THERE are lots of very valid reasons to support good surface protection and maintenance. Retaining a tile’s aesthetic is top of many lists. Ongoing easy maintenance is also a good motive – keeping a surface clean and preventing a build-up of dirt and residue makes ongoing maintenance much easier and less time consuming.
There are also performance characteristics; a correct regime will also ensure that a tile retains its slip resistance. But have you ever considered the benefits that specifically relate to the environment?

Refurbishing and deep cleaning
When a tile or stone surface isn’t properly protected and maintained, the build-up of dirt and organic residue greatly affects the aesthetic, safety and ease of maintenance. In many cases, neglected surfaces are then treated with toxic chemicals.
While this may have the desired effect of removing residue, these types of interventions are damaging to the environment and often costly and time consuming. If solutions are unsuitable, they can also damage the tile, grout joint and any sealer that’s been applied, creating more issues that will need to be addressed.
If a tile needs to be renovated or deep cleaned, choose a safe, non-caustic specialist treatment like alkaline-based intensive cleaner, ECOPROTEC Stone & Tile Intensive Cleaner. Specific residue can also be safely tackled by using a specialist remover. For example, ECOPROTEC Cement, Grout & Salt Residue Remover; ECOPROTEC Rust Stain Remover, ECOPROTEC Black Spot & Algae Remover and ECOPROTEC Joint Residue Remover.

Surface protection
Protecting a tile pays real dividends. It retains the surface aesthetic and makes maintenance easier, which is turn safeguards performance. Stone and polished porcelain should ideally be sealed with a water-based treatment before and after grouting, to protect the tiles from grout residue, stains and ongoing wear and tear.
Textured matt porcelain tiles, whilst not requiring treatment with a sealer, will benefit from application of a water-based barrier treatment before grouting – like ECOPROTEC Pre Grout Protection. A further coat after installation will also make ongoing maintenance easier. Tiles that have been intensively cleaned should also be resealed, to protect them going forwards.

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