The Secrets of Good Looking Tiles

[Dave]

Many people don't realise this, but the secret to great looking tiles is great looking grout.  Grouts are porous and, as a result, they easily absorb grease, dirt and lime scale.  Spillages such as wine, lemonades or greasy substances will cause marks and patches in the joints in the floor. 

Grout between wall-tiles, particularly in damp areas like bathrooms, will become dirty and unattractive as a result of Mould, Mildew and Limescale.

Mould is one of the most unsightly problems, it usually starts off in the wettest area of the room, this could be the bottom of the shower or bath, then starts to spread and if left unchecked could cover a large area of the wall.
Discolouration of grout joints in bath or shower areas due to continued use of acid formulated shampoos and soaps. This causes yellow orange and pink stains to the grout over even a short period of time.

Protect the grout using a sealer. Although relatively unknown, protection awareness is growing.

Sealing forms an invisible barrier between the grout and the surface, this will then protect your investment for years to come.

Different tiles present different problems and it would be impossible to comment on and every type within this article however in general porous flooring such as Terracotta should be sealed every two to three years to lock in the beauty of the tile and protect it from wear. 

Mexican terracotta in particular is very porous and difficult to clean. Mexican Terracotta does not get baked in a kiln, instead they are left to bake outside in the sun and if it is a cloudy day the temperature can fluctuate leading to an increase in the porosity of the tile.

In the event that mould has started to grow use a 50 - 50% solution of bleach/water sprayed on regularly for a month to get rid of it.