How to un seal & re-seal a floor once laid

[tick-ticktock]

Hi, please help... I have a had 30mtrs of beautiful grey polished porcelain tiles fitted in my open plan kitchen/conservatory & the tiler has done a fab job laying these tiles except he failed to seal them.

Obviously within 2 weeks marks were showing all over them... it appeared like grease marks/spots & nothing would budge them... I went on this site to find the answer & contacted the supplier to check & we have found out that they are porous. The supplier said that they have a notice beside the tiles on display indicating that they recommend sealing. As the customer ... I just chose the tiles & the tiler ordered & collected them.

Our tiler came to look at the marks & he initially said it was the 1st he had heard about polished porcelain requiring sealing etc... (this is a 30yr + experienced tiler who even worked for national heritage completing mosiac tiles in stately homes etc.. but I showed him this site & the posts which indicated the need & why you need to seal etc..

To cut a long story short he came back 3 days later with a 5lt tin of sealant & he said he would seal them now to stop any further marks appearing with a view to replacing those which were marked (approx 30tiles)

He sealed the tiles but before he commenced sealing he just used a light brush to wipe the tiles of dust & never cleaned them he just set about sealing..... he buffed them 20 mins later and told me not to step on them for 2 hours.. he said he would come back tomorrow & give them a 2nd coat.

At this stage we both spotted that the marks were not as noticeable & we both thought... wow this will probably mean that we don't need to replace the tiles after all.

When he came back the next day I stopped him from giving it a 2nd coat because there were still cloudy from the seal the day before & I was concerned that the 2nd coat may seal in this cloudyness... he re-buffed it again & then I asked him to leave it with me for a few days for me to buff again & see the end result. He then looked on the back of the sealant tin & then said... " oh, just read the instructions on the back ... we are meant to leave for 3 days before walking on or using properly ... Yep... idiot never even read before commencing ... now I am left with tiles which at night time look ok but in the day you can see footprints, trainer marks, hubbys work boot footprints etc.. & a general cloudy mucky finish... I have just rung the tiler to come back round whilst it is daylight to see the finish .... he is not happy but... I need to know if this sealant can be safely removed . the tiles cleaned thoroughly then re-sealed without doing any more damage to my tiles... please help as this tiler now tells me he didn't re-new his liability insurance as " i only do domestic work now so didn't think it mattered"... So jo public does not deserve to be protected ...arrrghhh. I want to try to avoid having them ripped up & starting again for my sake & the tilers ... any advice will be much appreciated. Thanks in advance

[Bri]

Welcome along to the forum. Do you know the name of the sealant that has been used?

[Aspect Tiling]

You could try LTP Power Sripper to remove the stains and sealer. Then re-seal with LTP MPG Sealer. Make sure he reads the instructions this time.LTP Online | Product Basket

[tick-ticktock]

Welcome along to the forum. Do you know the name of the sealant that has been used?

Thank you for your reply... He put MPG Sealer onto the tiles. He didn't clean the tiles before sealing he just used a light brush to sweep up then sealed them.. using kitchen roll. He was going to use a roller but I stopped him after reading a thread here about the fact that a roller puts it on very thick and it takes longer to get off & extra buffing etc... he had dirty pants on with dirty knee pads, no gloves etc... so the end result/finish is .... that he has sealed a mucky floor whilst wearing mucky clothes working backwards... the more i think about it ... no wonder it looks worse... surely he should be kneeling on a sheet or something as the muck from his pants/knee pads will be under the seal too..... thanks in advance for your help & any advice on the PROPER way to remove a bad seal & reseal professionally would be gratefully received.

[Dave]

Hi and welcome..

Do these tiles have a transit wax on them.. no amont of sealing will work till this is removed.. hence the cloudy effect you have from sealing..

The MPG is the right sealer but some polished porcelain does have this transit wax on them..

You need LTP Grimex to clean them.. use a white scotch pad to agitate with.. then rinse with plenty water.. leave to dry and then seal with MPG.. leave to dwell the stated time on the bottle and then buff off to a shine..

[Dave]

Some info for your tiler..


LTP Grimex

Description: LTP Grimex is the answer to stubborn grime, old layers of wax or acrylic and even rubber sole marks on terracotta and natural stone flooring. Suitable for use on glazed and unglazed tiles, this product is excellent for renovating old quarry tiles, terracotta, slate, stone, marble and stone fireplaces.

Tips: Pick this product if you have stubborn dirt and grime, greasy films, dirty grouting, old layers of acrylic sealers and wax, rubber sole marks on glazed ceramics and porcelain, old and tired looking tiled floors, soot marks on stone fireplaces...

Technical Data Sheet (PDF)





LTP MPG Sealer

Description: A colourless impregnating sealer especially formulated for use on tiles that have been mechanically polished. LTP MPG maintains a highly polished finish. Ideal for use on polished marble, polished porcelain, polished granite, polished limestone and polished slate. Suitable for both wall and floor surfaces. Strongly protects against water, oil, grease and dirt. Ideal for use on granite worktops. Maintain surfaces with LTP Waxwash for floors and LTP Stonewash for walls and worktops.

Tips: Suitable for interior and exterior use.

Technical Data Sheet (PDF)