Porous homogenised ceramic tiles are driving me crazy.?
Question:My kitchen is layed with porous homogenised ceramic tiles and they get stained very easily that I need to bleach my floor regularly. Is it possible for me to coat the tiles with a lacquer or some kind of sealant (without making them slippery) to maintain the look and cleaniness less tediously?
Answers:
Your average concrete sealer should do the trick there are several choices. Depending on how many coats you put on slippery should not be a problem. Be sure to check if it is a "wet" look product or a standard, the standards will achieve a slightly shiny look with the more coats you put on.
grout sealer is available, water based and easy to mop on. It will seal the tile also.
sealing the tiles may create more of a problem. Are you on the ground floor. Is it concrete. Is it wood. You have to check for the vapor barrier with a test kit to see if moisture is able to come in. If you seal a floor that has NO vapor barrier you get a cloud affect under the seal coat then the seal coat has to be removed. This is what causes some floor tiles to turn purple over time. There is a simple overlay concrete you can apply that smooths out the surface and creates a moisture barrier.
Thomson's water seal for concrete will stop the water based stains and not change the look of the tile much. The color will darken a little but the gloss and over all look will not change. Lots of years ago, purchased a home with porous tiles. The Thomson's worked for about 8 years. Use lots of air movement in the home as it dries. Also you have to stay off the tile for sereral days.
RLBENDEL has the best clue, and you will have to regularly maintain the substance no matter what you use.
Any sealant/coating used might increase slip to a degree, but too I agree with the concrete sealant idea as is used in warehouses, etc.
In any case you will have to give up use of the room for longer than you might enjoy.
Steven Wolf
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