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For natural stone tiles you should use a water based rather than petroleum based sealant. Your tile retailer will be able to advise on the best sealant to use. For a higher level of finish you can apply another coat of sealant after grouting but avoid sealing the grout. Let the sealant sit on the tiled surface for 24 hours before grouting or walking on the tiles. Work quickly or the sealant will start to dry as you’re working. Spread the sealant evenly across each tile. We recommend sealing before grouting, otherwise the grouting will leak into the tiles and spoil the finish, which will be extremely difficult to clean up and remove.Īpply a water based tile sealer with a brush or squeegee, starting in one corner and working one tile at a time. Sealing your tiles will protect the surface of the tiles, prevent tiles and improve their longevity and appearance. Porous tiles will absorb spills and stain fairly easily.
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If it leaves a dark mark, the tile is porous and will need sealing. If you’re not sure whether your tiles are porous or not apply a wet sponge to one tile and press down for a few seconds. Porcelain and ceramic tiles are not porous so do not require sealing. For a DIY cleaning solution, mix cup of vinegar with 2 gallons of warm water, then use a microfiber mop to clean. You can either opt for commercial or DIY cleaning solutions. First, remove all loose dirt by sweeping or vacuuming, then clean with a cleaning solution. Natural stone tiles such as slate, marble, granite and travertine are porous and need to be sealed. Start by cleaning your porcelain floor tiles. The answer depends on whether the tile is porous or not. This 511 Impregnator Sealer is meant to actually penetrate into the surface to create an invisible layer – not just sit on the surface… which is why it’s best used for porous surfaces.Our customers often ask us if they need to seal their tiles. The steps are easy: wipe on the surface, let sit for 3-5 minutes, then wipe off the excess.Ĭement tiles are more porous than most surfaces so I chose to do 2 coats! I waited overnight between my coats but I don’t think that’s necessary. It comes with a tray for a really easy application. There were some areas that had water spots that I did end up using 400 grit sandpaper to remove… even that didn’t remove them completely but they are 95% gone which is more than I had hoped for.Īfter the tile was completely dry, it was time to seal! This 511 Impregnator Sealer is the real deal… it’s meant for medium to dense porous surfaces including sanded grout and most tiles – both interior and exterior. This step is important! I was pretty dang happy with the results. I was shocked at how clean the tiles and grout got after using this cleaner… and even more surprised that I didn’t realize how dirty they were! It even removed some nail polish that I’ve tried for 2 years to remove!Īfter scrubbing the floor in sections, I used a damp rag to get all the residue off. I could see using this just to clean your grout if it’s gotten dingy over the years. I’m happy to add this to my cleaning arsenal!Īs I was saying… this stuff is powerful. I am using it to clean my cement tiles and grout – but it can be used to remove mortar residue, grout, hard water deposits, and rust from just about any material. One thing to note about this cleaner is that it is recommended at different dilution ratios depending on the job at hand. At this point, you could scrub normally with a rag or pad, but I used my favorite drill scrubber trick.
SEALING TILED FLOORS FULL
I put the cleaner in a spray bottle at full strength and sprayed it all over the floor – letting it sit for more than 5 minutes.
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I have a video below with neither but I added one after I shot the short video. You should wear gloves and a mask if you will be touching it. Note, this is strong stuff and should be used cautiously. I decided to try the cleaner first and then I could move on to sanding if I felt I needed it.įor this step, I used this Acid Substitute. After a little more research I read that I could sand with fine-grit sandpaper or use a heavy-duty cleaner. I felt like the tile was permanently stained. This was a fairly straight forward process – but I was worried about getting the tile clean enough to my liking before applying sealer. I needed to start over and re-seal it the proper way. I probably didn’t seal it well enough when I installed it… and 2. After hours of research, I was led to the conclusion that 1. No matter how hard I’ve tried to keep it clean, it never looks clean. I installed this beautiful real cement tile in my home 3 years ago and let’s just say that it’s seen better days. If you’re a homeowner, you probably have tile somewhere in your home. The newly sealed floor will not only look new again, it will be protected and result in your floors. This post is in partnership with Rust-Oleum. A new sealer is applied to the floor and allowed to set.