Nielson B., Author at Tile Restoration Blog

Different Types Of Tiles

If you’re installing new tile, or you are having old tile cleaned you need to know what kind of tile you have. There are different types of tiles that are available to install. If you are looking for tile & grout cleaning our tile cleaning professionals will be able to identify what kind of tile floor you have, and know the right cleaning method to use.

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Types Of Tile Flooring

There is a wide variety of materials, styles, and colors of tile. Each are made from different raw elements and have pros and cons. See below for a list of tile flooring types and see photos of each type of tile flooring.

TRAVERTINE

Travertine, a form of limestone, comes from the byproducts created by hot springs around the world. During the process of formation, minerals within travertine are combined, providing a unique pattern, character, and collection. When a unique and one-of-a-kind floor pattern is desired, travertine delivers.

CERAMIC

A ceramic tile is fabricated using a process of cooling and heating natural minerals and clay. The desired texture and appearance can be achieved as ceramic floor tiles are available in a large range of sizes, colors, textures, finishes and shapes from Mexican Tile.

PORCELAIN

Porcelain tiles are fabricated using natural clay. The porcelain tiles are made applying heat to refined clay, which produces a denser floor tile due to the higher temperatures. A floor tile with high-density can be used for indoor or outdoor projects. Porcelain tiles are also available in a range of colors, textures, and sizes to create the best fit for any style.

WOOD LOOK

Rather than a material type, this is more of a tile category as tiles are fabricated using porcelain or ceramic, but mimics the appearance of wooden tiles. This provides the appearance and feeling of natural wood, but provides the easy cleaning and maintaining of ceramic or porcelain tile. It is also more durable than natural wood. We can make your wood look tile it your preferred style pattern.

SLATE

Slate tile comes from metamorphic rocks located throughout the world. Our collection of slate tiles provides a range of options, offering rich color palettes ranging from navy to sage, copper to red, and tan to black. Slate is a fine grained tile which is able to be used outdoor or indoor.

MARBLE

Marble tiles are created from an extremely durable stone, marble. Marble stone is available in nearly any color because of the variability of minerals. In addition, marble tiles can come with various types of finishes, including honed, polished, tumbled, or brushed. This a classic floor tile available for any room in the home.

GRANITE

Granite is a type of igneous rock which developed by cooling magma or lava solidifying. A granite floor tile is distinguishable due to the smaller flecks on the surface, but it can vary in color richness, and visual depths that make every stone naturally unique.

STONES & PEBBLES

Stone and Pebble Mosaic tiles provide a beautiful and natural look to outdoor areas. Each of the unique shapes and natural tones are able to provide character to floors, showers, or any other room. You will have a one-of-a-kind pattern, becoming the newest focal point of the area.

ONYX

Onyx is a soft stone that offers transparency unlike any other natural stone. Onyx tiles are best used for counter tops, indoor flooring, and areas with light to medium traffic. This type of tile provides a smooth texture, with earth tones that will help the area stand out.

QUARTZITE

Quartzite is another type of metamorphic rock that provides a natural, but beautiful look. There are various textures and colors available. It has extreme durability and very versatile, it’s suitable for residential and commercial applications, and even used outdoors as well as indoors.

Phoenix Tile Cleaning

With a wide variety of types of tile knowing how to care for every floor type is the job of a tile cleaning company. In Phoenix businesses and homeowners trust the professional tile & grout cleaning of Mexican Tile Restoration. Different types of tile are more or less porous and need to be stripped, cleaned, and sealed the right way. To learn more about how we can help you clean your tile floors in Phoenix, Arizona give us a call today!

Phoenix Tile Cleaning Done Right

Mexican Tile Restoration – 602-370-6082

Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Floor Problems

If you’re having tile problems such as porcelain tile discoloration choosing the right tile restoration products and tile restoration company is important. You want experienced and professional tile restoration contractors in your home or business who know how to clean porcelain tile the right way. They know the right procedures to clean your porcelain flooring effectively and preserve it’s condition. Taking care of your floors right preserves the value of your home or business.

Why Do I Need To Clean My Floors?

