Mosaicoland
The Land of The Mediterranean Tiles
2008 The Little Tangerine Enterprise
Maintenance & Care of Mediterranean Cement Tiles
After installation:
- To protect the new installed floor, it must be waterproofed and sealed.
- You can also treat the colors to look brighter, if you wish.
Recommendations:
- The floor must be completely dry before treatment.
- This means the tiles must breathe for a period of time sufficient for any water to evaporate from the tile. A tile with humidity will not correctly absorb the treatment products. Environmental conditions may affect the timing. It is recomended to wait, however a minimun of 7 to 10 days before start treatment.
- If the new installed tile floor is treated too soon, humidity will get trapped underneath the sealed layer and dark spots will appear.
How to clean new tile floors before treatment :
- Never use strong acids base products (like cement remover) or bleach, as they would completely destroy the mediterranean cement tile floor.
- Clean with a mop or brush and water, using a pH neutral soap, or blue soap.
- Any stains or leftover materials may be cleaned off with a dishcloth (scotch-brite) or water sand paper #600.
- CAUTION: Do not sand too much. Rinse away the residues with water.
Your choice of three different treatments:
1-Sealer products:
Those similar to the products that cover rustic terrazzo or saltillo. Apply one or two layers with a brush or a sponge.
These products penetrate the cement tile without leaving a superficial layer, leaving the floor waterproof and protecting it completely protecting from grease and other stains.
We have tested and recommend "TILELAB SurfaceGard Penetrating Sealer", which preserves the tiles’ natural color.
If a high gloss finish is desired, you can use "MIRACLE Color & Gloss Enhancer". These products can be found at your local hardware store, it is also available at our warehouse upon request.
2-Waxing the floors:
The traditional and most common treatment of Antique Mosaic floors.
Wax protects and brings up colors, giving a glossy texture.
Apply a coat of pure wax to fill out the tile (color-less wax for marble).
For routine maintenance, clean the floor once a month with the same wax added to clear water.
3-Crystallization:
This process is used in the restoration of the early 20 th century mansions. Crystallization hardens, protects and shines the colors of the cement tiles. It is similar to the marble crystallization process, using a polishing machine, magnesium fluor silicate, a dishwashing pad (scotch-brite) and other products.
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After
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