Encaustic tiles have become a timeless classic and deservedly so. Mark Atkins explains why.
ENCAUSTIC tiles bring pattern and colour in a huge array of design styles, from Moorish-inspired tiles to modern geometrics. They also provide a really practical surface, being hardwearing and easy to keep clean. But care does need to be taken when installing these tiles. They’re vulnerable to staining, so it’s really important to seal them correctly – and sufficiently – both before and after grouting.
Why protection is really important
Traditional encaustics have a concrete base. Their colour and pattern come from pigments which are mixed and poured into a mould, on top of the concrete. Because porosity can differ from one design to another, there’s no golden rule in terms of the amount of sealant that should be used.
Therefore, to ensure adequate protection, coats of sealer should be applied to the tile with one hour between each application to the point of saturation. This will occur when a layer of sealer is still visible on the surface of the tile 20 minutes after application. To remove excess sealer, you can either work the treatment off with a microfibre cloth or leave it to dry naturally.
Before sealing, always ensure tiles are clean and dust-free. This will prevent any residue from becoming trapped between the tile and the treatment, which could compromise the performance of the sealer.
Our own range of water-based sealers includes an enhancing stone sealer, which increases colour vibrancy without detracting from the tile’s naturally muted appearance, and a natural finish stone sealer. Both treatments should be applied both before and after grouting.
Post installation and after grouting, if a slight sheen is preferred, our satin-finish surface wax can be applied as an alternative to an impregnating sealer, to create a harder wearing finish.
Common stains and how to remove them staining from detergent or acid-spill
Encaustic tiles are sensitive to acid. When acid comes into contact with the patterned surface, it can bleach out darker colours on untreated tiles. Common culprits are acid-based cleaners and acidic liquids like lemon juice, vinegar and wine. To remove staining, we recommend application of our cement, grout and salt residue remover onto the individual tile, up to the joint only. This will slightly etch the surface and even out the appearance. The tile should then be re-treated.
Hard-water staining
Constant exposure to hard water can cause an encaustic tile to effloresce. Here, we recommend cleaning with our grout haze and limescale remover; this is applied liberally to the surface, worked in with an emulsifying pad, then rinse and top up the protection.
Dirt and grime
To deep clean encaustic tiles, we recommend a cleaner like our own stone and tile intensive cleaner. The dilution and application method can be adjusted depending on the degree of residue build-up. Generally, a 1:5 dilution is sufficient. The cleaner is applied to the tiles and left for 5-10 minutes, before a little water is added and the surface and joints agitated with a black pad. Residue is then removed with a sponge and the surface rinsed and sponged again.
Over-applied sealer
If too much sealer is applied to a tile, and not removed, it can cause shiny patches. Care should be taken when tackling this problem and abrasive cleaners and strong alkalines avoided, as they commonly cause pigments to ‘bleed out’.
Instead, use a non-caustic solution, like our joint residue remover. Apply to the whole tile, leave for 15 minutes and then agitate with a white emulsifying pad before removing residue and rinsing.
Please see our online technical datasheets for more information on application and methods used in
each case.
Ongoing maintenance
To clean encaustic tiles going forwards, always use a pH neutral cleaner. General household cleaners, which tend to be either acidic or alkaline in nature, aren’t suitable; they will, over time, etch the surface and damage any sealer applied.
Even many ‘eco’ cleaners are too harsh; while they contain natural acids and alkalines, they are not pH neutral. We recommend our natural stone & porcelain aftercare cleaner for floors and multi-purpose cleaner for walls. Both are pH neutral and won’t compromise the applied protection or damage the tile.
01823 666213
technical@ecoprotec.co.uk
www.ecoprotec.co.uk
Mark Atkins is director at LTP
