if the colour in the grouting (it was graphite to start with) has drained away leaving it yellow? I scraped a patch of the yellow to see if it was efflorescence but it seems to be solid patches of it that go as deep as the grout goes? They weren't there to start with, and nothing has been spilled on them, in fact I've kept off them completely and not even mopped, just swept them every couple of days so the tiler couldn't say it was anything I'd done - I was going to seal them, but haven't done yet until I know what's happening with it.

I was wondering if any of you could shed any light on this for me, I realise the tile spacers are going to need digging out, but the grout is the bit that's worrying me the most.

The tiler says he'll come back to fix it, but that was over a week ago and he still hasn't been, supposedly Monday he's coming now.

Will photos of the grout help?

Cheers

 

[David-M.]

 

[ceramic 2 stone]

Hi,

I've just bough some black polished porcelain tiles for my kitchen floor and I'm a little unsure about a few things, so here goes...

When I was buying the tiles today I visited a few different shops, looking at what appeared to be the same tiles, Topps insisted that I needed some sealer at £30 to stop the grout staining the tiles "and nothing more". Another shop claimed the sealer was a one off treatment to prevent stains from liquids and one place (Pilkingtons) said the tiles didn't need any sealer.

So, I'm guessing that I will need the sealer, but is it OK to apply the sealer to the tiles before laying them? That seems like an easier option? Also, I read on here that I may need to remove some kind of coating/wax before applying the sealer? Can anyone recommend a cleaner for this please?

Thanks

Dave.

hi dave, ive never had any probs with black porcelain before. i would use it if you were having cream tiles or a light colour shouldnt worry 2much pal.

 

[Scott]

Im not sure about that grout, you say it goes throught the grout and isnt just ont he surface?

Is tha the section you had a scrape at?

 

[David-M.]

Im not sure about that grout, you say it goes throught the grout and isnt just ont he surface?

Is tha the section you had a scrape at?

Yes mate, it first appears as though someone has dropped plaster or sand and cement or that kind of thing onto the grout, but if you scratch away at it, it goes deep and the only way I could describe it really is that it looks like a small area of the grout has been bleached or lost its pigmentation somehow? I really don't know much about it, so I'm speculating, but that's what it looks like to me.

I can't say as I've ever seen efflorescence on grout, but I have seen it on bricks and plant pots and that always looks like a white powder?

The section I had a scrape at, the photo came out fuzzy, I'll redo it later, but there's not much to see really.

 

[tfs]

Hi mate,

To me, it looks like the grout has been contaminated. This would most likely have happened whilst it was being mixed. There may have been some bebris in the mixing bucket (possibly old grout!). Other than that I cant think of any other reason.

You may have to regrout mate

 

[carpo]

Maybe it's some adhesive that wasn't cleaned out and has set?

Carpo

 

[kilty55]

looks like adhesive that hasnt been raked out,if it is its easily sorted mate,,also the spacers which have been snapped at the pegs should be easily sorted

 

[ceramicbob]

Hi so if they are nano sealed and also have transit wax on them will the use of say nano scrub or other de waxers harm the nano seal?.