It was found by a poll from Harris Interactive that 79% of customers refused to return to establishments with a restroom they considered to be dirty. These numbers do not look much better for areas with dirty flooring and do not include the number of customers lost or decrease of reputation due to dirty floors.

The use of mops will move the bacteria around the floor, spreading the bacteria from spills and contamination.

Top 5 Ceramic and Porcelain
Tile Floor Problems

Although having porcelain and ceramic tile flooring provide functionality, durability and aesthetics, maintaining them can be difficult, Especially within a commercial environment, such as public bathrooms, restaurants, and other areas with heavy traffic.

1. Dirty Grout

When it comes to a commercial environment, this is one of the leading grout issues. Restaurants and bathrooms are more common areas because of food, oil and other spills which contaminate the floor. Due to grout being porous in nature, and obviously because it is positioned under the tile surface, it can be difficult to reach and retain a large number of bacteria sitting under the visible surface.

Dirt and bacteria get trapped within the grout lines, which not only reduces the visual appearance, it can result in odors being retained in the grout. Unhygienic bacteria being present is bad for business reputations, and there are not many cleaning solutions that will fully clean grout lines. Using cleaning solutions can even result in permanent damages and discoloration to floors. Health care facilities and schools are just a couple environments where hygiene is a major concern when it comes to bacteria in grout.

2. Discolored, Dirty or Stained Tiles

With porous tiles, staining becomes a common problem and it is often permanent. A textured tile retains dirt within the tile surface. Although there are cleaning products that help with this issue, it does not eliminate the problem. Over time tiles can become cloudy on the surface, and regular cleaning solutions may not work. It’s often a sign that the wrong type of cleaning product was used for the particular tile type. However, it could be that the sealer was improperly applied, the product is of poor quality, or when applied on non-porous tiles a white milky appearance can occur. These are situations where the sealer has to be fully removed by a professional, which include risks of permanent damage to tiles.

3. Moldy Grout Lines

The most commonly problems with moldy grout lines occur in bathrooms and the shower. These issues become annoying because mold is associated with humid, wet conditions. When a room lacks proper ventilation, it creates the perfect environment for mold to grow and spread. Body oils and soap residue also result in mold growth, as its like a food source for the problem.

Typically, mold growth within bathrooms and showers are the result of a leak at some point in the recessed grout line. A tiny crack or hole within the grout can allow water to build up and create the growth of mold.

Once the mold begins to grow in joints of porous grout, scrubbing with chemicals will not correct the issue. A mold killing chemical will only result in further damage to the grout as it disintegrates the surface, leading to even more issues.

4. Dull Appearance/Difficult Cleaning

This issue is common, and often occurs due to one of many factors. It could be due to something like the wrong cleaning product being used.

Because of the many reasons, getting advice from professionals is highly recommended to determine the proper cleaning products to use for your tile type.

Other problems include existing dirt that does not want to be removed using the standard cleaning products and require a deep cleaning from porous tiles, which can cause damage if attempted with common cleaning products. In situations where tiles have darkish or dull appearances, they are not visually appealing. Then there is the usage of mopping, which is arguably the most frequent mistake by cleaning crews. A mop will only push dirt around without cleaning the surface, not only is this not going to leave an aesthetic appearance it’s unsanitary.

5. Falling and Slipping Concerns

When it comes to wet tile floors, falling and slipping are major concerns, especially in business environments. Locations like bathrooms, restaurants, and other areas that have heavy foot traffic that could track outdoor moisture should be areas for high concern of slips and falls. When tiles are larger that ¼” with grout lines it increases the risk of slipping when surfaces are wet. This is a liability that commercial properties must consider, but are commonly though about after the installation of flooring.

Phoenix Valley Tile Floor Cleaning

If you have challenging floors that need cleaning such as ceramic tile or porcelain tile we can help! Mexican Tile Restoration offers cleaning for any tile of tile flooring and can restore your grout and tile to like new gleaming condition. We specialize in the cleaning of tile floor and understand how to overcome all of the tile floor cleaning problems above.

For more information about how we can help you with
your tile floor cleaning please call 602-370-6082.

