Care and Maintenance – Porcelain Horizon Italian Tile recommends following these simple steps to ensure the beauty of your porcelain for its lifetime. The first and most important step involves the complete removal of grout residue and construction debris after the initial installation. The most effective way to remove grout residue is to follow the grout manufacturers recommendations and instructions. For products with a matte or textured finish Horizon Tile recommends using Fila Deterdek Acid Cleaner post-installation to remove thin set residue and grout haze on porcelain tile. For products with a polished finish or finishes that are acid sensitive Horizon Tile recommends using Fila Neutral Cleaner. Thorough rinsing with clean water is necessary to ensure successful cleaning. Porcelain tiles require minimal maintenance. Daily cleaning should be performed first by sweeping or vacuuming to remove loose soil or other surface contaminants, followed by damp mopping with clean hot water.

According to the Tile Council of North America, lippage is defined as a condition where one edge of a tile is higher than an adjacent tile, giving the finished surface an uneven appearance. This condition is inherent in all installation methods and may also be unavoidable due to the tile tolerances, in accordance with ANSI A137.1. Some patterns, such as a 50% off-set (also known as brick joint), accentuate the effects of warpage and therefore result in more lippage than most installation patterns. Horizon Italian Tile recommends using a running bond pattern not exceeding a 33% offset in order to avoid lippage. The grout joint thickness can also play a role in an exaggeration of lippage. It is important to understand that widening the grout joint does not eliminate lippage, but it can make the lippage less apparent. Horizon Italian Tile recommends a minimum grout joint of 1/8” for all rectified tiles in order to avoid lippage. Lighting conditions are also a factor to be taken into consideration in the appearance of lippage.

Techniques where the lighting is located at the wall/ceiling interface or mounted directly on the wall, such as cascading light, cove lighting and wall-washers, tend to accentuate the shadows cast onto the surface of the tile. This can result in exaggerated and unappealing shadows on allowable lippage and/or warpage. In order to insure an acceptable installation, it is recommended to coordinate a job site mock up with the final lighting installed.pool maintenance cost spain All GranitiFiandre materials are easy to clean and maintain. best price for hoover carpet cleanerRegular cleaning highlights the aesthetic features of the material and gives the floor an exceptional shine.las vegas pool leagues The initial cleaning done immediately after the flooring laid is of essential importance for removing all mortar, adhesives and epoxy residues that may be left in the joints.

In this initial phase, we recommend that you use an acid decalcifying product. Rub energetically to obtain the maximum cleaning. After washing the floor, which is just as important, rinse thoroughly with plenty of water to remove all traces of the detergent used. These steps are recommended for all GranitiFiandre collections. Thanks to the characteristics of the production process (high firing temperature, raw materials of great quality, sinterizing process), the surface of Fiandre material is waterproof (the water absorption is minimum). Therefore the dirt cannot penetrate but it is necessary to remove it from the surface. For this procedure do not use detergents containing waxes or waxing products, in order to avoid the forming of greasy layers. After the installation of floors, particularly of those made with polished materials, the surfaces should be adequately protected with particle board or other suitable materials in order to protect them from dirt and on-site processing.

This prevents damage caused by subsequent processing. Any detergent on the market can be used in the desired concentration for cleaning the high technology sinterized Fiandre products, with the exception of HYDROFLUORIC acid (HF) or its compounds, according to UNI-EN 176 standards. In order to keep costs limited and speed up maintenance operations, the concentration of the detergent must always be as low as possible. For raised floos we suggest to choose bright or polished surfaces in large sizes: these materials can be dry cleaned or withthe minimum use of liquids. After the floor is laid it is necessary to make a very accurate initial cleaning with proper products. The detergents are essential when laying new materials on old floors and for preparing the support surface perfectly as well as after installation to remove all traces of cement, adhesive or sealant from the newly laid materials. For commercial and heavily used surface areas such as airports, hospitals, supermarkets, and any public spaces with heavy foottraffic which are thus subject to considerable soiling, it is necessary to use automatic cleaning machines with suction of the washing liquids.

This allows not only deep cleaning, but also the continuous removal of liquids containing substances that cause soiling, thus preventing the formation of films which are very difficult to remove. For these materials, after completing the steps described in the section “Initial Cleaning”, you only need to clean the floor with hot water containing small quantities of an alkaline detergent. On these types of surface it is not advisable to apply a waterproofing product: the absence of porosity causes the waterproofing agent to deposit on the surface in an uneven way and to have unpleasant aesthetic effects. The procedure described for matt and bright materials is also valid for products with relief surface with the following additions: - when cleaning, follow the outline of the relief pattern; - rub aggressively using appropriate bristles; - rinse abundantly and thoroughly.Porcelain tiles are ceramic tiles with a water absorption rate of less than 0.5 percent that are used to cover floors and walls.

They can either be unglazed or glazed and are available in a variety of colours, textures and finishes. Porcelain is much harder than ordinary ceramic tiles and is usually selected, despite its higher price etc. in areas where strength is more important, such as floors and commercial use, or in areas of high wear and hard knocks. Sealing porcelain tiles may be required, it is always best to consult with your tile supplier to verify whether your porcelain tiles require this treatment. A glossy, highly reflective surface A flat matte, low sheen finish A rough textured non sheen finish In most cases pre-grout sealing porcelain tiles prior to grouting or installation is not required. However if a dark coloured grout or an epoxy grout is being used it may require an application of a pre-grout sealer. This is to prevent grout staining and also acts as a grout release and assist in the grout clean-up process. If the surface is textured applying a coat of Aqua Mix® Grout Release can be used.

If the surface is smooth (polished, honed) than applying a coat of the final sealer you select is recommended. It is best that all of the grout haze is removed between 3-10 days. A minimum of 3 days for the the grout to cure and harden, and no longer than 10 days or it will be more difficult to remove. Aqua Mix® Grout Haze Clean-Up can be used within first 10 days of grouting. If the grout has been left for more than 10 days grout haze can be removed using Aqua Mix® Phosphoric Acid Substitute. If epoxy grout has been used you can remove using Aqua Mix® Sealer & Coating Remover. If Aqua Mix® Grout Release was used, the grout and Grout Release can be removed using Aqua Mix® Heavy-Duty Tile & Grout Cleaner. If the factory wax was not completely removed during the grout haze removal process, the surface should be scrubbed using Aqua Mix® NanoScrub® and an Aqua MIx® AquaScrub. In most cases you should only be sealing these tiles using either a Natural Look Sealer or an Enhancing Sealer.

The best sealer for porcelain tiles is Aqua Mix® Sealer’s Choice® Gold – Rapid Cure, however we have a range of sealers to suit your requirements: Note: Sealing porcelain tiles with a penetrating sealer will not alter the slip resistance. For more information regarding slip resistance, click here If the surface is an unglazed internal textured floor you also may use Aqua Mix® High-Gloss Sealer. However we do not recommend Aqua Mix® High-Gloss Sealer to be used in wet areas. Countertops/Bench-tops, vanities and walls should be regularly cleaned using any of Aqua Mix® Routine Cleaners. Regular use of Aqua Mix® Aqua Shield™ Cleaner & Resealer will ensure that your porcelain always maintains maximum stain resistance. Floors should be regularly cleaned using Aqua Mix® Concentrated Stone & Tile Cleaner. If the surface is allowed to build up, then scrub the surface using Aqua Mix® Stone Deep Clean, Aqua Mix® Heavy-Duty Tile & Grout Cleaner or Aqua Mix® NanoScrub® and an Aqua MIx® AquaScrub.