Sealing Saltillo Tile Floors
High quality mexican saltillo tile staining and proper sealer application to protect the stain.
Sealing saltillo tile floors. A mop and bucket of hot water works well for rinsing a saltillo tile floor. It is important to make sure that the entire surface of the area you are going to seal is free from any dirt. The key is to choose the appropriate products to use on your floor and establish a routine floor maintenance schedule to keep it looking beautiful. In tucson and throughout the southwest saltillo tile is a popular flooring choice.
Promptly wipe up any spills to minimize staining risk. This was done to serve the purpose of what penetrating sealer accomplishes for the tiles now. If saltillo tiles are soaked in water you can expect to deal with efflorescence issues throughout the lifespan of your floor. As necessary re apply floor polish to prevent wear thru of polish.
Like everything preparation is most important and the saltillos must be stripped of all the existing coating. This helps prevent any staining during the installation process and helps prevent glue and grout entering the tiny pores of the tile. Saltillo when maintained properly can be a beautiful floor that can last for decades. Once upon a time installers would soak saltillo tile in water prior to setting it with thinset.
Topical sealers work best for sealing saltillo and they also give the dull saltillo tiles a glossy or matte finish. A shop vac can also be used to extract the dirty cleaning solution off of the saltillo tiles and grout. For long lasting beauty and long term durability you need to be very detailed when staining and sealing your saltillo tile floors. Regularly damp mop floor with water and glaze n seal neutral cleaner.
If polish is properly maintained the saltillo tile should not require re sealing. After you have scrubbed away all of the dirt and grime then you should thoroughly rinse the tiles and grout to remove all traces of the cleaning solution. That means sealing them with at least two coats before the tile setter begins installation. Cleaning saltillo tiles with alkaline cleaner.
Use a broom for a very light sweeping and then use a vacuum. Proper sealing of the saltillo will greatly ease the future clean up and maintenance of your saltillos. A clear shine on your saltillo tiles will allow the true beauty of the saltillo to show. Ideally you want to use a tile sealer before any work is done with the tiles.
Use a minimum amount of water on floor and dry promptly. This is an imperative point. The first step to sealing your saltillo mexican tile is to clean them of any type of dirt or debris. Unsealed saltillo tiles will quickly absorb all types of dirt grease spills and contaminates.
Then allow that to sit on the tiles for approximately fifteen minutes it will help to loosen up the grime that has built up in the tiles. You will need to mix your solution of alkaline cleaner to some hot water followed by pouring directly to the saltillo tile flooring. Sealing them with a topical sealer proved them with a protective water proof coating that makes them much easier to clean and maintain.