Page 3 of 3
Ceramic Tile
Care and cleaning
Because floor tile is water-resistant, spills and dirt stay on its surface. That makes tile pretty easy to clean. The best approach is first to sweep away or vacuum debris and scrape off any thick substances. You can use nylon scrubbing pads to remove stains from both tile and grout, but never use steel wool. Once the debris has been cleared, then damp-mop using a pH-neutral cleaner with no abrasives. One trick of the trade is to add glass cleaner or rubbing alcohol to your bucket of cleaning water to prevent streaks after it has dried.
To further protect your investment, you may need to seal certain types of tile, including some quarry tile, terra-cotta tile, and others. Grout sealers may be recommended for cement-based grouts. Ask your dealer if your floor requires sealing. Sealers need to be stripped and resealed periodically.
Installation
Because a ceramic tiled floor calls for a flat and rigid subfloor, it's likely that your contractor will begin by removing all your original flooring material. The contractor then will cover an uneven or damaged floor with an underlayment, typically cement backer board. Next, the contractor might assemble a few rows of tile to get an idea of how the overall pattern will fall. The next step is to comb out adhesive or pour a bed of mortar and set your tiles in it. The contractor will trim tiles as necessary. After all the tiles have been set, the contractor will grout the joints with a cement-based grout (or an epoxy grout when setting tile in areas that will be subject to temperatures in excess of 100°F, such as shower stalls or on floors with radiant heating).
There should be a soft joint (or control joint) that is caulked, not grouted, when tile abuts another plane (or material), such as between a tub and the floor, in corners, or between wood and metal or tile. Control joints control where cracks may occur in your flooring system. Overall, it takes grout about a week to cure. Once the grout has cured, a grout sealer can be applied if needed.
Because floor tile is water-resistant, spills and dirt stay on its surface. That makes tile pretty easy to clean. The best approach is first to sweep away or vacuum debris and scrape off any thick substances. You can use nylon scrubbing pads to remove stains from both tile and grout, but never use steel wool. Once the debris has been cleared, then damp-mop using a pH-neutral cleaner with no abrasives. One trick of the trade is to add glass cleaner or rubbing alcohol to your bucket of cleaning water to prevent streaks after it has dried.
To further protect your investment, you may need to seal certain types of tile, including some quarry tile, terra-cotta tile, and others. Grout sealers may be recommended for cement-based grouts. Ask your dealer if your floor requires sealing. Sealers need to be stripped and resealed periodically.
Installation
Because a ceramic tiled floor calls for a flat and rigid subfloor, it's likely that your contractor will begin by removing all your original flooring material. The contractor then will cover an uneven or damaged floor with an underlayment, typically cement backer board. Next, the contractor might assemble a few rows of tile to get an idea of how the overall pattern will fall. The next step is to comb out adhesive or pour a bed of mortar and set your tiles in it. The contractor will trim tiles as necessary. After all the tiles have been set, the contractor will grout the joints with a cement-based grout (or an epoxy grout when setting tile in areas that will be subject to temperatures in excess of 100°F, such as shower stalls or on floors with radiant heating).
There should be a soft joint (or control joint) that is caulked, not grouted, when tile abuts another plane (or material), such as between a tub and the floor, in corners, or between wood and metal or tile. Control joints control where cracks may occur in your flooring system. Overall, it takes grout about a week to cure. Once the grout has cured, a grout sealer can be applied if needed.
