Tiles Installation & Maintenance
Tiles Installation
- The surface must be clean, smooth, dry and free of wax and grease. Areas that are damaged or uneven must be patched and levelled.
- Layout marks the centre point of all four walls. First of all, layout the tiles to minimize the number of cut tiles.
- When laying tiles, bear in mind that variation of shade is an inherent characteristic of porcelain tiles, mixing well between several cartons and giving a total blend and random effect. It is advised to use the same calibre when tiling on the same area.
- Use tile spacers for each tile setting, to leave equal joint between tiles. We recommend a tiling gap of 3mm.
- The settling time will vary from a few hours to few days and depending on the type of material or adhesive used for installation. During grouting, remove the tile spacer and spread grout on the tile surface using a rubber grout float or squeegee. It is important for you to refer to the adhesive package for specific instructions or precautions.
- Remove excess grout from surface immediately after grouting. Wait for a couple of minutes, depending of the specific instructions and then remove the excess grout from surface with damp sponge, clean grout residue and smooth the grout joints.
How to Maintain Tiles
General maintenance and cleaning of Niro Granite, the Swiss-quality tiles will vary depending on the surface texture and soil load.
Generally, the cleaning should be performed by;
Sweeping or vacuuming to remove loose soil, sand or dirt contaminants
Use damp mop with clean water.
Depending on the soil load, extra cleaning process may be required by using a neutral cleaner or a general household cleaner then followed by a thorough rinse.
There are five critical steps and should always be remembered for the successful maintenance of porcelain tiles;
Rinsing is a critical step in the maintenance procedure. Use a wet vacuum, dry mop or towelling if necessary. If dirty detergent solution is not removed and is allowed to dry on the surface, a coating will form which is very difficult to remove.
Table below shows the type of cleaning products recommended.
Types |
Stains |
Types of Cleaning Product Recommended |
| Food Category | Ice Cream Ketchup Soy sauce Coffee/Tea Juices Coke |
Alkaline base detergent |
| Oil & Grease | Vegetables Minerals Petrol |
Alkaline base detergent |
| Wax Rubber |
Scrap off, then use solvent turpentine follow by alkaline base detergent | |
| Lip stick Shoe polish |
Alkaline base detergent | |
| Paint (oil based) | Turpentine or thinner | |
| Ink | Solvent such as turpentine | |
| Mortar | Acidic base detergent | |
| Rust stain | Diluted hydrochloride acid or acidic base detergent | |
| Market | Felt pen | Thinner |
| Methylene blue | Alkaline base detergent | |
| Crayon | Scrape off then use turpentine follow by alkaline base detergent | |
| Tile Grout | Cement | Diluted hydrochloride acid |
| Latex or polymer | Solvent such as turpentine or thinner | |
| Epoxy | Scraper to scrape it off |
