How to stop outdoor tiles discoloration from leaves?

andydandy

We recently tiled our balcony.
We have large trees so leaves keep on falling and has discoloured the tiles. We tried pressure wash and soap/ bleach but it is time consuming and doesn't clean. In hindsight I should have selected a dark color tile.

Any solutions to this discolouration ?like sealing them. I have done some research and found tile sealer. Has anyone used it? Which products are recommended. I need a coating that makes it difficult for dirt/ oil and leaves to discolour the tile.

Thanks

MitchellMc

Hi @andydandy,

The first thing to do is test the tiles to see if they are porous or not. Drip some water on the surface in a shady area and wait 30 minutes. If the water is absorbed into them, then they are porous, and you can use Dunlop 1L Natural Look Sealer to coat them. This coating will help prevent stains from penetrating the tiles. However, the tannins from the leaves could still leech into the sealer and stain it, so it's best to remove the leaves as soon as possible.

If the water does not get absorbed, then the tiles are not porous, and there are limited options for sealing them. It might be a case of needing to be very vigilant in removing the leaves.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell