DIY Related: Wickes Porcelain

[mazda]

After my recent successful kitchen floor job measuring addy using kitchen scales my daughter has asked me to tile her kitchen, she has bought Wickes black porcelain 300 tiles as they are on offer, I think they are manufactured in Turkey,what is worrying is there is no mention of having to seal them on the packaging and she said the lady in Wickes told her they didn't need sealing, I must admit they look ok to me as a DIY'r but is there anything I should be aware of apart from another relation asking me to tile a floor for them..............

[GazTech]

My advice is simple, take a piece of tile and put it through a series of tests. Raw..try cooking oil on it does it stain. Raw..try wine does it stain it. If so use an impregnator sealer on it then try the same tests.....then you may know how to tackle the job...Gaz

[mazda]

Thanks GazTech that sounds an excellent idea and it should soon be obvious if they need sealing or not
Cheers

[GazTech]

Sometimes these cheap types come with wax coating...this must also be removed before any sealing can be done....

[doug boardley]

if they're porcelain would they not already be vitrified due to the silica content in the kaolin, metamorphis taking place during firing. ( I remember this from when I did my pottery A level ,28 years ago!!)

[Oli]

if they're porcelain would they not already be vitrified due to the silica content in the kaolin, metamorphis taking place during firing. ( I remember this from when I did my pottery A level ,28 years ago!!)

..... Whats that in english then ......

[Dave]

if they're porcelain would they not already be vitrified due to the silica content in the kaolin, metamorphis taking place during firing. ( I remember this from when I did my pottery A level ,28 years ago!!)

even though they are vitrified..( glass like) this isn't what makes them stain....it is the open pores in the surface of the tile that grabs the stains....
Porcelain tiles have a very low absorption rate so liquids tend to not soak in like other tiles do.."naturals"..

A through bodied porcelain tile is the type that will need a porcelain impregnator and not a porcelain glazed bodied tile...

hope this helps...

[doug boardley]

it's all coming back to me now! does that help you oli? thanks dave

[doug boardley]

sorry to deviate from thread a little,but if it was a purely porcelain tile, after it's been fired would it not be translucent?

[Dave]

sorry to deviate from thread a little,but if it was a purely porcelain tile, after it's been fired would it not be translucent?

I think the terminolgy" porcelain " is a bit misleading.....when you think of porcelain you think white and brittle.....and we know it is far from that with porcelain tiles....

[doug boardley]

I'm waiting for some "ming" tiles to come out!lol

[mazda]

Ok you've lost me now, remember I measure addy with kitchen scales and a measuring jug for the water............

I have emailed Wickes technical support who promptly gave me the supplier Intervo's telephone number so I will ring them in the week, but there is nothing on the tiles packaging to suggest they require sealing only a warning about certain coloured grouts may cause staining.

Thanks for all your help.

[CTD inverness]

hi mazda, polished porcelain should always be sealed(unless it is fully vitrified which i doubt wickes is) as it is the polishing that opens the pores in the tile, they do quite often have a wax surface which can be removed with a light acid based grout remover(always try on a spare piece first incase of re-action) hg limex is a good one, you can get procelain pacific sealers check locally to see whats available (fila is not bad) and seal before grouting incase of surface staining. hope this helps

Ok you've lost me now, remember I measure addy with kitchen scales and a measuring jug for the water............

I have emailed Wickes technical support who promptly gave me the supplier Intervo's telephone number so I will ring them in the week, but there is nothing on the tiles packaging to suggest they require sealing only a warning about certain coloured grouts may cause staining.

Thanks for all your help.

[365drills]

The thing with porcelain is that they are 30% harder than granite and solid from front to back. C5 is the hardest grade you can get. Ceramic tiles have a biscuit base with a glaze finish. Break the glaze and you expose the biscuit. Thats why if ceramics chip they look ugly. Porcelain tiles can be made much bigger than ceramics and for a look at what can be achieved this site is very elegant Examples of Porcelain tiles in use

A lot of the sheds are introducing porcelain ranges (B&Q - Wickes etc) and places like Topps Tiles have about 25% dedicated to porcelain.

Wikipedia definition (Full article available here...)

Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between 1,200 °C (2,192 °F) and 1,400 °C (2,552 °F). The toughness, strength, and translucence of porcelain arise mainly from the formation of glass and the mineral mullite within the fired body at these high temperatures.

And as we always say at the end of these posts... Dont forget your drill bits!

[mingualez]

I also have purchased this tile.Plenty of good advice but still a bit unclear on this subject. please post the outcome mazda as I could do with the help also??? cheers

[grumpygrouter]

The fact that the packaging stated that some grouts may stain this tile gives a good clue as to what should be done. If it is polished, then seal with a good impregnating sealer.

[mazda]

I have spoken to Intervo today who import the tile from China, apparently Wickes pay a premium to have the tiles sealed at manufacture, when I said that I had heard porcelain tiles nearly always need sealing he then said it would do no harm to re-seal them after they had been layed which sounded a bit like he was edging his bets, so I think the best option would be to seal them, given the bit about coloured grouts may stain statement as well.

Do I lay them and wipe over them with a sealer prior to grouting I presume its a liquid.

Thanks everyone once again for your help

[mingualez]

Mazda , did they say anything about a wax over them????
Regards

[mazda]

No mention of any wax that needs removing, and looking at them they don't look waxy at all.
I just need to get a bit of time and inclination now to make a start on them, the head is willing but the knees keep saying wait awhile..........

[365drills]

Wicks also have a Technical Support department to ask the questions

WICKS EMAIL FOR TECHNICAL SUPPORT

[mazda]

I did try Wickes technical support via the Wickes website, it was them that gave me the tile supplier Intervo's telephone number thanks.

[mazda]

Well my daughters floor is now complete, I ended up using Lithofin sealer just to be on the safe side, and she is really pleased with the floor which is the main thing............

Thanks again for all your help

[365drills]

Pictures.... Pictures...