Ask
the Queen of Grout for advice or recommendations on caring for your tile and
grout, or about any other cleaning question you have.
Question:
Recently installed Mexican Saltillo tiles in kitchen. Contractor
sealed with a #1 Penetrating Sealer and a #2 tile sealer. Grease
spots have penetrated. Why? and how to remove? HELP!
Answer:
The contractor pre sealed the tiles with a penetrating sealer
so it would be easier to clean up as he grouted it . I disagree
with this process. I recommend using the same sealer during
the pre-grout sealing process and the finial sealing process.
This way you have no problems. But it's already done.
Now for
the reason your floor is staining. How many coats of sealer
did he apply after the tile was grouted? I seal the tile and
grout with as many coats as need to seal the surface. I consider
a floor sealed when the sealer repels itself. At least two good
coats or more after grouting. It just depends. I then apply
4 coats of Charlotte's Floor Polish to the surface of the sealer.
This prolongs and protects the life of your sealer and is the
product you learn to maintain.
He will
need to remove the surface sealer in the areas where it is staining.
Then re apply the sealer. Plus he should wash the entire floor
and add more sealer. Then apply the Floor Polish. I then recommend
that you maintain the floor with Charlotte's All Surface Cleaner.
I also highly recommend putting Magic Sliders on all of your
chairs. Check them out at charlottesproducts.com.
Do a test.
Put water in different areas of the floor. If water penetrates
that area any time with in about 20 minutes, the tile is not
sealed and will accept stain just like it is now.
Let me
know if I can be of further assistance to you. Also check out
ceramictilerefinishers.com
We also do this kind of work.
Charlotte
Question:
I have ceramic tile, unsealed in my kitchen and hallway. I am
having a problem with finding a cleaning product, I make sure
I always rinse the floor thoroughly but it is usually still
sticky, do you have any cleaning products or helpful hints for
me. Also the tile has been done for 1 year is it too late to
seal?
Answer:
If the floor is still sticky it is obvious that there is still something on the
floor. I recommend cleaning the floor thoroughly using Charlotte's Heavy-Duty
Degrease and Wax stripper. Get a small pan, 4 buckets of water, 1 hot, 3 cold
(use the hot water bucket for cleaning and the cold ones for rinsing, as cold
water cuts the suds) In the small pan pour the degreaser. Get 4 tiles lightly
wet, using a nylon brush apply the Cleanser. Scrub tile and grout. If needed also
use a green scrubby and a brash tipped brush for the grout. Rinse well. Yes the
grout can be sealed at this date. Apply a Penetrating or Impregnator Sealer Such
as Charlotte's Impregnator Sealer.
Question:
What would you suggest for the cleaning of limestone tile
in a shower? I do not think I have the discipline to wipe the shower down after
every use. How do I order your products? I would like to order a quart and try
it. Please let me know how to pay you.
Answer:
I too have no discipline and refuse to wipe down the shower after every use. I
recommend Charlotte's Marble & Stone Cleanser, $8. (Including tax). This is the
only product I use to clean stone bathrooms. You'll be amazed at how well it works.
I created my product line, Charlotte's Tile Cleaning Products to be easy and effortless
to use and produce magnificent results. We will be sending you a quart today.
Thank you for the inquiry. Please let me know how it works.
Question:
I have a marble and limestone bathroom and am having a difficult
time cleaning it. There does not appear to be many products out there for cleaning
marble & limestone, especially for the shower. Plus I can't keep the water spots
off of the shower doors and all of the products I look at have acid in them which
I know that will ruin my marble and stone. Help! What do you recommend?
Answer:
Yes you must be careful what you use when cleaning marble and stone, especially
in the bathroom area. Most household Cleansers sold in stores are not made to clean
marble and stone. I recommend you try Charlotte Custom Products, Marble & Stone
Cleanser. Marble and stone multi-purpose Cleanser removes soap scum and hard-water
deposits on shower walls, glass shower doors, fixtures, porcelain tubs and sinks.
Cleans dirt off counters and floors. Safe for use on colored grout. Safely cleans
marble, slate, limestone, granite and sandstone. Caution: Not intended for use
on black marble.
Question:
I have been reading your replies On Info Tile.com. I am trying
to refinish my Saltillo Pavers. I have a large room & foyer. The tiles are in
good condition; however, the sealer is worn completely off in some places and
in other places there is a white powder buildup that I need to keep removing.
I have had no luck stripping these floors myself with products recommended by
Home Depot or Lowes, and I cannot get any tile company in town to even come look
at them to see what can be done. Can you recommend a chemical stripper for this
type of tile?
Answer:
The white build up is efflorescence. This is created by moisture
getting into the slab and then escaping up through the tiles bringing with it
the moisture with salts in it. I will be sending you a letter with more information
on efflorescence. Yes, I can recommend an industrial stripper for this type of
tile. I carry one in my line of Charlotte's Custom Cleaning Products.
Question:
What is a Mexican
Saltillo Paver Tile?
Answer:
Mexican Saltillo pavers are natural clay tiles that are hand
made by gifted artisans. They come in an assortment of colors, usually two toned
in yellow, peach or terra cotta. No two are ever alike.
Rustic by design, some of the beautiful characteristics of these tiles include:
size variation, color variation, texture variation and subtle streaking. These
distinctive elements are caused by the sun-drying process during manufacturing.
Chips, cracks, lime "pops" and even paw prints are all typical and only add to
the natural beauty of this handcrafted product.
Question:
I recently installed Saltillo tile in my kitchen. It was a pre-sealed
tile. After installing, I sealed it with a water-based acrylic sealer. I understand
that I now need to put a polish on it, am I correct? Do you have a high gloss
polish for sale? Also, what is the daily care for this tile? Any info will be
appreciated. I had talked to you about my concerns before I purchased this tile,
and you were very helpful. You advised to go ahead with Saltillo tile, saying
I would really love it, and you were so right!!! It is beautiful!!!!
Answer:
The tile
and grout needs to be sealed well once the floor is installed. I recommend as
many coats as needed to seal the tile and grout. To test if the tile and grout
are sealed well, pour water on the surface and allow to sit for twenty minutes.
If the water sits on the surface after 20 minutes then it is sealed. You then
want to apply four (4) coats of Charlotte's Floor Polish. This is an excellent
product that wears well, is non-yellowing and easy to apply. This is the product
you learn to maintain and will need to reapply occasionally in traffic areas.
Clean weekly or daily with Charlotte's All Surface Cleanser. This is a concentrated
Cleanser that works great for everyday cleaning and has a great lemon scent. Please
send me your address and form of payment and I will send you a gallon of each.
I'm glad your job turned out.
Question:
I have been told that
Mexican Pavers are not recommended in a kitchen area and need lots of maintenance.
Is this true?
Answer:
No. This is not true. Any house I have ever been in that has
Mexican Pavers has them through out the house, starting with the kitchen. You
wouldn't put two different tile floors in your home. Now that wouldn't look good
at all.
As for
maintenance, every thing needs to be maintained. Pavers are a little more maintenance
as they needed to be coated every six months to a yea r with floor polish, depending
on the foot traffic. But everything needs to be maintained. Your car, clothes,
windows. So if Mexican Pavers are the look you want, yes install them and enjoy.
Question:
I am moving into a condo with 25-year-old sheet vinyl in the kitchen, hallway
and bathrooms that MUST come up. I want to lay tile once PROPERLY and be done
with it. I love the look of the tile but don't like that it is cold, hard and
susceptible to chips and cracks. I was shown a vinyl tile with a lifetime residential
warranty. The cost is comparable to tile. Do I go with ceramic tile or upscale
vinyl tile at the same price?
Answer:
My choice, of course, would be tile. I love the look of it and I have it throughout
my house. I don't find my tile to be colder then when I had vinyl. If a tile cracks
or chips you can always replace it, with vinyl it's the entire floor. Price and
compare, but my professional opinion is that tile upgrades your home. Remember
that no matter what flooring you put in maintenance is the key to keeping it looking
new for years to come. I created Charlotte's Custom Cleaning Products, with the
homeowner in mind. We sell sealers and cleaning products for tile, marble, stone
and grout that are easy to use, produces magnificent results and helps you to
keep your new or existing tile installation looking great for years to come. REALLY!
Question:
We have searched the world for this color tile (Apple Green) and can not find
it anywhere. We read about you on the Internet at Info tile. Com. and were told
that you can stain Mexican Saltillo Paver Tiles any color. Can this really be
true? If you can stain our tiles this color you will save us from desperation-or
even worse-conservative tiles. If you can match the enclosed color, Apple Green
we will be thrilled.
Answer:
Yes, I absolutely can match your color, Apple Green. I will send you a sample
tile this week. If you like it let me know and I will fill your order ASAP.
I filled this order and the homeowners were thrilled, to say the least. My new
company Custom Saltillo International, imports Mexican Saltillo Paver tiles from
Mexico and hand stains them to match any designer color.
Question:
Help!!! Planning to ceramic tile over old (bad shape) terrazzo, in main
areas of my home. Have a small amount of a "marble style/look" @ front door and
hall between my son's room and his bathroom (there are times, he still needs convincing
I'm not out to cause him serious injury). Needless to say I want to have this
ripped up and all tile to be without a high gloss. The more I read the more confusing
it seems. Grade, sealed, commercial, etc. Plan to have a "pro" do the install!
All replies gratefully appreciated. M.
Answer:
I live in a home that is 7 years old. Due to a flood we had to put new carpet
in 4 years ago. I put in a light colored carpet to match my tile. Even the grout
is light and compliments the tile. My floor still looks as beautiful as the day
it was installed if not better and I am able to keep it looking new. My carpet
looks new too (as we don't wear shoes on it) but my carpets are two to three times
more maintenance then the tile. So get the tile.
Proper cleaning and maintenance is the key to keeping that new floor looking new
for years to come. REALLY! When shopping for tiles make sure the tile you buy
is for floors. All tiles have different bodies; this is the color that is underneath
the surface. If you buy a red body tile and the tile is white you will notice
any chips immediately. So keep this in mind when buying tile. You can also call
the Ceramic Tile Institute of America as they have ratings for floors. 310-574-7800.
