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tile - felt tip pen question

15 years ago

Guys - I was cutting my tiles to fit and the "special" pieces I marked on the cut side with a small red felt tip pen. I see this morning, after hanging the tile yesterday, that ink leeched into the tile b/c my marks are blurred and some area even gone. These are white glazed subway tile. I cannot see it on the glazed side, but I am a little worried that one day I will - will it seep through the glaze? or another bad thing would be if it seeped through the grout. Will either of these things happen?

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Comments (4)

bill_vincent
15 years ago
So long as it was a Flair or something else water washable, you should be fine. Of course, if it weren't it wouldn't have leached in. :-)

You'll be okay. :-) Until I came across china markers, I used felt tip pens for marking bright glazed tiles for years. The only reason I changed is because felt tip marks will get washed off by a wet saw. Otherwise, I'd still be using them.
MongoCT
15 years ago
Worst case presumption on my part?

If the water soluble ink was absorbed into the body of the tile through a cut edge, it will not come through the glaze on the face of the tile.

However, and this is remote, it could possibly wick back out and into the grout after the tile is grouted. Again, remote.

If it's a concern, prior to grouting I'd consider dipping a Q-tip in bleach and dab it on each faded red mark. Give it 24 hours, then grout. Bill, you think residual bleach would be a problem with the grout? I thin not, but you're the tile man.

But yup, china markers or grease pencils are the way to go.
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bill_vincent
15 years ago
It very well might come back out thru the grout later, but not concentrated into a single point. It'd be spread out so that it wouldn't be noticed until it washes away.

As for the bleach, I always think bleach is a problem with reference to grout.
gldnfan
15 years ago
Just FYI - doesn't sound like you did use a permanent marker but if you did it can bleed - the nature of the ink - nothing to do with being water soluble or not.

I know this for exactly the same reason you are asking about because I was an idiot and used a permanent red marker with my crackle tile ;-) THought I would just wipe it off with some alcohol - uh no - nice red spider veins!

It did not spread very much and I saw it immediately - so you are probably fine - it wasn't a factor of happening over time in my situation - I just trashed the tiles and started again.

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