Recommendations for tile 'cover'

[angers]

Hi, I have recently laid ceramic tiles from Wickes. The tiles looks great, but they have a very rough surface and because they run from the hallway through to the kitchen (main thoroughfair) they tend to get dirty quickly. Due to the roughness, the dirt tends to stick.

Now I can't use a normal mop (string or cloth) because the roughness of the tiles just makes the mops disintegrate and I have a candy floss effect left and have to hoover again. I have tried a steam mop, but again the tiles are rough and the towel just gets caught up. I am currently using an outdoor flat mop (like a laminate floor cloth but it's rough) and plenty of water, and then I have to dry the floor, due the amount of water used.

What I am really hoping for is a product that I can cover the surface of the tiles with, so the dirt stops sticking and I can use a normal mop. Please tell me there is something out there.

Many thanks.

[doug boardley]

to be honest angers, there's nothing I can think of. Are you sure they're ceramic? If they're polished porcelain you could use LTP MPG sealer that would close the tiny pores left by the polishing process and this would stop the muck grabbing. Have you any pics you can post for us?

[merlecollins]

To be honest Angers, if they are a glazed ceramic or porcelain tile then there aint anything you can put 'on' them

All I could suggest is that you take a good look at the Lithofin range of products and use a more suitable cleaning product - Casdron Enterprises Ltd - Sole UK Agents for Lithofin Products

Easy care is quite a good cleaner

[nybor62]

im with the others cant think of any thing , what is the name of the tile, have you contacted wicks about it, maybe other people have had same prob

[angers]

No pics yet, but this is the link to the tiles.
Sandstone Effect Ceramic Floor Tile - Floor Tiles - Tiles -Tiles & Floors - Wickes

They are lovely tiles and feel nice, but I need to make the surface smoother to stop the dirt from penertrating the rough surface.

[enduro]

To be perfectly honest i wouldnt waste my money on any sealer etc..You wont stop it with those tiles..what i would do is get a good cleaner from LTP or Aqua mix and get yourself a wet vac.

[doug boardley]

I notice from the reviews that they've altered the surface of the tiles for easier cleaning, so I'm guessing that they've had problems with them and not been able to find a satisfactory solution.

[J.R Tiling]

Have laid a couple of floors in these tiles and there a real pain to clean up , rip your sponges to bits too but the second lot i laid were not as rough on the surfce so they must have changed them as doug said.

[angers]

Laying them, I ripped my fingers to bits and not on cut tiles just on the normal edges.

Will the Aqua mix help the cleaning and stop ripping mops to shreads?

[doug boardley]

Laying them, I ripped my fingers to bits and not on cut tiles just on the normal edges.

Will the Aqua mix help the cleaning and stop ripping mops to shreads?

I doubt it angers, it certainly won't spare the mops

[MARBLE_TONY]

has this floor been sealed? if not i would seal and then get a small wet vac and a good 16oz (string) mop this won't stop it tearing you mop to shreds the only way you will do that is to go out and buy a small rotary machine (15") with a soft scrubbing brush and then use something like heavy duty tile and grout(aqua mix) to clean floor and vac of but its how much money you want to spend!

[doug boardley]

has this floor been sealed? if not i would seal and then get a small wet vac and a good 16oz (string) mop this won't stop it tearing you mop to shreds the only way you will do that is to go out and buy a small rotary machine (15") with a soft scrubbing brush and then use something like heavy duty tile and grout(aqua mix) to clean floor and vac of but its how much money you want to spend!

have you looked at the link Tony?, they're glazed ceramic no need for sealing

[MARBLE_TONY]

My skool boy thanks doug

[angers]

would it help if i said they dont feel glazed. My understanding of glazed is shiney.

[faithhealer]

ceramic tiles are a soft biscuit with a hard coat of glaze on the surface, shiney or not.
I like the 'easy to clean' bit on their webpage (well, not really)