HOW TO GUIDE: SEALING PORCELAIN TILES

INSTALLATION

Tile adhesive is always recommended for tile installations. Adhesive should be applied at a minimum 5mm to the floor using a notched trowel. A thin layer of tile adhesive should be applied to the back of the tile prior to placing. The tile should be twisted into the wet tile adhesive to remove trapped air prior to tapping with a rubber mallet. Only the use of a white rubber mallet is recommended.  Black rubber may cause permanent marking on some polished porcelain tiles.

GROUTING

Bonding liquids should only be added to the grout mixture if immediate and proper clean-up is possible. Pre-packaged grouts are correctly formulated with plasticisers, latex resins and pigments, which allow for better movement and flexibility, but need to be cleaned up immediately after grouting to avoid possible staining and marking.

Only small areas at a time should be grouted as cleaning up of the excess grout on the tile surface should be done before the grout has dried. STONESHIELD GROUT-LIFT^™ should be added to the water to aid with cleaning. Dried grout on the tile surface may lead to severe cleaning difficulties and possible staining or surface damage.

CLEANING AFTER GROUTING

In the case of porcelain tiles acid-based cleaners like STONESHIELD GROUT-LIFT^™ can be used for the removal of grout and cement residues.

STONESHIELD DEEP-CLEAN^™ should be used to neutralise the surface after cleaning with an acid based cleaner. Neutralising helps prevent sealer failure.

Polished porcelain tiles often have a factory applied protective wax coating.  This should be thoroughly removed with STONESHIELD WAX-OFF^™ or STONESHIELD X-TREME-CLEAN^™ before sealing.

WHY PORCELAIN NEEDS SEALING? 

In the case of porcelain the primary reason for sealing would be ease of cleaning and reduced dirt retention. High quality European produced porcelain doesn’t require sealing for staining purposes. Other poorer quality porcelain fired at lower temperatures tend to wear quickly leading to severe dirt retention. An increased scratch pattern leads to increased dirt retention and difficulty in cleaning.

1. Sealing reduces the static charge of porcelain tiles & slabs and thereby improves the ease of cleaning.
2. Sealing will provide greater dirt repellency and reduces dirt retention.

SEALER RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommended sealer for porcelain: PORCELAIN-TILE-SEALER^™  ( Dirt-Repellent-Sealer^™ )

SEALER SELECTION

The intended purpose of the sealer in this case is to provide protection against rain, moisture and general dirt.

1. Certain surfaces only require protection against staining. In this case a penetrating sealer or repellent would be the correct choice to provide reduced dirt retention and ease of cleaning.

Porcelain Tiles               – STONESHIELD PORCELAIN-TILE-SEALER^™

1. Certain surfaces require protection against surface wear and tear as well as staining. In this case a resin type sealer is required. The final surface finish and colour enhancing or natural look is purely of personal choice.

Porcelain Tiles               –  NONE REQUIRED

STONESHIELD PORCELAIN-TILE-SEALER^™

Description: A superior quality natural look, no sheen, no surface film, solvent-based penetrating oil & water repellent for general stain protection and ease of cleaning. Can be used as a pre-grouting sealer on to clean surfaces 6 hours before grouting.  Allows water vapour transmission. Suitable for interior and exterior use.

Uses: Suitable on low porosity tiles and surfaces including polished and unpolished porcelain.

MAINTENANCE:

Only use STONESHIELD DAILY- CLEAN^™ to prolong the life of the sealer.

Re-apply the original STONESHIELD sealer if the surface becomes difficult to clean or staining occurs.

STONESHIELD PROTECT AND SHINE^™ (gloss) and STONESHIELD SURFACE PROTECTOR^™ MATT can be used internally as a protective maintenance polish.

LIMITATIONS:

Do not apply to damp tiles or surfaces.

Allow sufficient time for the grout and tile adhesive to dry out completely before sealing. Consult the STONESHIELD sealer label for the correct drying times for the sealer selected.

Do not wet tiles or surfaces for at least 24 hours after sealing.

Allow at least 4 – 8 hours drying time before foot traffic depending on the sealer selected.

Do not apply sealer externally if rain is expected within 12 hours.

Store and use between 16°c and 32°c only.