porcelain tiles showing some mottled marks after cleaning?

[xelaris]

What country was the seller you bought them from as they do not look like uk porcelanosa graphic nature,uk version has a smooth matt finish.

the seller is based in UK - the wife sold them to me (she's British) - apparently the guy is a professional tiler working in the Liverpool/Manchester area (see? there is a chance he's recycling seconds?)

 

[xelaris]

What country was the seller you bought them from as they do not look like uk porcelanosa graphic nature,uk version has a smooth matt finish.

the picture is a macro one - and the angle emphasize the texture a lot....in normal viewpoints the tiles looks smooth. No question about the quality of the tiles....these are very vitreous and impervious to water.

 

[mz30]

If they are the same tiles then they do tend to stain when water is dripped (left to stand)on them they are a pain to keep clean, i have done (if they are the same tile)100s of floors in them the last 5 years.

 

[DHTiling]

Especially if you live in a hard water area.. lime deposits are a mare.

 

[xelaris]

If they are the same tiles then they do tend to stain when water is dripped (left to stand)on them they are a pain to keep clean, i have done (if they are the same tile)100s of floors in them the last 5 years.

The marks appeared suddenly as I was trying to clean the grout haze....it's like I wiped away a masking wax from the surface - if those marks were formed at that stage e.g. from using Swarfega then I'd expect to see the marks changing their shape and patterns as I was wiping the floor...instead these were fixed in their position and not getting any bigger (nor smaller unfortunately) - very frustrating indeed.

Is it possible that the seller used some wax to mask these marks? If so, were can I find a similar wax? (If you can beat them....join them).

 

[AliGage]

Do these marks subside when the floor is wet? i.e Mopped?

 

[Dougs Third Go]

The marks appeared suddenly as I was trying to clean the grout haze....it's like I wiped away a masking wax from the surface - if those marks were formed at that stage e.g. from using Swarfega then I'd expect to see the marks changing their shape and patterns as I was wiping the floor...instead these were fixed in their position and not getting any bigger (nor smaller unfortunately) - very frustrating indeed.

Is it possible that the seller used some wax to mask these marks? If so, were can I find a similar wax? (If you can beat them....join them).

very unlikely.

 

[xelaris]

Do these marks subside when the floor is wet? i.e Mopped?

no...the marks show permanently after wetting the floor with a sponge.

 

[xelaris]

very unlikely.

it might not be "wax" as such but surely there are plentiful of chemicals/polishes out there which could be used to apply a cosmetic layer on defective tiles....the tiles looked perfect before the Swarfega - if anything the Swarfega showed the "true colour" of the tiles (can't blame it on Swarfega but on a dogdy seller?)

 

[AliGage]

I made a call on your behalf this morning to Deb Limited in Derby. They make Swarfega. Waiting for a call back from them.

However, i've been looking at your pictures and scratching my head over it. Looked at the data sheets for a lot of the hand cleaners and they do seem to be quite potent in chemicals. All with a pH rating of around 7.0 - 9.0. Which is what has led me to make a call for you. If it was more acidic i would of blamed the cleaner straight away perhaps. But, the pH rating is quite high. Now household bleach is approximately 12.0 on the pH scale. I'm just wondering wether scrubbing and cleaning the tiles with the Swarfega has may have broken down or bleached the finished surface of the tile?

Hopefully someone from Deb Ltds tech team will be giving me a bell back today. I'll let you know.

 

[xelaris]

it might not be "wax" as such but surely there are plentiful of chemicals/polishes out there which could be used to apply a cosmetic layer on defective tiles....the tiles looked perfect before the Swarfega - if anything the Swarfega showed the "true colour" of the tiles (can't blame it on Swarfega but on a dogdy seller?)

Thanks a lot for bothering...I've just checked the PH scale myself - all values above 7 are for bases (alkaline) substances... values around 7-9 are pretty common - then I wonder what happens if a drop of lemon (PH2) hits these tiles?!
Then, all this stories about porcelain being such a tough material? A bit of Swarfega and these fabulous tiles look like have been aged by 20 odd years in a few seconds of Swarfega wiping? (not even scrubbing as such and no abrasive sponge involved). I find it very hard to blame the Swarfega alone - maybe a combination of factors - e.g. the Swarfega + Microflex grout....or something else.

Unfortunately, I'll have to postpone the alkaline solution cleaning as there are still more work to be completed and the floor corners haven't been sealed (Silicon along the perimeter)...if that Heavy duty pro cleaning fails, I will definitely consider using some polishing/tinting solutions.

 

[beanz]

I'm sorry but I don't understand why you'd use swarfega to clean tiles!?! It's abrasive in nature! Would you clean your car with it?
Have you got any spare tiles left? Have a good look, if you have. Try cleaning one (with something more suitable for the job), and see if any hidden marks appear...

 

[xelaris]

I'm sorry but I don't understand why you'd use swarfega to clean tiles!?! It's abrasive in nature! Would you clean your car with it?
Have you got any spare tiles left? Have a good look, if you have. Try cleaning one (with something more suitable for the job), and see if any hidden marks appear...

actually....I'll clean some broken bits of the original tiles with Swarfega once again (no grouting there); and see if that's the cause....
Still, being porcelain, the whole material should have the same colour - an abrasion shouldn't change the colour...unless there was a polishing layer on top - the solution would be to remove that layer completely (to achieve consistent colour) or re-polishing on top.

 

[AliGage]

They're not full bodied porcelain though are they? I think you've bleached or worn down the "painted" finished surface of the tile. The porcelain is underneath, i think you've made a mistake using an abrasive cleaner on the tile.
I can chase Deb Ltd back up in the week for you but i suspect in the meantime if you clean a spare tile or piece of tile with the cleaner you used you will get the same result.
You could see if you can get a singlular tile from porcelanosa and try it as well. I don't think the seller would go to the efforts of trying to disguise imperfections the way you are thinking. far too much effort. It would be easier for them to not mention the name of the tile and sell it as is.

 

[DHTiling]

actually....I'll clean some broken bits of the original tiles with Swarfega once again (no grouting there); and see if that's the cause....
Still, being porcelain, the whole material should have the same colour - an abrasion shouldn't change the colour...unless there was a polishing layer on top - the solution would be to remove that layer completely (to achieve consistent colour) or re-polishing on top.

Through bodied porcelain is the same colour from face to back but porcelain bodied tiles with applied finish are not ...