QUESTION

Maintaining Sealers on Mexican Tile - Can you tell me how to maintain a Mexican tile floor throughout my house. The floor had a whiteish finish on it and a shinny finish. I wnat to clean it good, and clean the grout and re-finish the floors. Do you have a suggestion? Thank you

ANSWER

ANSWER - There are many different types of sealers that can be used on a Mexican floor tile.  So first you need to determine what type of finish you have on the tile surface to determine how best to maintain it.

It could be a glazed tile, which means it has a glass-like substance on the surface that is applied and then fired at a high temperature in a kiln.  In this case all you can do is clean it.  If the glaze surface chips or wears there isn’t any substantial way to repair it.

I’m assuming the whitish finish is a stain and not efflorescence (salts) that have migrated to the surface of the tile.  If it is efflorescence then you need to clean and reseal it.

If the tile has been stained white and a glossy top coated sealer applied it could be an epoxy based sealer that wears well, but is difficult to repair.  You would have to contact a company who specializes in this type of epoxy coatings to have it repaired or contact the manufacturer of the tile who provided it that way.

If the tile has been stained and a surface based sealer was applied then you can apply a sealer remover that will remove most sealers and then reseal the tile with another sealing system.  You may need to re-stain the tile with a white stain.  If you know what sealer was originally used then go to that manufacturer for their sealer remover.  It you don’t know which sealer was used then you must experiment with some different products.  There is a list of sealer manufacturers with links to their websites on our website www.CTaSC.com.

If the tile was sealed with a water-based penetrating sealer or enhancer then you can clean the tile surface and reapply that sealer per the sealer manufacturer’s instructions.

To properly clean the floor, add a tile cleaner product to your mop water or add a neutral based detergent.  Scrub the floor and grout with a firm brush (that will not scratch the tile) on an extended handle so you don’t have to be on your hands and knees.  Change your water frequently.  Then use a wet and dry vacuum to pick up the dirty water, otherwise you leave a dirty film and your grout will always look dirty.  Reseal the tile every 6 months to a year depending on what type of sealer you use.  You know the sealer is working if water readily beads up.  If you are trying to maintain a glossy look then you will develop traffic wear patterns and you will need to reseal it more frequently.

See the list of sealer manufacturers.

Good Luck!