Nuts and Bolts: Caring for Your Cement Tile

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You’ve done it. You’ve finished your cement floor tile installation. You did your research—poring over Granada Tile‘s cement tile catalogs looking for just the right tile design for your project. Maybe you visited Share Designs for a little extra inspiration. It’s possible you even experimented with our layout tool as you played with different tile installation possibilities. Then, after all of that, you took the big step and ordered your cement tile and had it installed. Now you’ve got a beautiful cement floor tile installation—in your kitchen or your bathroom or even on your patio. So what’s next? For starters, how about a little primer on how to keep your cement tiles looking great for years to come?

First off, whether you’re doing the installation yourself or hiring a professional installer, you’ll want to seal your cement tiles, since concrete is a porous material and will absorb stains and dirt if it’s not. As far as sealers go, you have two options: penetrating and topical. Penetrating sealers, as their name suggests, are absorbed into the cement and make it much harder for stains to stick to the material.

On the other hand, topical sealers sit on the surface of the tile and block stains. With topical sealers, you can choose between shiny and matte finishes, depending on the look you’re going for. Bear in mind, though, that shiny sealers will last longer. Also, consider that that topical sealers aren’t recommended for outside use—the sun tends to degrade them, requiring more frequent applications. The surface will also be more slippery (an important consideration if you’re thinking of using the cement tiles in a floor tile installation).

Once you’ve sealed your concrete tiles, you’ll be amazed at how they hold up. To clean your tiles, you don’t need fancy tile cleaners. Just choose a soap that’s pH neutral and water. Be sure you never use acid or bleach and don’t let soda, wine or other acidic spills sit on the tile. These can eat through the sealer and create stains.

If you follow these simple steps, your cement tiles will keep looking sensational. What could be better?

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