Tillers help please

lucy777_2

hi, does polished porcelian stain? does it need sealing?

thanks

keystone

Yes I would expect to seal polished porcelain. What did it say on the packaging?

Is this the same project as in your grouting thread?

Cheers

lucy777_2

hi, yes same project, nightmare from start to finish!! packaging said nothing and tile shop said didnt need to be done as high quality tile, but cider has been spilt all over and has dis coloured tiles, tile shop are trying to find something to get stains out but nothing working to me it looks like its gone into the tile.

thanks

keystone

lucy777 wrote: »

hi, yes same project, nightmare from start to finish!! packaging said nothing and tile shop said didnt need to be done as high quality tile, but cider has been spilt all over and has dis coloured tiles, tile shop are trying to find something to get stains out but nothing working to me it looks like its gone into the tile.

thanks

Your other thread said glazed tiles although I didn't pick up from that that they are porcelain. Glazed porcelain tiles don't need sealing so if they were sold as glazed but weren't and are subsequently stained because they weren't sealed then you have a case against the guy who sold them to you. If your "tiler" made as much of a mess of the grouting as we heard on the other thread then should these tiles not have been sealed then I would expect grout staining into the surface of the tile. But you haven't reported that so, TBH, I'm a little confused as to what the tile material actually is.

Cheers

lucy777_2

the tiles are highly polished porcellin. sorry for confussion!

grout and tiles black so not sure if grout would show up as a stain.

keystone

lucy777 wrote: »

the tiles are highly polished porcellin. sorry for confussion!

grout and tiles black so not sure if grout would show up as a stain.

Polished Porcelain tiles should have been sealed before an after grouting - your "tiler (ahem) should have known this. I take the point about the black grout but you would have seen it at the right angle because the polished surface would have dulled significantly. The point about sealing for "spillages" like your cider is to give you an increased "reaction time" to clear up the spillage. Obviously you didn't have that and if the tile shop said they don't need sealing then they are wrong IMO. In any event the capabilities of your "tiler" now being even more in question - particularly if at least one tile has lifted I wonder what if he used the correct adhesive for porcelain and the lifted tile you mentioned implies they (or some at least) might have been dot and dabbed - which is an absolute No No for any tiling (most especially on a floor) and can best be described as a total bodge.

I stand by what I suggested on the other thread that they really all ought to come up and be relaid. If the tile shop cough up for new tiles to replace the stained ones on the basis they gave incorrect advice well and good. If not perhaps a proper tiler can use the stained ones in the least visible positions.

HTH

Cheers

lucy777_2

thanks,

tile shop say deffo dont need seeling (A well astablished company) they are trying to find something to remove stain but to me this is not excptable as the floor will keep getting more stains on going to call them tomorrow to c if they have found something if they have not then they need to re fund me, and need to start again

lucy777_2

after all day of the tile company telling me i was told the tiles needed seeling!!! which i wasnt.........i went in tonight to see the boss man and he was not the nicest but he said his employee forgot to tell u to seel them!!! he had admitted that!! so, so cross.

he wouldnt re fund he is going to try and get stain out and then seel the tiles, i have given him untill friday to do this.

i dont think the stain will come out???

keystone

lucy777 wrote: »

after all day of the tile company telling me i was told the tiles needed seeling!!! which i wasnt.........i went in tonight to see the boss man and he was not the nicest but he said his employee forgot to tell u to seel them!!! he had admitted that!! so, so cross.

Time to get formal and put it in writing and judging by the reaction you have had so far (although there are always two sides to a story) your letter should go to head office with a copy to this local fella. I'm rather assuming that the shop is part of a rather large chain of tile and flooring stores. If the shop told you they didn't need sealing in the first instance (as you originally reported) there is a world of difference between that and the employees "forgot". to tell you they needed sealing. IMO thats rubbish. He should be taking responsibility for the actions of his staff and he's not being professional IMO - either that or he's a muppet or he's frightened of higher management. How many tiles are stained out of your 16m2? If he won't refund will he not free issue sufficient tiles to replace the stained ones?

he wouldnt re fund he is going to try and get stain out and then seel the tiles, i have given him untill friday to do this

The thing that troubles me about this is that he/they have clearly no idea what products to use to get these tiles clean. My gut feel is to use HG Porcelain Cleaner or HG Super Remover to clean out all the little holes in the surface followed by HG Super Impregnator to seal but then again I haven't seen the extent of the problem so this advice should be taken with some caution and the usual disclaimers apply! An alternative sealing product is Lithofin Stainstop.

However, this does not get round a more basic problem. You say the tiles are uneven and that (at least?) one has already lifted. There is no but no point in going through this cleaning and sealing process if the tiling in the first place is so carp that you will have to have the whole lot up anyway to have it redone which I believe to be the case.

You also need on-site advice from a proper tiler who can see the extent of the problem both in terms of the staining and the laying of the tiles. You didn't answer about what tile adhesive he used. If he used the wrong type then they must come up irrespective IMO.

Cheers

lucy777_2

hi, thanks for al the help.

spoke to the owner of the company (he has a lot of shops but or local one is the head office) so no where higher to go. they have offered to come and clean/seel they said they can get the staies out??

had another tiller round and think starting all over again and put it down to experence, as not worth hassle and stress!!

thanks again for all the help