B&Q 600x600 Polished porcelain black

[DS Tiling]

Hi,

I have finally been asked to lay these. I have read quite a lot of previous posts about them. If I have this right they have to be cleaned first to remove the greese/wax and then sealed several times prior to laying. Can someone confirm this is still the case with the current batches and also recommend a product to remove the wax/greese.

It does confuse me a tad that they have labels attached stating that they should be sealed prior to laying. Would the wax not prevent any staining until laid and then it could be removed and tiles sealed after grouting.


Thanks for any input.

[garythetiler]

i use lithofin wexa for wax removal althogth a tiler mate of mine gave me some industrial spirit baesd degreaser which was half the price and smelt and worked the same as the lithofin fila mp 90 is the best sealer i have found for these tiles

[Grace'sDad]

I just won't fit them anymore. Too much ache, and I've found that the kind of customer who scrimps on B&Q porcs is unlikely to want to pay the extra required to fit these "efforts" properly.

[OnthelevelPhil]

just a small worry with your wording.. you are thinking of sealing the tiles "after grouting" if any grout is applied to an untreated tile it WILL stain the tile so proceed with caution or be safe & seal the tile prior to laying & allow 5 + hours for the sealant to fully penetrate the tile it will dry very fast on the tiles surface but takes time to be fully dry & absorbed into the tile..

Regards Phill

[DS Tiling]

Thanks for the input. I have used wexa before so if that works then great. These seam like a whole lot of hassle especially as the customer has 17 boxes!!!!

Phil, I usually seal before laying with naturals and some porcelains but depends. What I was asking was what is the wax coating for? Is it to protect the tile from staining and grout haze. If this was the case then would it be possible to then remove this wax/grease after installation and grouting and then seal them?

The purpose of this wax coating is not overly clear but the tiles do state that they should be sealed prior to installation which brings me back to the point of what is the wax coating for apart from to hassle tilers?

Cheers

[GazTech]

If the wax coating is not removed prior to grouting, the grout sticks to the wax, and when the wax is removed because of grout sticking to it, then the grout becomes affected.
1. Fix tiles
2. Remove waxes
3. Impregnate seal
4. Grout up

just a small worry with your wording.. you are thinking of sealing the tiles "after grouting" if any grout is applied to an untreated tile it WILL stain the tile so proceed with caution or be safe & seal the tile prior to laying & allow 5 + hours for the sealant to fully penetrate the tile it will dry very fast on the tiles surface but takes time to be fully dry & absorbed into the tile..

Regards Phill

Welcome to the tilers forums Phill, if you like you can formally introduce yourself here.....Gaz

http://www.tilersforums.co.uk/new-members-say-hi-here/

[OnthelevelPhil]

think the wax coating is in the main to stop the tile being chipped or damaged in transit & agree with Gaz on his point that it will contaminate your grout for sure so best removed & sealed before you lay remember grout Will mark the untreated tile...

[Alberta Stone]

Sounds like utter shi te tiles to me.
Unless the pay is good I would pass on the job just based on the materials choice.

[DS Tiling]

Thanks gaz. I am going to remove the wax and seal a couple before doing anything to see how they look. If they look crap at that stage then they aren't going to look any better when they are down. I was going to go with Wexa for cleaning and then Lithofin FZ protective impregnator. I hope the later will be ok as i have read some people saying that they are like sponges and not like normal fully vitrified so any advice on this? I wouldn't do the job but it is for someone I have worked for before.

[LM Ceramics]

ive heard alot of bad things about them like mark says people who buy b&q tiles usually want a cheap job

[Alberta Stone]

If I had to wash grease/wax off of the tiles before grouting, it would not be cheap.

The rub is that the cheap tiles always require more work to make them look good so the money they save on the materials is, or should be, put into the labor.

But too many installers are willing to do the extra work for the same money.

[Grace'sDad]

But too many installers are willing to do the extra work for the same money.

Very good point! And they make a difficult position worse for everyone by lacking A) backbone or B) professional knowledge.

[Fekin]

Mmm... B&Q Porcelain, lovely

[bigandy]

why don't b and q do us all a favor and stop selling this c***.why dont we all demonstrate outside a big b and q wharehouse?(the bolton one has a crackin buttie wagon there)

[Dave Ramsden]

Thanks for the input. I have used wexa before so if that works then great. These seam like a whole lot of hassle especially as the customer has 17 boxes!!!!

Phil, I usually seal before laying with naturals and some porcelains but depends. What I was asking was what is the wax coating for? Is it to protect the tile from staining and grout haze. If this was the case then would it be possible to then remove this wax/grease after installation and grouting and then seal them?

The purpose of this wax coating is not overly clear but the tiles do state that they should be sealed prior to installation which brings me back to the point of what is the wax coating for apart from to hassle tilers?

Cheers

|Wax is generally to prevent each tile being damaged during transit and nothing else.

Go to pund land and buiy yourslef a glass scraper. Works wonders!

[DS Tiling]

You can't see the wax let alone scrape it off. You can't leave a mark on the surface either like you would expect to in a wax. I think the term wax for these tiles is being used very loosely. The tiles are not as dull as i was expecting either.

[Mac]

Walk away from the job mate it just isnt worth it. But if you do it then check the calibration, last time i did B+Q rubbish there was a 2mm difference nightmare job !!!!!!!

[brian c]

just read my opinions about these tiles .....ahhhhhmmmm

[Grace'sDad]

You can't see the wax let alone scrape it off. You can't leave a mark on the surface either like you would expect to in a wax. I think the term wax for these tiles is being used very loosely. The tiles are not as dull as i was expecting either.

Well said! The wax is more of an oil - not to be confused with the stuff we have to pick/scrape off tiles. It needs chemicals to shift it - not a scraper!!!

[DS Tiling]

Job now complete

[Dave]

Nice job...

Thanks for the pics....

[rossy]

did a kitchen yesterday b&q tiles utter crap different sizes different shades bloke says they were 6 pound a box as if they were dear just had to keep my mouth shut and get on with it next time i get a job with b&q tiles my prices will be going up hopefully wont get the job...

[monty]

Job now complete

Nice job mate...

[andy-p]

id be charging £50 /m2 at least for fitting em.. that would soon knock the smile off ther face!!

[whitebeam]

Looks good ds tiling

[monty]

Looks good Monty

Do you mean ds tiling?

[whitebeam]

Do you mean ds tiling?

Cheers monty, Have now corrected

[monty]

[DS Tiling]

Thanks for the comments and input.

[beanz]

just a small worry with your wording.. you are thinking of sealing the tiles "after grouting" if any grout is applied to an untreated tile it WILL stain the tile so proceed with caution or be safe & seal the tile prior to laying & allow 5 + hours for the sealant to fully penetrate the tile it will dry very fast on the tiles surface but takes time to be fully dry & absorbed into the tile..

Regards Phill

A freind of mine has just bought some of these damn tiles! And guess who gets to lay them.... Not my ideal 1st job!

If i seal these a couple of times before laying, will i still need to seal them again before grouting, or just after?

Also, he wants a 1mm gap!?! I've told him that he ideally needs at least a 3mm gap (maybe more if the tiles vary hugely), but he REALLY wants a 1mm. Is there any way this can be done?

Cheers for any help
Scott