cleaning floor tiles

[Patf]

Eddie has just finished laying a huge area of ceramic floor tiles and is starting to clean them up. Is there a solvent for the cement nad grout that is used or should he just persevere with water and a blunt knife?

[Soleil]

Too late for you and for me but a friend of mine recommends this process;-
After lying the tiles, and giving them plenty of time to set, pour the grout into the joints then ensure that it is in properly with a squeegee.Cover the whole floor immediately with a thick layer of fine sawdust then sweep it off using a soft brush. He says it leaves the tiles perfectly clean.
For your problem there is a product available in the larger DIY stores but I can't remember the name. Sorry.
Sunshine.

[Jennys]

We had a problem with removing grout from a mosaic band and we bought a "dcapant" which was basically an acid to dissolve the excess grout. It is not very strong as although it says use with gloves, I used it with bare hands and a toothbrush for scrubbing. It took a long time but it worked.

We bought it in a local builders' merchants who recommended it as my husband had left the grout on too long!

Hope this helps

Jenny

[Val_2]

You must NOT wash new grouting with any sort of liquid. Wipe over and over with dry cloths for a few days until it is set,then you can wash carefully for the first couple of times

[Bobc]

There is only one foolproof solution to laying and jointing floor tiles:

Fix the tiles using a premium product such as Fermaflex Technic for floors or Firmafix Plus for walls.

Joint the following day using Fermajoint or Fermajoint Color - clean up as you go - ie after about 2m2. The mistake that most people make is to joint too large an area and then try and clean it up.

Forget the other advice given - after you have jointed around 2m2 start rough cleaning using a large squeezed-out sponge to remove the bulk of the excess joint from the tiles. Continue this while you move through the room. Finish by two or three more cleans with a a squeezed-out sponge and clean water and then finally polish the joints with an almost dry sponge.

If you want further guidance on laying and jointing tiles then get a copy of 'Le Guide' from Weber et Broutin which you can pick up from most serious tile suppliers or builders merchants.

Forget dry cloths and sawdust.

Regards,

Bob Clarke
http://perso/wanadoo.fr/grindoux

[zeb]

>Eddie has just finished laying a
>huge area of ceramic floor
>tiles and is starting to
>clean them up. Is there
>a solvent for the cement
>nad grout that is used
>or should he just persevere
>with water and a blunt
>knife?

OMG - clean them as you go before the grout dries!!

Have 85 sq mtrs to do next - have cracked the laying, the grouting and the cleaning but am sooooo worried about my knees!!

regards.....helen