Sealing Polished Porcelain Tiles

[Fekin]

Absorption rates are low on porcelain so leaving something on them for a few hopurs isn't really going to be a good tester.

 

[MICK the Tiler]

I personally lay grout then seal but each to there own I think it makes more work to seal before grouting the steps I use are

1 fix

2 grout once allow to harder wipe off grout again allow to harden the wipe off this will leave the joint nice and full with no grout sinks or air pockets, allow to go cloudy and leave to following day

3 apply a wax remover and cleaner with a spray bottle for small floors or a large garden sprayer for larger floors then scrub with a polishing machine for large areas or a hand held polisher for smaller floors

4 seal tiles with the methods of application above allow to dry and give a light buff with polishing pad

5 apply a polish applied as above and final buff with polisher floor will come up like glass.


Easy way of telling if porcelain is porous is to mark an off-cut with a black texture then try and rub off, if it leaves a ghosting mark willneed a good amount of impregnating sealer. I still seal all porcelain though even if it passes the black texture test.

 

[Burnsy]

Absorption rates are low on porcelain so leaving something on them for a few hopurs isn't really going to be a good tester.

Thought that was the idea of sealing? Generally speaking, if you spill something on any floor, you would leave it longer than 3 hours before you clean it off. Treat a tile the same as carpet - if i spilt something on my carpet i would wipe it off straight away - same applies for a tile.

I agree, the longer the better, so i suppose overnight would be a good test.

 

[grumpygit]

Another test is permanent marker pen and see if you can clean it off with white spirit.
Also i think the order depends on whether the tiles have a wax protection on them.
If they don't i think your better to seal before grouting as the grout can stain the tiles.
Unfortunately i'm speaking from experience.

 

[spooner68]

Got the rough finish polished porcelain look on MY OWN tiles at home. My wife is now questioning my professional capabilities. Huh. Cleaned and sealed but they still look patchy. What sort of polish works the best, and should I use my light car polisher as I do for honed and polished travertine (better than an old towel)? The sealant (Lithofin's finest) does a class job on the grout especially if its a light gray, ivory or the like which shows up when wet. Sealing is a MUST on polished porcelain and unlike natural stone need only be done after grouting.

 

[grumpygrouter]

Got the rough finish polished porcelain look on MY OWN tiles at home. My wife is now questioning my professional capabilities. Huh. Cleaned and sealed but they still look patchy. What sort of polish works the best, and should I use my light car polisher as I do for honed and polished travertine (better than an old towel)? The sealant (Lithofin's finest) does a class job on the grout especially if its a light gray, ivory or the like which shows up when wet. Sealing is a MUST on polished porcelain and unlike natural stone need only be done after grouting.

I am fixing some Pilkington polished porcelain tiles soon and Pilkington Tech people recommend seal before fixing!

 

[spooner68]

Are they kidding? How long for that job and how to price it? The problem I keep coming across is transit micro-abrasions, i.e very fine surface scratching caused by packing and transit. They do not disappear with grout and cement remover, sealer or porcelain cleaner. Nightmare.

What I seem to have on my own tiles is a lovely pattern caused by the sheets of thin expanded polystyrene used to separate the tiles in the box. Cannot shift the marks and the tile rep is at a loss too. Would be in the mire if I had supplied and fixed these for a client. As it is my wife........well you can work out the rest.


Help.

 

[MICK the Tiler]

Are they kidding? How long for that job and how to price it? The problem I keep coming across is transit micro-abrasions, i.e very fine surface scratching caused by packing and transit. They do not disappear with grout and cement remover, sealer or porcelain cleaner. Nightmare.

What I seem to have on my own tiles is a lovely pattern caused by the sheets of thin expanded polystyrene used to separate the tiles in the box. Cannot shift the marks and the tile rep is at a loss too. Would be in the mire if I had supplied and fixed these for a client. As it is my wife........well you can work out the rest.


Help.

If the tiles are marked or scratched in any way straight out of the box then you should not fix them. Get the tile supplier to replace with fresh ones. It is still there product if you have not laid them. They cannot walk away. But watch them duck for cover if you have fixed them.

 

[TilingLogistics]

Sealants are not "Magic in a Bottle" All porcealain and natural stone tiles shoud be tested to see if they require sealing. The next most important decision is to decide which sealant and finally if they require to be pre sealed. al this can be carried out by testing an offcut and it can save you hours of grief afterwards. So Test, Test and Test again prior to fixing

Kev

 

[TilingLogistics]

Thought that was the idea of sealing? Generally speaking, if you spill something on any floor, you would leave it longer than 3 hours before you clean it off. Treat a tile the same as carpet - if i spilt something on my carpet i would wipe it off straight away - same applies for a tile.

I agree, the longer the better, so i suppose overnight would be a good test.

Spot on!!! It gives you a reaction time to wipe it up

Kev