Browse Forums Flooring & Floor Covering Re: Scared about porcelain tiles!! 21Nov 13, 2009 9:16 am +1. Agree to everything you said. We have white porcelain tiles and white grout. It is IMPOSSIBLE to have these tiles clean for even half an hour. And yes, they literally are like a mirror on the floor. EVERY single dirty mark and grit is visible... they need a good clean at least once every 3 days if you can be bothered. BUT, at the end of the day.... POLISHED PORCELAIN LOOKS AMAZING!!! If you want to sacrifice the 'look' for endless cleaning, go for it. Its good to admire the porcelain, really like how it gives the reflection and makes the house look that little bit bigger. Also, other than the cleaning matter with polished porcelain, there is the laying issue. Laying polished porcelain is pretty hard as a DIY job, unless you know what youre doing. If you dont know what youre doing, the errors look really obvious.. as for example the tiles arent level, this is reflected on the tile and really noticeable. Through your builder/tiler... it costs more $$ to lay these tiles. BTW, does it really matter what floor coverings your neighbours/suburb has?? Go for what you like... its not like they can see your floors from the outside.. [/quote] Do you have a steam mop and if so, does that leave them looking clean without having to dry them? The porcelain tiles were included in our first quote, so the builder is doing it. He has built massive homes in this area and is actually building his own house at the moment. I feel that if we are going to be having the same tradies on our house as he has on his, they must be good Also - I think it does matter what our estate has. I would hate to get to a point where we wish to sell and have the only house in the area with ceramic and its just not the look im going for, if you know what i mean? I loved our ceramic tiles in our last house, but they suited that house. If I go for what I like, its porcelain tiles. Im just so scared about all the horror stories which is why i started this thread but it looks like people are split. Im trying to convince myself I will be fine We have a cleaner that comes once a week, im sure I could get the steam mop out and go over the tiles once myself if I felt they were really not looking great... Re: Scared about porcelain tiles!! 22Nov 13, 2009 9:29 am Hels We have beige matt porcelain tiles in 450 x 450 and I love them. They are very easy to keep clean but as already mentioned they do show marks and dirt very easily. I have a microfibre flat mop (which I use for the timber floor in our bedroom). This is also handy for flicking over the tiled floor to get rid of a few spots or marks, I just use a spray bottle first and wipe... too easy!! Here's a pic; I really really like your entry! The colours are beautiful, I love the pebble look. We are going to go back to the tile shop and get samples of all the styles we like and do the stain tests and ask more questions of the staff. Re: Scared about porcelain tiles!! 23Nov 13, 2009 8:04 pm Just use a mop and squeegee mop bucket to clean the porcelain.. Also use just boiling water.. I find this does the trick, no lousy chemicals needed. Make sure the mop isnt really wet... this will eventually dry and water marks will appear. Its best to mop with a slightly damp mop. Re: Scared about porcelain tiles!! 24Nov 13, 2009 9:01 pm We are having polished porcelain tiles in the entry, hallway, kitchen and the area around the kitchen (casual dining?), the rest is carpet (lounging areas and bedrooms). I figured that if people can walk in and out of the display homes all day every day and they still look good, then I will have them. I know they have cleaners, but I never saw a cleaner in the houses we looked at so I reckon they might clean them once either late at night or early morning? I personally really like the look. If the kids arrive home wet, they can stand outside until they dry. That's why I will have glass in my front door so I can wave to them. www.themaxbuild.blogspot.com forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=20717&start=300 www.leahspaperpassion.blogspot.com Re: Scared about porcelain tiles!! 25Nov 14, 2009 6:15 am themax .........If the kids arrive home wet, they can stand outside until they dry. That's why I will have glass in my front door so I can wave to them. Built the Eden Brae Cambridge 34 Family with Boston Corner Facade Re: Scared about porcelain tiles!! 26Nov 14, 2009 7:00 am Southies themax .........If the kids arrive home wet, they can stand outside until they dry. That's why I will have glass in my front door so I can wave to them. at least I'm consistant... www.themaxbuild.blogspot.com forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=20717&start=300 www.leahspaperpassion.blogspot.com Re: Scared about porcelain tiles!! 27Nov 14, 2009 8:26 am EKT, what a great idea! I think I'll take some samples today and try it. My hubby & I love polished porcelain too and we don't care how hard to look after it, the looks worths more, we think. EKT Ok this is what I did (i'm such a loser) - I put my polished porcelain sample tile (450 x 450) down on top of our current semi gloss ceramic tiles in a high traffic area and told everyone to make sure they walked on it when they went past. 1 day, 6 adults & 2 kids later and it wasnt that bad at all, still nice and shiny and all that i could see in in the light was a bit of a smudge which is no different to what will happen to any tile - as i said in my post above - go with what you want Waiting for 2010 Land registration.... Re: Scared about porcelain tiles!! 