Replies

1. 
   GREGG_LEE | Feb 15, 1999 06:07am | #1

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   Donna,I don't do alot of tile but a guy i worked with who previously did alot of Mexican tiles told me this. This stuff is all porous,that's POROUS.Before he grouted he would seal the tiles at least twice, sometimes three times.As far as mineral stains,try wiping down the tiles with vinager. Best of luck.P.S.When you seal the tiles, wipe off the excess after about 15 minutes to avoid splotchy surface.

2. 
   Guest_ | Feb 15, 1999 10:47am | #2

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   Donna, a quick question: if the job was indoors, how'd the tiles get rainsoaked? What are the physical conditions of the job?

   Anyway, welcome to the club. You are far from the first person to whom this has happened. You are most correct in waiting until all moisture is gone from the tiles before sealing them. To seal them with any amount of moisture in them will result in some degree of an opaque whitish coat on top of the tiles. (The degree will depend upon which mfg. and which type of sealer used.)

   The efflorescence is caused by evaporation. Think of it as "leaching" of water soluble minerals. Besides the mineral content of the water used during the project there is the lime used to manufacture the tiles.

   The hard part is for you to wait and watch for your tiles to dry, but all the while they accumulate an ever deepening layer of the whitish stuff. What to do...

   One, if at all possible, get some heat into that room. Heat up those tiles, but don't use a co2-producing heater. Leave the heat on for a couple of days, all day. Get all those nasty, little water molecules out of the tiles. Seal the tiles with a penetrating sealer. One, two, three coats, you're done.

   Now, go to town with a good washing and scrubbing of the tiles with an efflorescence removing chemical from the tile supply house.

   After this, don't do anything for a couple of weeks...alright, days, but I told you so...so the tiles really dry out. Besides, you want to see how bad your efflorescence is. Maybe, another washing is in order, maybe not. If not, sweep the floor very clean. Apply top finish sealer, two coats.

   I would not use any acid at this point.

1. 
   Guest_ | Feb 15, 1999 08:49pm | #3

   *Thanks for the info Rich, and as to your iquiry as to how the tile got wet, well let me just say that whoever it was, that said it never rains in So. Ca....didn't have a clue!!! LOL! The tile were sitting out on the patio covered with "holy" (unbeknownst to me) tarp!! Thus the soaking of the tiles!!! ugh!!!So you think to steer clear of the acid would be my best bet...OK. I will wait and wait and...for these litttle buggers to quit "powdering their noses" (patience is not one of my stronger points...)and then I will seal seal seal. I have bought "Jasco" sealer, I was thinking of applying it with a "Hudson" sprayer....any thoughts???thanks for the info!!!Donna

1. 
   Guest_ | Feb 15, 1999 09:40pm | #4

   *Thanks Greg!

1. 
   Guest_ | Feb 16, 1999 02:18am | #5

   *A Hudson sprayer is nice. However, the tip may clog with sealer. This will result in a sporadic stream of globs of sealer. This clogging seems to be consequent to the type of sprayer used. The newer plastic sprayers are crap for this purpose. What you want is one of those original all metal sprayers.

1. 
   Guest_ | Feb 16, 1999 07:24am | #6

   *Hey Rich, I hate to keep bothering you, but I would just like to make sure that I understood you correctly.Once the tile are dry, you say to SEAL (makes sense) and then if I understand correctly I should scrub them with a chemical remover....after I have already sealed them????? It would seem to me that I would not want to seal UNTIL there was no longer any sign of the effloresence. What am I not following here?Thanks again,Donna

2. 
   Guest_ | Feb 16, 1999 11:21am | #7

   *To seal with penetrating sealer before scrubbing decreases the amount of moisture the tile will soak up. In other words, applying penetrating sealer makes the tiles less permeable.Why would you want to do that? I'm glad you asked. One, you need to clean your tiles. Two, you want to restrict the amount of water absorbed into the tiles. The penetrating sealer allows you to clean but without the tiles absorbing alot of water--which would increase efflorescence. Penetrating sealer allows a porous tile like yours to 'breathe', yet it greatly diminishes it's permeability.

3. 
   DONNA_MCLAUGLIN | Feb 16, 1999 08:18pm | #8

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   Hmmmm...veddy interesting! I had never thought of sealer as allowing the tile to "breathe". I always thought that it did just the opposite! Does my heart good to know that the little jewels wont' be gasping for breath!!

   So let's see if I have this right. I'm going to throw one coat of sealer on (even though things are a bit "powdery" in spots) and THEN I'm going to scrub with a Phosphoric acid...will this not remove the sealer, that I have applied?? Then after the "scrubbing" I am once again going to seal seal seal....have I got this correct?

   Donna

4. 
   Guest_ | Feb 17, 1999 01:01am | #9

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   Yes, Donna, you are correct. Think of sealing as a multi-part system. One, apply multiple coats of PENETRATING sealer; Two, apply multiple coats of FINISH sealer.

   The penetrating sealer will not be 'harmed', or otherwise compromised by the cleaning. To reiterate: the penetrating sealer will inhibit the amount of water absorbed into the tiles during the cleaning process.

   The finish sealer goes on after cleaning, after the tiles are completely dry from the cleaning process.

   If these are Saltillo tiles, I recommend at least two coats of penetrating sealer and at least two coats of finish sealer. In re: finish sealer, the type of sealer and the amount of coats depends on the look you want. Some people like a high gloss; some like a low matte finish.

1. 
   Guest_ | Feb 20, 1999 09:20am | #11

   *Thanks for all your help, I am forging ahead!!!Donna

5. 
   Guest_ | Feb 20, 1999 09:20am | #10

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   I just finished laying 300ft. of Saltillo tile (indoors). I am at present waiting for them to dry thorougly so that I can seal them, unfortunately they were rainsoaked, so it is taking some time!! I have noticed effloresence coming to the surface. Is this due to the moisture that is whithin, and also do you think that I will need to "acid bath" them prior to sealing?

   I have heard mention of "nuetralizing" after an acid bath, what gives"??

   Appreciate any words of wisdom!!

   Thanks,

   Donna