Clay tile advice needed

[pietpetoors]

Anybody with experience in clay tiles?

This December holiday I kept myself busy with laying some clay tiles on the stoep.
After we were done I had to wash the grout off with acid. Cleaned it very well but now it have to dry. It is making a white powdery deposit on the tiles as it dries.

Is there something I can add to the water to wash this white powder off?
Must I wash it off as it comes out or is it better to wait until the tiles are dried out completely and then wash it off?

Klei teëls

Clay tiles

[Dowe Koos]

Hallo Pieter.
Sonder om lelik te wees, die grootste fout wat jy gemaak het is om die acid te gebruik. Eerste vraag - Hoe lank het jy die teëls laat lê (vir die teël sement om droog te word) voordat jy die grout opgesit het. Meer as drie dae - nie 'n probleem. Minder as drie, sal jy alles moet oordoen. Die acid het nou ingetrek in die grout en teël sement. Hoe meer jy dit was, hoe meer kom die acid uit en dit kan maande vat. As jy die teëls vir meer as drie dae laat lê het, verwyder soveel as moontlik die grout en was die vloer paar keer totdat die wit vlekke nie meer wys nie. Dan kan jy grout opsit. Gee so 4 tot 6 ure vir die grout om droog te word. Vat 'n emmer water en spons en was die oortollige grout liggies af. Dan die volgende dag behoort die grout al geset te wees en dan was jy weer die teëls met grout met spons en water. NB - afhangend hoeveel suur jy gebruik het wat kan maak dat die teëls seergekry het. Gee so 'n week of twee vir die grout om hard te word, dan smeer jy rooi waks in en poleer dit. Onthou net dat die grout nie rooi gaan wees en dan moet jy net die teëls waks gee en poleer.

[pietpetoors]

Koos die teëls is al voor kersfees gelê en ge grout en verlede week eers met suur gewas.

Omdat die teëls so vreeslik baie water opsuig het ek hulle baie goed natgemaak voor ek dit met suur gewas het. Die idee was dat hulle, hulself vol vars water trek sodat hulle nie meer plek het om suurwater in te suig nie. Ek het so 10 teëls met die suur gewas, dan eers alles afgespuit en dan die volgende tien gewas.

[Dowe Koos]

As ek so na die teëls op die fotos kyk het jy 'n natuurlike klip teels en nie 'n keramiek of klei teëls nie. Klip teëls is absorberend en baie sensitief vir acid, of enige vloeistof soos verf. Dit trek in. Daar is verskeie opsies oor wat 'n mens kan doen. Laat die natuur sy gang gaan en metertyd sal die vlekke weg gaan. Dit kan maande of jare vat. Tweedens kan jy dit elke dag of tweede of derde dag dit uitskrop met water. Sodra die vlekke nie meer wys nie dan dit verseël met seëlaar spesifiek ontwerp vir klipteëls. Dis die beste raad wat ek vir jou het.

[Mud Dog]

Hennie, jammer dat ek nie met jou saamstem nie. Mens kry deesdae allerhande soort "mortar & grout cleaners" wat almal 'acid-based' is. 9 uit 10 bevat hydrochloric acid, wat ons in die ou dae gebruik het om teels skoon to maak - die ou terme daarvoor is "spirits of salts".

Ons het ook die teels eers nat gemaak voor die 'acid wash', en dit moet ordentlik daarne afgespoel word. As dit cement teels is moet jy maar versigtig wees - die asyn vreet cement (en grout) as dit te sterk is. Pieter se teels lyk soos klei teels in die photos, maar ek sal nie vir seker kan sê net van die fotos af.

Daai wit "limescale" kom ook met cement teels voor en die verskyning daarvan met klei teels hang af van hoe veel 'lime' in die klei is en hoe lank teen watter temperatuur hulle bebak was. Deesdae vat hulle kortpad met die bak prosess om energie te bespaar.

Pieter, los dit vir nou, was dit net af en toe met gewone water af vir 'n paar maande voor jy weer acid wash. Neem in ag dat dit die grout kan beskadig as jy te dikwels acid wash of te sterk asyn gebruik. 'Vinegar' werk ook redelik goed en is nie te sterk nie.

Sterkte!