28Nov 14, 2009 8:28 am Salt&PepperMkII, Why do we have to use boiling water to clean polished porcelain? Do you think steam mop will do the same job? Salt&PepperMkII Just use a mop and squeegee mop bucket to clean the porcelain.. Also use just boiling water.. I find this does the trick, no lousy chemicals needed. Make sure the mop isnt really wet... this will eventually dry and water marks will appear. Its best to mop with a slightly damp mop. Waiting for 2010 Land registration.... Re: Scared about porcelain tiles!! 29Nov 14, 2009 8:34 am themax We are having polished porcelain tiles in the entry, hallway, kitchen and the area around the kitchen (casual dining?), the rest is carpet (lounging areas and bedrooms). I figured that if people can walk in and out of the display homes all day every day and they still look good, then I will have them. I know they have cleaners, but I never saw a cleaner in the houses we looked at so I reckon they might clean them once either late at night or early morning? I personally really like the look. If the kids arrive home wet, they can stand outside until they dry. That's why I will have glass in my front door so I can wave to them. Thats hilarious! Good point about the display homes too. Its only going to be two of us in the house most of the time so I guess I could go over the main floor once during the week. Im convinced now I am going to send my parnter down to get some samples and start testing them now! The next worry is making sure they are good quality. I think we may need to pay a bit extra per square meter and upgrade to something a bit more expensive. A bit more cost at the start will probably save us more in the future i guess. Re: Scared about porcelain tiles!! 30Nov 14, 2009 10:46 am My plan for keeping them clean is this: NO WATER IN THE BUCKET JOBS. I think it's the dirty water that makes the grout dirty when it settles in the grout lines. I will be using a microfibre mop or cloth on a mop only. A spray bottle if necessary (as someone said beofore I think?) and I think I will get one of those big water sucking up cloth thingoes for sucking up spills (Maybe a SHAMWOW when they end up in the bargain bin at the Reject Shop after their TV debut, probably good product but not worth the $100 they ask for them ). www.themaxbuild.blogspot.com forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=20717&start=300 www.leahspaperpassion.blogspot.com Re: Scared about porcelain tiles!! 31Nov 18, 2009 3:55 pm Polished porcelains are great as long as you buy the right ones make sure your tile shop signs your waiver so you get the glassy shiny look not the hazy look if so they will rip up and replace. For cleaning streak free results USE a neutral cleaner ph 7 we fully recomment Supa Star from Research Products just go to a cleaning supply shop they should have it if not google research products and ask them where you can buy from in your area. Stick with lighter coloured porcelains as the darker ones can show smudge marks etc depending on the light coming in from doors and windows. Polished porcelains are hard to scratch but certainly will if marked by metal objects. Craig Re: Scared about porcelain tiles!! 32Nov 18, 2009 4:06 pm Grout Perfect Polished porcelains are great as long as you buy the right ones make sure your tile shop signs your waiver so you get the glassy shiny look not the hazy look if so they will rip up and replace. For cleaning streak free results USE a neutral cleaner ph 7 we fully recomment Supa Star from Research Products just go to a cleaning supply shop they should have it if not google research products and ask them where you can buy from in your area. Stick with lighter coloured porcelains as the darker ones can show smudge marks etc depending on the light coming in from doors and windows. Polished porcelains are hard to scratch but certainly will if marked by metal objects. Craig Thank you Craig! Would tile shops normall sign a waiver? As in, is it a common thing for them to do? Im just thinking, if they refuse to do so, could I really go anywhere else where someone will? One choice we were tossing up was to go light porcelain tiles with darker lower cuboards in the kitchen or darker floor tiles with a lighter kitchen, so that is making the choice a little easier! Re: Scared about porcelain tiles!! 33Nov 18, 2009 4:33 pm Just ask them if they can put in writing to you that the tiles will not have a hazy look once laid and wax removed that is if there is wax on them but not all come with wax on. If they say no than do not buy from them or make up your own letter and have them sign it, so if any thing does go wrong you have a legal document that can go along way I had a customer up here in Brisbane who got caught and she won only because of that letter being signed. If you can get a spare tile of the same batch you are buying take it home and during the day see what it looks like where the UV light come through and see if there is a hazy look to them it should be a glassy look nice and shiny. Craig Firstly the ableflex that has been installed needs (manufactures specification) a sealant cap over the top, preventing water draining down between the slab and the… 3 7718 Our house was completed 8 years ago. Builder did not leave any spare roof tiles behind. Just found out that one tile is cracked. Wanted to replace the tile but most… 0 2763 1 15697 |