Unique and timeless, cement tiles offer a very special touch. But how do we clean them and assure perfect maintenance?
The need for protection of cement tiles
First of all, cement tiles are made of old and more or less porous material (depending on manufacturing). They require appropriate protection to improve their strength and durability. Depending on the level of porosity, a pore filler, water and oil repellent and / or traditional crystallization must be applied.
On a new cement tile, a water and oil repellent followed by traditional crystallization is generally recommended as protection. In the case of an old tile and porous cement, the most recommended protection is the application of a water and oil repellent followed by a pore filler.
Maintenance and floor cleaning
Depending on the intensity of traffic on the floor, it is considered in general that pore fillers must be reapplied every 6 months to 3 years (and be stripped every 3 to 6 applications) while a water repellent must be reapplied after each stripping session. Crystallization must be redone every 1 to 5 years.
When a cement tile floor is properly protected, maintenance is easy with a PH neutral cleaning product. Depending on the type of protection applied, chemical resistance of cement tiles can stay rather low, it is not recommended to use aggressive detergents ( such as bleach) as they may damage the floor and its protection.
When stains are stubborn, you can try to sand them manually with sand paper and a bit of water. The protection must immediately be reapplied.
Find more information about the characteristics of cement tiles, their renovation, the possible treatments and finishes on the page Cement tiles of the website Emotion Pierres.