Seal Systems was contacted to salvage a grout cleaning and sealing project that was attempted by a steam cleaning company. The home is in Mission Viejo, CA. Luckily, no permanent damage was done to the tile or grout. There was, however extensive damage to the baseboards due to the steam cleaning machine banging into them. Even after the steam cleaning was done the grout continued to look dirty. We cleaned a small area so that we could demonstrate what the difference would be. Notice the clean area on the left side of the picture. When the job was completed our customer remarked that the grout had never looked so clean. […]
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Tape marks on Saltillo Pavers can be removed
Saltillo and all other types of Mexican Pavers should never have tape applied to them. Unfortunately painters and remodeling or flood restoration tradesmen don’t seem to be aware that any type of tape on a Saltillo or other Mexican Paver can cause severe damage to the paver. Any type of tape, even blue or green sensitive surface tape will pull up the sealer. The damage to the Saltillo is caused by the fact that the polymer in the tape and the polymer in the sealer are closely related. The close match creates a tremendous bond to the tile sealer. When the tape is pulled up the sealer is pulled up […]
Worn Saltillo Tiles Can Be Restored
Saltillo tiles and most other types of Mexican Pavers can be restored to an acceptable condition. The picture shows a worn Saltillo that has been repaired on one half of the tile. The partially repaired paver has not been sealed yet; this is simply a smart phone photo of paver done as a demonstration to a potential customer. After the tile is sealed the true beauty of the Saltillo will be fully revealed. Saltillos and other Mexican Pavers have a crust on the surface of the paver that can wear down due to heavy foot traffic. This wear on the Mexican Paver is especially prevalent in areas in the home […]
Hand Made Saltillo Tiles
Saltillo tiles is the general term for Mexican Pavers that originated in the Saltillo region of Mexico. Among the various types of Saltillo tiles is the hand made Saltillo. The hand made Saltillo can come in various sizes and shapes. The most common is the 12X12 (actually this tile is approximately 11 ½ X 11 ½). Over the 32 years Seal Systems has been sealing and refurbishing Mexican Paver tiles the hand made Saltillo has been by far the most common. The handmade Saltillo tiles usually has a square edge and a surface that can vary greatly in surface quality and absorption This variance is generally noticeable from one […]
Does steam cleaning damage grout?
Steam cleaning of grout very definitely does damage to tile grout. Steam cleaning of grout is done by steam cleaning machines utilizing high heat and high pressure. The steam does not damage tile or grout but may very well do damage to surroundings such as baseboards, paint and wallpaper. Damage to grout is done by the extreme pressure applied to the grout joints by the steam cleaner. Here is an example: In this photo you can see the pits and holes in the grout created by the high-pressure steam cleaning of the tile and grout. Yes, the grout is clean but it is now far more rough and […]
Do Saltillo Pavers really need to be stripped or cleaned by hand?
Saltillo Pavers must be cleaned or stripped by hand only! This includes all types of Mexican pavers; Saltillos, Tecate Pavers, French Terracotta, Concrete Pavers, Spanish Pavers, and all other soft terracotta tile. The Saltillo tiles by it’s nature is an extremely soft tile. Any type of scrubber other than a soft nylon bristle brush will scratch, scuff or in the worst case grind down the paver. The Mexican Paver forms a crust during the firing process. This crust is the smoothest and least absorbent part of the tile. It is absolutely imperative that this crust not be removed during cleaning or stripping of the tile. Any area of the tile […]
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