[Mud Dog]

Lees ook bietjie hier ..... http://www.johnbridge.com/how-to/how-to ... orescence/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Rusti]

Hi Pieter,

It's best to simply call the supplier and ask them what's going on.. I also think it's the acid wash but it could also be that the water in langebaan is reacting with the minerals in the clay. The tap water there can be a bit "hard" sometime's. If it is the acid and the supplier sold you the acid knowing that you were going to use it with the clay, then you can at least get another batch of tiles from them for free.. if no other remady can be found of course..

Also be careful not to leave it like that for too long.. Comercial grade clay tiles are porous so the acid might permenantly mark the tiles.

When I get to the office I'll ask our interior designers what they think is wrong.

[Rusti]

Hi Pieter,

Our interior designers say it's the acid for sure. They recommend only water sponge washing the tiles after laying, no acid. There is a protective sealant on the tiles when purchased. They suspect that you have removed that with the acid. Then the remaining acid is reacting with the minerals in the clay.

Your supplier may have another sealant that you can apply to get rid of those marks. You may have to scrub the acid off with a hard bristle broom 1st and then seal it. Best to get the exact process from your supplier. Try get a matt finish sealant. It looks more natural and a high gloss is slippery and makes the tiles even hotter under direct sunlight.

[Dowe Koos]

Hallo Andy. Het so 20jaar terug vir paar jaar teelwerk gedoen om n bestaan te kan maak. Het self die werk gedoen. In daardie tydperk het ek geleer wat om te gebruik en nie. Het enige chemikalie vermy omdat hulle meer probleme gee as wat hulle help. Maar dit was 20 jaar terug, daar is nou seker nuwe goed op die mark wat ek nie van weet nie. Intersante link wat jy gestuur het. Marmer en graniet was nooit n probleem, maar met klipteels het ek altyd weggebly van van enige chemikalie. Stem saam met Duane. Groete

[pietpetoors]

Koos, die is wel klei teëls, het by die fabriek gekoop en moes wag dat die goed uit die oond kom.

Duane, the tiles are bare, they do not have any protective coating on it. This is how they came out of the oven. They are extremely porous. When I laid them I had to put them in water before I laid it because it just sucked all the water out of the cement and the cement was dry very quick. If you put it in water it makes the same sound as when you open a bottle of coke. So when they are dry, they suck water up like sponge. I want to put a protective coating on it now, but I cannot do it before the tiles are ready, once that coating is on, it is on, there is no turning back.

Andy thanx for the link, very interesting.

I think for now I will have to be patient and wash it every day with fresh water until the white stuff with that big name (Andy's link) stops coming out.

Clay tiles look fabulous (to me) but it is hard work. If I can give anybody advice it is something Duane mentioned; sponge off the grout while it is wet, do not wait to wash it off afterwards, biggest mistake I made.

[Rinus]

Hi pietpetoors

Was dit met seep-soda ens spoel dit dadelik af, die soda sal die suur reaksie stop.

Toets eers of dit suur is met n gewone swembad HTH indicator stick. Daai stokkies met die kleur blokkies op, jy sal die teel eers moet nat maak sodat die suur in die water oplos.

Rgs

[Rusti]

Hi Pieter,

That fizzy sound can't be standard.. have you tried that with a new tile/ without acid on it? Also try it with a bottle of still water.. not sure if the "hard" langebaan water maybe reacting some how.. it shouldn't but we don't know until we've tried it.. have you been using tap water to rinse them off or bore hole water?

I can't see builders struggling like this every time they work with clay tiles.. We are working with an old Afrikaans builder on one of our projects so I'll ask him.. He'll know what's going on and how to treat it. There must be an easy way..

[pietpetoors]

After I washed it with clean tap water last night not many white stuff (with the big name) came out today. I think we are winning. Will just keep on washing it, those with white is getting less and less. Maybe by the weekend I can seal it.

I do not want to use a lot of water now because then the tiles absorb it again. I just use a damp cloth.

Maybe I must soak one of the tiles which previous had lots of those white stuff (with the big name) to see if it brings it to the surface again.

I think it is the acide because when I wash it I sometimes still smell the acid.

[Dowe Koos]

Ek is bly vir jou part

[Thabogrobler]

Probeer 'n oplossing van koeksoda wn water om die suur te neutraliseer?

