Mapei Ultracolor Plus Coloured Grout Terracotta 143

Product Information

The most important factor in achieving a good finish is to use a tiler with proven experience of laying and sealing terracotta tiles, as the wrong application of adhesive, sealers, grout and finishing products can ruin these beautiful tiles, costing you time and money. Your tiler will need to correctly prepare the tiling substrate to ensure it is flat, level solid and clean beforethey start laying the tiles. For best results, the sealer should be applied after the tiles have been laid but prior to grouting. This means that not only are the tiles easier to grout but also the tile ceases to be porous and the grout will not penetrate the surface of the tile. Once the tiles are grouted, a second application should be made. The reasons for this are twofold: Either before the tiles are laid, or before grouting the tiles, the tiles must be sealed with at least 2 coats of LTP Mattstone and 2 coats of the finishing product Ironwax Satin/Gloss. To ensure a good seal, apply the LTP Mattstone at 2-hour intervals until the sealer starts to sit on the surface. After the final coat of Mattstone, allow 45 minutes and then buff away any excess. A solution of Grout Clean-up diluted with 3 parts water will ease the problem temporarily, but you will find in most cases the efflorescence will repeat itself until all the salt crystals have evaporated on the surface, and this can take several weeks in some instances. In worst case scenarios Tile Doctor has developed a new product calledAcid Gel to combat efflorescence issues which is applied neat. Recommended Products for Terracotta

It’s important to keep the tiles clean whilst you apply grout. To do this, get a moist sponge and sponge frequently to clean the tiles without removing grout. Step 6: Grout the rest of the patio First of all, before we get into either type of grout, it is important to note that both must be rated for outdoor use. If you use grout that is not suitable for the outdoors, it will not last and may damage the tiles. Cement-based groutAny of the grout mentioned previously will work fine for any type of outdoor tile, including porcelain. Again the most important thing to remember is that the grout is rated for outdoor use. How long do you wait to wipe off grout? For stubborn areas of heavy build-up of dirt or sealer we would recommend following up with NanoTech HBU (please ensure the tile is wetted before applying). This type of clay is not made to a great standard and thus the porosity levels between each tile can vary greatly, this makes them hard to clean, hard to seal and generally harder to maintain. UK Tile Doctors have been trained to cope with these issues however it should be noted even with the right equipment, products and experience no guarantee can be made on a satisfactory outcome of what we at Tile Doctor and a customer would call a great finish given the low quality of this product.

Once the floor has been cleaned and dried apply Tile Doctor Seal & Go sealer with a paint-pad applicator and tray. Spanish or Mexican terracotta tiles are very porous and may require up to 8 or 9 coats of sealant, always allow to dry before applying the next coat. FRENCH, ITALIANOR SPANISH (semi hand-made) Cement-based grout comes in powder form, which is added to water before being applied. The most common type of outdoor grout is sanded grout. This is used when grout joints are 1/8 inch or wider. Wet application– When the tiles are fixed using permeable bedding materials, brush in grout can be applied using the “Wet Application” Once grouting is complete, both types will need around 72 hours to start curing and up to a week to be fully cured.If the grout joints are less wide than this, then unsanded grout is fine. The grout must also be rated for no efflorescence. This makes sure that white residue isn’t formed when moisture is lost. Weber Joint Premium indoor/outdoor Brush in grout These tiles are generally made in a factory with some artizan involvement however the quality of the kiln is far better than Mexican and so are easier toclean, to seal and to maintain; naturally thisresults ina higher productioncost. In most circumstances, a reclaimed floor is laid on a modern screed but sometimes it may be necessary or desirable to lay reclaimed tiles or quarry tiles on a limecrete floor. It is worthwhile considering adding sealer to the grout mix in the proportions of 1 part sealer to 10 parts water. This also effectively seals the grout.

The best sealant we find for Terracotta is a topical sealer called Seal and Go that generally leaves a satin finish that coats the tiles to stop dirt and grime penetrating into the clay. An impregnating sealer (that generally leaves a matt finish) does not work particularly well with a soft clay such as Mexican Terracotta due to the high porosity of the clay. Tile Doctor recommends that Terracotta in particular requires a regular top up of sealer in high traffic areas once or twice a year. MEXICAN (hand-made) It neutralises any alkaline salts inherent in the floor thus preventing the build-up of Efflorescence which can be a problem with older floors. Grouting is especially important for areas with outdoor tiles. This is because there is a lot more exposure to the outside environment.After cleaning the pH level of the floor will be alkaline so its best to neutralise this by giving the floor an acid rinse using Grout Cleanup. Using this product has other benefits to, ie.: All said and done, sealing terracotta tiles has moved leap and bounds in the last few decades. The choices are out there to have the style one wants. It is just a matter of choice.

If using a cement-based grout: Again, using the grout float, scrape away any excess grout by holding the float almost vertical to the tile and moving diagonally across the surface. Step 5: Clean tiles with a damp sponge After placing the tile on the adhesive, they can use their hands or a rubber hammer to level the tile surface. To cut the tiles, ideally they should use a water-cooled tile cutter, or if skilled enough they could use an angle grinder type cutter with the appropriate blade (i.e. unslotted and continuous). The suggested grout joint between the Handmade Terracotta tiles can vary from 5-8mm due to size tolerance and edge finish. On the Reclaimed Terracotta, these tiles feature an even higher size variation and will require a grout joint between 5-10mm to allow for this. These floors continually breathe and with our sealants, this is not a problem and in effect rather simple as the same process as detailed above can be followed.Tile Doctor Remove and Go is very effective at removing impregnating sealers and can be applied undiluted and used in the same way as Pro-Clean. It's worth noting that Pro-Clean is better with the removal of topical sealers however if you are unable to determine which sealer has been used previously then you may need to utilise both products. Once the Mattstone sealer has been allowed to fully cure (12 hours), apply 2 coats of Ironwax Satin/Gloss with an hour between coats. Then allow 4 hours for the finish to cure before starting the grouting process using Ardex FL grout. If the tiler is not using our recommended Ardex FL grout, then please test your chosen grout on the surface of a sample tile, to ensure the grout can be cleaned away successfully.