QUESTION

Rust Stains on Ceramic Tile - My tiles at my house (outdoor) homogeneous heavy duty gets stained easily and when a tin is placed on it it tends to get the rusty marks and it will be difficult to remove that.

The manufacturer said that it is impossible and they refused to follow up.

How could it happen?

ANSWER

ANSWER - I assume when you say heavy duty homogenous tiles you are referring to an unglazed clay through-body tile and that it may be a ceramic porcelain tile that is very dense.

Although these tiles are very dense and considered impervious in terms of absorption they can still stain.  These tiles do have micro pores where contaminates can be lodged.  If you put metal on any surface and it gets exposed to moisture, as you would expect for an exterior application, then you would expect rust to occur.  The rust may be more difficult to remove on some products than others depending on the composition and treatment of the product.

It would be best to place the metal object on a plate or pedestal to keep it from contacting the tile.  A glazed tile would be the most resistant to the staining since it has a glass like surface.  You could seal your tile that will make it more stain resistant and will act as a bond breaker so the rust doesn’t tend to attach as well and should be easier to remove.  For links to manufacturers of sealers websites see our Cleaners and Sealers section.   Good Luck