[Oupa Stig]

Net 'n gedagte - as jy daai teëls wil seël moet hulle seker goed droog wees. En as hulle so poreus is as wat jy sê, en jy was hulle gereeld gaan jy dalk 'n goeie tydjie moet wag na die laaste was voor jy kan seël. Moet net nie oorhaastig wees met die seël deel nie, veral as die seël produk vereis dat die teël droog is. Sterkte. 'n propperse klei teël bly maar mooi.

[Thabogrobler]

Net gewonder: Wie het die teels so skeef gele??

[pietpetoors]

ek

[ChrisF]

ek

hehehe ....

Pieter moenie sleg voel nie.


So paar terug teel hulle my braaikamer. Toe ek by die huis kom sien ek net die skewe teels ... en toe sien ek dat die een kant wel reguit is .... Graad A teels wat nie presies dieselfde mates het nie, ek praat van n mm op n slag. Maar nou kry jy daai 1mm grootter langs 1mm kleiner en skielik is dit opmerklik .....


Laas met die teelery rondom die swembad ..... die teels is net nie perfek nie ..... en dan raak dit n kuns om die effek reg te kry.


Ek sien jy het ook n paar reguit lyne, en dan die ander kant wat "step" ....

[Thabogrobler]

ek

hehehe ....

Pieter moenie sleg voel nie.


So paar terug teel hulle my braaikamer. Toe ek by die huis kom sien ek net die skewe teels ... en toe sien ek dat die een kant wel reguit is .... Graad A teels wat nie presies dieselfde mates het nie, ek praat van n mm op n slag. Maar nou kry jy daai 1mm grootter langs 1mm kleiner en skielik is dit opmerklik .....


Laas met die teelery rondom die swembad ..... die teels is net nie perfek nie ..... en dan raak dit n kuns om die effek reg te kry.


Ek sien jy het ook n paar reguit lyne, en dan die ander kant wat "step" ....

Nou gee jy die hele game weg!!

[Mud Dog]

Yep, not even the "A grade" tiles are exactly the same sizes. Tip - measure the centre point of all 4 walls run a chalk line through the longest centre, mark the point on that line where the short centre line will cross and run the short line using a large set square. Start at the centre cross and run the tiles along the long centre line first, then working out from that without boxing yourself in. Use a long straight-edge to keep your lines straight as you work outward. That way the centre of the floor area is square and straight and so are the lines as you look down them. Your edge tiles are then also the same size cut on each opposing edge.

[pietpetoors]

Ja Chris, as die teëls se verskil maar 1mm was sou ek baie gelukkig wees.
Sommige teel verskil van die een ant na die ander omtrent 5mm. Hulle was nie eweredig gebak, so die een punt is donker en mooi gebak en die ander punt is lig en sag. Die donker kant krimp meer as die ligte kant.

Ek was nie baie beindruk met die plek se "A" graad teëls nie, as dit hulle A graad is wil ek nie hulle B graad sien nie.

[Rusti]

Hi Pieter,

Our contractor says...

"It’s the solvents in the clay brick that came out after you wet it and it dry out.
It’s the same thing that happens when a brick wall dry out.It also show that same white.
You must let it dry out properly , brushed and dust it off and then seal it.The best is a penetrating sealer.
A mix of raw linceed oil and turps works well.
One linceed oil and 2 turpentine ."

Let me know how it goes.. I'm interested to see how it turns out..

[pietpetoors]

I considered the lynseed, but conditions on the West Coast is harsh and it is an outside stoep. Lynseed on my wood does not last long, have to do it like once in 3 months.

I went for Woodock 45 which they say will work and I really hope they are right. It also penetrated the tiles, I applied it to like 3 tiles at a time and kept putting it on until it did not suck it up anymore. Some tiles took like 6 coats before that happened, so I think it went in lekker deep.

For the white powder, I just kept on wiping it off with a damp cloth, with clean water. The hot weather the past week helped a lot.

Now it looks like this:

Stoep klaar

Stoep klaar

Stoep klaar

[Mud Dog]

Looks lekker!

[Rusti]

Hey hey.. That looks great!

Glad you found a solution.

[pietpetoors]

Thanx

I am happy with the results

From this

to this

[Froll]

Looking good.

[Thabogrobler]

Lyk baie goed!

Ja, terracotta teels is nie die maklikste om mooi gele te kry nie.

[Mars]

Lyk pragtig!!