Once the floor has been cleaned and dried apply Tile Doctor Seal & Go sealer with a paint-pad applicator and tray. Spanish or Mexican terracotta tiles are very porous and may require up to 8 or 9 coats of sealant, always allow to dry before applying the next coat. FRENCH, ITALIANOR SPANISH (semi hand-made) After placing the tile on the adhesive, they can use their hands or a rubber hammer to level the tile surface. To cut the tiles, ideally they should use a water-cooled tile cutter, or if skilled enough they could use an angle grinder type cutter with the appropriate blade (i.e. unslotted and continuous). The suggested grout joint between the Handmade Terracotta tiles can vary from 5-8mm due to size tolerance and edge finish. On the Reclaimed Terracotta, these tiles feature an even higher size variation and will require a grout joint between 5-10mm to allow for this. The best sealant we find for Terracotta is a topical sealer called Seal and Go that generally leaves a satin finish that coats the tiles to stop dirt and grime penetrating into the clay. An impregnating sealer (that generally leaves a matt finish) does not work particularly well with a soft clay such as Mexican Terracotta due to the high porosity of the clay. Tile Doctor recommends that Terracotta in particular requires a regular top up of sealer in high traffic areas once or twice a year. MEXICAN (hand-made)

Grouting is especially important for areas with outdoor tiles. This is because there is a lot more exposure to the outside environment. If using a cement-based grout: using a grout float, scoop up some grout, then deposit it onto the surface of the tile, spreading it over the tiles and grout joints. After treatement the solution should be rinsed off with water and removed with a wet vacuum. The floor should then be left to fully dry before applying a sealer. Sealing Terracotta Tiles These tiles are generally made in a factory with some artizan involvement however the quality of the kiln is far better than Mexican and so are easier toclean, to seal and to maintain; naturally thisresults ina higher productioncost.Apply the product generously and evenly to the face and edges of the tile and continue to saturate for 3-4 minutes moving the product continuously with the roller or brush to ensure complete coverage. Allow 2-4 hours between coats and apply a minimum of 3 coats to ensure a good seal before grouting. In more recent times the opening up of travel to warmer climes in the 70’s piqued our interest in the material. No self-respecting conservatory extension of the 80’s seemed complete without a floor of Spanish terracotta.

Before grouting, you must clean the grout joints, as always. But be extra careful with pavers, because one slip with the razor knife can lead to a deep scratch and a tile that must be replaced 1. All paver tiles must be sealed before grouting 2. The sealer prevents the grout color from moving into the faces of the pavers and slows down moisture absorption from the grout. Make sure the tile sealer is dry before going on to the next step. This type of clay is not made to a great standard and thus the porosity levels between each tile can vary greatly, this makes them hard to clean, hard to seal and generally harder to maintain. UK Tile Doctors have been trained to cope with these issues however it should be noted even with the right equipment, products and experience no guarantee can be made on a satisfactory outcome of what we at Tile Doctor and a customer would call a great finish given the low quality of this product. After cleaning the pH level of the floor will be alkaline so its best to neutralise this by giving the floor an acid rinse using Grout Cleanup. Using this product has other benefits to, ie.: Once the Mattstone sealer has been allowed to fully cure (12 hours), apply 2 coats of Ironwax Satin/Gloss with an hour between coats. Then allow 4 hours for the finish to cure before starting the grouting process using Ardex FL grout. If the tiler is not using our recommended Ardex FL grout, then please test your chosen grout on the surface of a sample tile, to ensure the grout can be cleaned away successfully.

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Clean the faces of the tiles without disturbing the grout joints. Clean as well as you can so that final cleanup will be minimal. It neutralises any alkaline salts inherent in the floor thus preventing the build-up of Efflorescence which can be a problem with older floors. For stubborn areas of heavy build-up of dirt or sealer we would recommend following up with NanoTech HBU (please ensure the tile is wetted before applying). Dirt and harsh weather conditions can damage patios, but proper grouting is one of the best ways to protect against this. Grouting will seal off the gaps between tiles and help to prevent the build-up of dirt and damage to the outdoor tiles. Anthracite Riverstone Outdoor Which Types Of Grout Can Be Used Outdoors? Once the floor has been cleaned and dried apply Tile Doctor Seal & Go sealer with a paint-pad applicator and tray. terracotta tiles typically require between 6 and 8 coats of sealant, always allow to dry before applying the next coat. Maintenance Cleaning

The most important factor in achieving a good finish is to use a tiler with proven experience of laying and sealing terracotta tiles, as the wrong application of adhesive, sealers, grout and finishing products can ruin these beautiful tiles, costing you time and money. A solution of Grout Clean-up diluted with 3 parts water will ease the problem temporarily, but you will find in most cases the efflorescence will repeat itself until all the salt crystals have evaporated on the surface, and this can take several weeks in some instances. In worst case scenarios Tile Doctor has developed a new product calledAcid Gel to combat efflorescence issues which is applied neat. Recommended Products for Terracotta Both types of grout ideally require tile surface temperatures of at least 10 degrees Celsius and no more than 40 degrees Celsius.Claybrook Handmade Terracottatilesare produced from natural materials and clays, so will vary in tone, surface texture and size. The nature of the handmade production can mean that pitting and uneven edges are normal and part of the product’s character. Tile Doctor Remove and Go is very effective at removing impregnating sealers and can be applied undiluted and used in the same way as Pro-Clean. It's worth noting that Pro-Clean is better with the removal of topical sealers however if you are unable to determine which sealer has been used previously then you may need to utilise both products. It is worthwhile considering adding sealer to the grout mix in the proportions of 1 part sealer to 10 parts water. This also effectively seals the grout.