Guide to: Restoring Ceramic Tile

If you own a property that has ceramic tile, it will need to get restored and cleaned occasionally. This Guide to Restoring Ceramic Tile will help you understand the steps to cleaning tiles and replacing tiles which have cracked or broken. Regular cleaning will rarely get stained and/or dingy ceramic tile completely clean. If harsh abrasive cleaners are used, they are not going to restore the ceramic and will leave an etching which only gives a dull appearance to the surface.

However, acidic cleaners that have been specifically formulated just for ceramic will get the dirt out without leaving that etching and without damaging tiles. Of course, even after cleaning thoroughly there may be a few tiles which could use a little more work in order to correct any cracks and/or chips. A more inexpensive way to go about restoring a ceramic floor would be to replace the tiles individually, if getting them back to their original condition is what you’re looking for.

Removing Ceramic Tile Stains

First you will need to tape off the baseboards, bottom of cabinets, and appliances with masking tape.
The tiles should be swept to clear all dirt and debris from the surface, not forgetting about under the edge of the cabinets and corners and also any other areas that collects dirt.
Next, you have to mix a combination of water with the acidic ceramic cleaner concentrate in a container, referring to the instruction of diluting. This is due to different manufacturers may give different instructions for doing this.
Now, mop the floor good with this cleaning solution and do not overlook the little areas. It is best to use a handheld brush or else a deck broom while scrubbing the solution onto the tiles, this helps in the removal of soil that has built up for a long time.
After the using the solution to clean the floor the bucket needs to be filled with fresh clean clear water to rinse the solution up, changing water as needed.
It’s time to get a clean towel and wipe the floors dry. After which the masking tape can be removed, and the baseboards and appliances have to be wiped down with a clean cloth damp towel for the removal of any residue left behind and could have made contact with them.

Replace Damaged tiles

Using moderate pressure, scrape the tool referred to as a carbon tipped scorer all around the damaged tile, and keep doing this until all of the grout has been removed. You should place some painters tape around the tiles adjacent to all tile being replaced, as this will replace those tiles during the replacement process.

With a power drill, make ¼ inch holes in tile, spacing them ½-1 inch apart, making sure they are an equal distance from one another.

Take a ¼ inch chisel and put under the tile at a 90-degree angle, tapping lightly in order to loosen and gently lift the tile up adjusting the angle to a 45 degree when the tile is being lifted. Do this same thing until all tiles are removed. The chisel can now be used to get up the tile adhesive that remains.

Now apply ¼ inch layer of the tile adhesive with a notching trowel, and now you will apply a second layer of the adhesive on the back side of the tile you are using for the replacement.

Make certain that the tile is centered as it is being placed and firmly press down. All you do at this point is let it dry for two hours.

Place the grout over the grout float and spread on all of the joint lines that go around the tiles while keeping the float at a 45-degree angle from the surface. Let this dry for 15 minutes. Using a damp sponge, the grout haze around the tile needs to be wiped off. The floor should be left to dry for a complete 24 hours before you do the final cleaning up or before it is walked on.

The following is a list of the things you are going to need:

Acidic ceramic cleaner
Masking tape
Towel
Mop
Mop bucket
Sponge
Broom
Scrub or deck brush
Carbide-tipped scoring tool

Painter’s tape
Hammer
Notched trowel
Drill
Tile adhesive
Grout
Grout float
Chisel
Goggles

Tile Cleaning & Restoration Safety

Should the grout have a dingy appearance to it can be cleaned with a solution of diluted chlorine bleach. In order to prevent the occurrence of a dangerous chemical reaction, be certain that all the cleaners used for cleaning the tiles prior to the tile replacement have been cleaned up entirely.

Warnings:

You need to protect your baseboards and cabinets because the acidic ceramic cleaner will damage them.
It is important that you wear protective glasses while removing the tiles to keep any debris from getting into your eyes.

Professional Ceramic Tile Restoration

If you don’t have the tools, time, or desire to restore and clean your ceramic tile yourself, Mexican Tile Restoration is here to help! Our team has a wealth of experience cleaning all types of tile including ceramic. We will bring your ceramic tile floor back to life and looking new with our highly detailed and thorough ceramic tile floor restoration service!

