Tile staining: Please please help!!

[Goose]

Hi

I'm having an issue with stains on some black tiles that were used to tile our bathroom. Getting a bit panicky now as I'm wondering if we will need to re tile the whole thing!!

The tiles used were black porcelain tiles which were apparently already sealed before application, however since going back to the shop the dealer said they need to be sealed before use- contradicting what he had initially said .

It seems that because they weren't sealed there are a lot of grout stains (we used yellow grout) on the tiles and the floor tiles seem to look like they are showing the adhesive from the back!

I have already tried to use FS87 fila (I think thats the name) which didn't clean the stains at all. Then tried a grout remover which has bleached the yellow staining so its now white.

Is there something else that you can recommend I use? I was thinking maybe dyeing with a tile dye (if that exists) and then re sealing.

Any help would be greatly received!

 

[DHTiling]

Hello and welcome.. do you have any pics you can show us.?

And the tile name.?

 

[Goose]

Hi Dave

Thanks for taking the time to come back to me. I can take some pictures this evening and post. Dont have the tile name (I will try and get it)... but I do have an update on the cleaners we used:

Fila PS87 and LTP Grout Stain Remover

Was suggested to use Deterdek but I'm wondering if its going to work or just make things worse!

 

[DHTiling]

Look forward to the pics..

 

[Rich]

We will wait to see the pics and hopefully be able to help you out

 

[Goose]

Hi there

Here are the pics...

and...



Was a bit tricky to get pics becuause of the light reflecting, but you should be able to see how hazy they have become as a concequence. I appreciate they arent high gloss tiles but I was hoping they would look blacker.

Any help would be wonderful

 

[doug boardley]

Goose, are they polished porcelain? I'm guessing they are, if so it will be very problematic to remove the haze from the unsealed pores.

 

[Ian]

Its a little difficult to tell from the pics but it looks like scratching, is it definitely grout haze? Do you know the brand and type of grout that was used? I've seen something similar when a wide joint (quite coarse) grout has been used on a polished surface.

 

[Marble Life Ltd]

There are products out there that will remove this but when you come to seal a colour enhancement may be needed but dont rip out.

 

[Goose]

Hi Bri

Sorry it took a while but... It was yellow mapei grout... dont think it is scratching.

 

[Goose]

Hi Doug

Yup polished porcelain... have you had any experience dealing with this sort of thing before?

 

[Goose]

Update...

So out of frustration I decided to try and re colour a tile over the weekend.

I wasnt sure what to use so tried some black boot polish (I know, I know I was desperate!!:mad2 to see if it would colour the haze.

It actually worked in terms of covering the patch I tried... but by the nature of booth polish im guessing it is just going to be on the surface as opposed to being absorbed??

So... my next question is there any sort of dye that I can buy to put on unsealed tiles? Ideally something that I can then seal again after which wont come off or fade? I was thinking something ink based but would that be a funny shade black on the tiles?

Thanks again!

 

[Rich]

Not that I have ever come across. We get this all the time and to be honest there isnt really alot that can be done about it.

 

[Goose]

Hi thereWhat kind of products can I use and do they work differently than the ones I've used already? Also you mentioned colour enhancers... Do you have any names or suggestions of those? Thanks!

 

[Marble Life Ltd]

Hi thereWhat kind of products can I use and do they work differently than the ones I've used already? Also you mentioned colour enhancers... Do you have any names or suggestions of those? Thanks!

Firstly you must break down any polymers that may have risen to the surface of the tile then you need to remove the Haze with a Diluted acid or perhaps a strong Alkaline cleaner then your grout Haze will disappear then you may not even need a Colour enhancer but if you still feel it needed then perhaps you could apply it. Unfortunately I am not familiar with the whole of the LTP range well there cleaners anyway and feel that if I were to suggest alternatives it would just get removed anyway but shall have a look at the LTP range in a bit more depth for you and see if there is a solution.