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How to keep matt tiles clean?

Hi, we have had a new tiled floor put down. I love the look of the travertine porcelain tiles. How ever in my concern to not have high gloss in wet areas, the tiles we have are very, very Matt. And they are nearly impossible to clean, grabbing the mops &requiring far more effort to clean than I can supply. As they have only just been laid their condition. Is very good- is there a clear resin surface we can paint on to make the tiles smoother & easier to care for?

Cheers Lyn

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MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @rosslyn. It's amazing to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about sealing tiles.

Before looking at ways to make them smoother or easier to maintain, the most important step is to determine exactly what finish or treatment has already been applied to the tiles. Once you know that, it’ll be possible to check whether there’s a compatible coating that could safely go over the top.

Without knowing the existing finish, I really couldn’t recommend applying anything. If the new coating doesn’t bond properly with what’s underneath, you could end up with peeling, cloudiness, or uneven sheen. In most cases, there aren’t many suitable products that can be applied directly over a sealed tile surface.

Given your concern about slipperiness in wet areas, even if a coating were possible, you’d likely be looking for something with a satin or semi-gloss effect rather than full gloss, to balance appearance with safety.

If you’re able to find out from your installer or tile supplier what product or sealer was used, I can help look into whether any compatible options are available that would give a slightly smoother and easier-to-clean surface. Generally, sealers are formulated to go directly onto raw tile or stone, not over the top of another sealer, so the only way to adjust the sheen is usually to use a product from the same manufacturer and base formula but with a different finish level.

Would you be able to check with the installer to confirm what product was used on the tiles? Once we know that, I can help explore whether there’s a viable satin or semi-gloss coating that would suit your floor.

The other option would be to invest in products that make cleaning the currenty surface more efficient, such as the Ryobi 18V ONE+ HP Brushless Wet And Dry Hard Floor Cleaner 4.0Ah Kit.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

rosslyn

Hi Mitchell,

Sorry for the late follow up.

I am unable to follow up with the tiler.

The tiles are a porcelain tile the colour(picture) is biscuit on the top of the tile, there seems to be nothing on top of that.

There was no sealer on top of the tiles maybe due to the internal floor aspect bathroom & laundry?

Yes I would be happy with a satin finish so long as the mop can move across the floor relatively easily with out "doing my back any further damage".

Thanks for your help.

Regards

Rosslyn

MitchellMc

Were the tiles something similar to the Duratile 60 x 60cm Travertine Natural Porcelain Floor tile? It's important to know exactly what type of finish the tile has. These tiles have a matt glazed finish and won't readily accept a sealer coating. You could only seal the tiles if they are a porous and non-glazed surface.

To test, apply a few droplets of water on the surface. If it is absorbed within 30 minutes, a sealer could be used. If the droplets sit on the surface, you typically can't apply a sealer.

Mitchell

rosslyn

Hi Mitchel,

The box says glazed porcelain tiles 🙁 the drop of water test had the water sitting on the top of the tile:(:(:(

So now I gather I have to just put up with the tiles which mark atrociously easily and are an absolute pain to clean. I am sooo disappointed, and really cannot afford to re do the tiling.

Thanks

Rosslyn

MitchellMc

Unfortunately, being glazed tiles, I'm not aware of any products that could be applied over them to make them easier to clean @rosslyn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. It might be worth reaching out to the manufacturer to see if they have encountered this before and have a solution.

Mitchell

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