Schedule ceramic tile cleaning today by calling 602-370-6082

How To Clean Saltillo Tile

If you’re searching for how to clean Saltillo tile or Mexican tile flooring, this post is for you! If you have the time, tools, and disposition you can do a basic cleaning of your Saltillo tile flooring. For deep cleaning or neglected floors it’s best to get in touch with Mexican Tile Restoration to do professional Saltillo Tile Cleaning.

Saltillo Tile Cleaning Facts

Cleaning and maintaining Saltillo tiles are difficult, this is because they are made of extremely soft material that are porous. Often, these tiles will have had topical sealers used on them, making them even more challenging to keep clean. Depending on the condition of sealer used on them will in most cases be significant to how good they will look after being cleaned. It is suggested to use an alkaline cleaner on Saltillo tiles, no matter if a topical cleaner has been used on them or not.

You need to try and determine whether or not a topical sealer has been applied to your Saltillo tile before you clean them for the first time. Look closely at the grout lines, if you can see a clear glossy sealer, then an application of topical sealer was used at one time or another. Another way of determining this is by water beads being noticeable on the tile surface, if you can see water beads, then there more than likely has been a topical sealer used. In the case that there has been a topical sealer applied, it means that basically, you are going to be the sealer surface, rather than the tile themselves. If you notice that alkaline cleaner is not cleaning the surface of the topical sealer effectively, it might be that you will have to strip off the sealer from each of the tiles first.

Cleaning Saltillo Tiles With Alkaline Cleaner

You will need to mix your solution of alkaline cleaner to some hot water, followed by pouring directly to the Saltillo tile flooring. Then allow that to sit on the tiles for approximately fifteen minutes, it will help to loosen up the grime that has built up in the tiles. However, do not wait long enough for the alkaline to dry completely, so the best thing to do here is to repeatedly pour more of the solution onto the tiles while waiting the fifteen minutes and also while cleaning the tiles. The Saltillo tiles are going to soap up a large amount of the cleaning solution, especially if they have never been sealed before, making it important to keep them saturated during the wait.

While the alkaline cleaner does its job and breaks up the grime in the tiles you need to be scrubbing them using a scrub pad or brush, these should be safe to use without leaving scratches on the tiles. Once all of the grime has been scrubbed from the tiles you will need to rinse the tile thoroughly, not leaving any of the cleaning solution behind. You can use a regular mop and a bucket of hot water for rinsing the floor. You may also choose to use a shop-vac to remove the extra cleaning solution.

If some of the grout still appears to be stained use some acidic cleaner to remove these difficult spots from the grout lines. Simply pour some of the acidic tile cleaner onto the tile and it will fizz, this means it is working. Afterwards, use a scrub pad to give the grout lines a new appearance.

Gleaming Clean Saltillo Tile

It is more difficult to clean Saltillo tile floors which have been sealed with a topical sealer. For when you are cleaning tile that has been previously sealed with a sealer, you are basically only cleaning the sealer itself. When the solution has been left on the tiles surface for a period of time it begins to break up and it mars the topical sealers appearance. Therefore, it is important that alkaline cleaner is properly diluted, while scrubbing sealed tiles gently with soft scrub pads. The use of soft scrub pads will prevent leaving scratches on the topical sealer. You only want to soften up the sealer enough to get the embedded grime out without damaging the finish.

Once the sealed tiles have been cleaned and rinsed the original sealer will re-harden, giving the tiles a new appearance once again. However, there are a lot of times that the embedded grime will not come out by using just a normal procedure, and an acidic cleaner will not be able to help any further in removing embedded grime from the Saltillo tiles. If this should turn out to be the case, it will be necessary to strip each of the Saltillo tiles, perhaps even having to removed them.

Saltillo Tile Floor Cleaning

If you’ve got a home or business that has Saltillo tile Mexican Tile Restoration offers service in Phoenix, Arizona and Orange County, California. Our team has the team, tools, and knowledge to care for your Saltillo flooring the right way. Protect your home’s value and avoid needing to replace your flooring with professional service that is as affordable as it is quick and easy to schedule.

Call today to schedule your
Saltillo tile floor cleaning service 602-370-6082

Natural Stone Tile Sealing Tips

If you’re searching for Natural Stone Sealer or how to seal natural tile this post will help! Natural tile is a beautiful flooring that’s install in some of the finest houses and properties all across Arizona. Keeping the proper type of sealer on it is part of maintaining it’s value.

How To Seal Natural Tile

There are several factors that will need to be considered before you are able to determine if the natural stone should be sealed:

What type of maintenance has the stone gone through?
Where is the stone located (such as bathroom, foyer, floor, wall, countertop, etc.)? Is it commercial or residential?
If resin has been applied to the stone, how will the sealant react to the resin?
Will the sealant affect the aesthetics or color of the natural stone?
What type of finish was applied to the surface of the stone? For instance, a polished surface will be more resistant to staining then honed surfaces.
Is the stone expected to be in constant contact with any type of staining agents?
How porous is the stone and just how fast can it absorb liquids (which is also called the absorption coefficient)?
What is the durability, hardness and density of the natural stone?

The location, type of stone, how its maintained and its finish will need to be considered whenever you are determining on how to protect the stone.

Which Natural Tile Floors Should Be Sealed

There are some cases where it just makes sense to seal the stone. Once the stone has been properly sealed, the stone will be protected against everyday spills and dirt. In other cases, it is better to leave the stone untreated. Topical sealers can actually change the finish and surface texture as well as cause build up on the surface, which creates a layer that isn’t as durable as the stone. Normally, topical sealers are not recommended for exterior stone because it can trap in moisture within the layers of the stone, which can cause surface deterioration during freeze and thaw cycles.

According to the Marble Institute of America, there are benefits that a sealer can provider in certain applications. It is recommended that care is used in the application of any type of chemical to the surface of a stone. However, even though they are not harsh, there are some sealers that may react with maintenance or cleaning chemicals and/or any components that is in the surface of the stone, which can cause reactions.

Types Of Natural Stone Tile Sealers

If you have decided that you want to treat your stone, then you will want to ensure that you are understanding the differences that are between the different types of sealers that are on the market right now:

Impregnators will be solvent, or water based solutions that can penetrate under the surface layer and become a repellent. They are often hydrophobic or water repelling but there are some that are oliophobic or oil repelling. Often times impregnators can keep the contaminants out of the stone, but it doesn’t stop any interior moisture in the stone from escaping. These types of products are considered to be breathable, which mean there is vapor transmission. Food preparation areas and vanity tops may need to have impregnators applied. Check with a professional installer for any recommendations. If you apply an impregnator, then you want to be sure that it will be safe for use on food preparation areas. If you have questions, then check with the manufacturer.
Topical sealers are a type of coating that was designed to protect the stone surface against oil, water and other contaminants. They are made from acrylic, natural wax as well as other plastic compounds. Whenever a topical sealer has been applied, the maintenance program will shift from a program for the stone to one for the maintenance of the sealer. (for instance – stripping the sealer and reapplying it.)

Before you seal your natural stone, always:

Ask yourself if the stone needs to be treated to start with?
Read any manufacturer instructions and warranty
Considered the life span of the application such as 1 – 2 – or 5 years, etc. Keep a log of each application.
Contact the manufacturer before you apply the sealer if you need clarification or if you are unsure. The same concept for woodworking of measure twice, cut once can be applied here.
Consult a professional if it is needed.
Never switch from one product to another without completely understanding any type of potential issue. Not all products will be alike. If you are unsure, then contact the manufacturer or a professional.

Phoenix Natural Stone Sealing Service

If you’d like the professional touch for natural stone tile sealing or maintenance our team can help! Mexican Tile Restoration serves the Phoenix Valley with the best tile restoration, tile sealing, and all tile maintenance projects. We understand how to clean, seal, and ensure the life of your tile flooring to preserve the value of your property.

Call 602-370-6082 to ask a question or schedule your service today!

Identifying Stains In Natural Stone And Removing Them

If you’re searching for natural stone cleaning tips this guide has been prepared to help you understand how to handle different types of stains. Natural stone is typically more porous and hold onto stains more than other types of flooring. Mexican Tile Restoration professional restores natural stone flooring. If you’d like our help removing any of these stains and restoring the beauty of your natural stone flooring in Phoenix please call 602-370-6082.

Types Of Natural Stone Flooring Stains

Oil based stains such as tar, cosmetics, grease, and cooking oil will make stone appear darker, and the stone will usually have to be dissolved with chemicals in order to get the source of the stain out. Clean the stone using a liquid cleanser (one that is soft), such as mineral spirits, household detergent, acetone, or ammonia.

Organic Stains

Organically based stains from fruits, paper, food, teas, coffee, urine, tobacco, bark, bird droppings, and leaves, can create stains that range in colors from pink looking to brown, and these kinds will usually go away once the source has been taken out. In the outdoors and having the sources of the stains remove, a little normal sunlight and some rain will generally help to bleach out any stains. When indoors, the stain can be cleaned using 12% hydrogen peroxide, combined with a few droplets of ammonia. For the accumulation on a surface from hard water, such as rings and water spots should be buffed using ‘dry 0000′ steel wool.

Inorganic Stains

Stains from inorganic metal stains come from rust, bronze, copper, and iron. Stains that come from iron and rust will range in colors from orange to brown, and it will leave a shape of the object that is staining it, such as bolts, cans, nails, metal furniture, and flowerpots. Whereas, stains from copper or bronze will range in colors from a green to a muddy brown, which is a result of moisture nearby, however, it can be from there being some copper, bronze, or brass being embedded close by as well. One has to use poultice in order to remove stains that are from metal. A stone can become permanently stained if it is from metal, as they are very difficult to remove.

Biological Stains

Stains which fall under the category of being biological, such as mildew, moss, algae, fungi, and lichens, can be clean by diluting ½ a cup of bleach, ammonia, or hydrogen peroxide to 1 gallon of water.

WARNING: Never mix ‘BLEACH’ and ‘AMMONIA’ together! These two chemicals in combination creates ‘TOXIC GAS’. Bleach or hydrogen peroxide (one or the other) can be used to clean light colored stones, and for dark colored stones use acetone or lacquer thinner.

Paint Stains

Use a small amount of lacquer thinner to remove paint stains. The stain can also be removed by gently scraping the paint off the stone using a razor blade. A commercial paint stripper (liquid) should be used to remove heavy paint coverage.

NEVER USE ACIDS OR ANY KIND OF TOOLS WITH A FLAME FOR STRIPPING PAINT FROM STONE!

Fire & Smoke Stains

For ‘fire and smoke damage’ (such as fireplaces that have smoke or fire stains), would more than likely require being thoroughly cleaned in order to bring back their original appearance. You can purchase smoke removal products that are commercially available, which will save on some of the effort that will need to be put into it, as well as on the time it will take.

Acid Type Stains

Calcareous stones (having etch marks) are caused by such things as fruit juices, milk, alcohol, etc., that contain acids being left on the stones surface. Some of these acidity things will leave the etch and a stain, where others may etch without leaving a stain. After removing the stain, apply clear water to the surface and use marble polishing powder (just sprinkle over it). Using a buffing pad or damp cloth rub the powder into the stone with the help of a power drill (low speed), or with a polisher. Continue doing this until the etch mark is gone and the surface of the marble begins to shine. If it consists of deep etching, honing may be necessary. A stone maintenance professional may be necessary for this process.

Efflorescence Stains

Efflorescence is a white powder which can appear on the stones surface, this is done by water that has mineral salts coming from under the stones surface and then it evaporates. As the water is evaporating there is a powdery salt residue left behind. If it is a new installation, simply vacuum up the powder or dust mop. Keep repeating this process each time the stone dries out, until it is all gone. Never use water when removing the powder as this will make the problem even worse. Should this issue continue, the stone contractor needs to be contacted so that they can identify where the moisture is coming from, and they can remove it.

Phoenix Valley Natural Stone Cleaning & Restoration

If you have a home or business that needs natural stone floor cleaning, Mexican Tile Restoration is your source for the highest quality stain removal and cleaning for natural stone flooring. We clean and restore all types of flooring and can do any size of property. If you have questions about how we can help maintain your flooring please give us a call at 602-370-6082.