Cleaning Saltillo Tile Before Sealing

If saltillo tiles are soaked in water you can expect to deal with efflorescence issues throughout the lifespan of your floor.
Cleaning saltillo tile before sealing. Do not soak saltillo tile. This is an imperative point. The great news is that we sell a product that will clean and strip your saltillo tiles in one step. Before photo of saltillo tiles that we installed but it had rained a few days after installation and the tiles had not been grouted yet so the water collected in the grout joints and underneathe the tiles.
Clean tiles the first step to sealing your saltillo mexican tile is to clean them of any type of dirt or debris. Apply two 2 or more coats of glaze n seal ole sealer to tile and grout. Clean as you grout to minimize water contact on tile. You should scrub the saltillo tiles and grout with an aggressive scrub pad or scrub brush while the alkaline cleaner is breaking down the dirt and grime.
Once upon a time installers would soak saltillo tile in water prior to setting it with thinset. Also the string mop doesn t deteriorate the way a foam or sponge mop does. Most joints range from 1 2 1 inch. This was done to serve the purpose of what penetrating sealer accomplishes for the tiles now.
Be sure tile is clean and dry before sealing wait at least 24 hours or more. When cleaning saltillo tiles that have been topically sealed a gentle ph neutral cleaning solution is all that it should takes for normal everyday cleaning. It s by custom building products and is a concentrate that comes in a 32 oz. While the alkaline cleaner does its job and breaks up the grime in the tiles you need to be scrubbing them using a scrub pad or brush these should be safe to use without leaving scratches on the tiles.
Deep cleaning the tiles sealing the tiles to bring out the beautiful natural. Use a broom for a very light sweeping and then use a vacuum. The saltillo tiles are going to soap up a large amount of the cleaning solution especially if they have never been sealed before making it important to keep them saturated during the wait. Avoid using harsh alkaline or acidic cleaners on the sealed saltillo.
Next determine your cleaning agent. This caused the white residue and efflorescence to form. Allow to dry 24 hours or more before grouting. To preserve the life of the saltillo tile sealer choose a cleaner that is not harsh.
It is important to make sure that the entire surface of the area you are going to seal is free from any dirt. Apply it with a sponge mop in a 4ft by 4ft area and let it set for 5 minutes and scrub any tough areas with a scrub brush. It s easier to clean saltillo tile with a string mop because these floors traditionally have wide grout joints. If the saltillo tiles have never been sealed then they will soak up lots of cleaning solution so keep adding cleaning solution as needed to keep the tiles saturated for the 15 minute dwell time.
After achieving a satisfactory look to the saltillo allow the sealer to dry for 24 hours before walking on the saltillo.