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I’ve purchased and installed Johnson Tiles 20 x 20 cm Matt Grey non-slip Elements tiles. The problem is that they stain easily with water, white efflorescence marks, and general stains—and I have to wash them constantly, which I’m not prepared to do. Is there a way to glaze or paint them to make them glossier and more resistant to stains? Some stains are from grout haze, as I didn’t do a great job during installation. I saw a previous discussion mention Deluxe paint, but it said it’s not suitable for floors. Is there anything else I could apply to these floor tiles to give them a uniform colour to start with, and then seal or glaze them? Thank you.
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @AelfaPhoenix. It's terrific to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about tiles.
That is a really common frustration with matt, non-slip ceramic tiles, especially in grey tones. Before looking at coatings, paint or glazing options, the first thing I would want to check is what the tiles look like once they have been given a really thorough clean and then allowed to dry out completely. When they are fully dry, do they return to an even matt grey finish with no patchiness or staining visible on the surface at all?
This is important because a lot of what you are describing can be moisture-related. Matt, textured tiles will often darken unevenly when damp and can highlight efflorescence or leftover grout haze until all moisture has evaporated. If the appearance improves once cleaned and dry, then the issue is not the tile glaze itself but rather the porosity of the surface and grout.
Once the tiles are thoroughly cleaned, free of grout haze and fully dry, you can apply a penetrating sealer such as Davco 500ml Sanitised Tile and Grout Sealer. This type of sealer soaks into the tile and grout rather than forming a surface film, helping to reduce staining, water absorption and efflorescence while keeping the natural matt finish.
If grout haze is still present, it is worth removing that first with an appropriate grout haze remover before sealing. Sealing over residue will lock it in permanently. After sealing, maintenance should be much easier, and you should no longer see water marking and staining developing so quickly.
If, however, the tiles still look blotchy or stained even when completely dry, let me know, and we can talk through options, such as floor tile paint.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
