Did I ruin my new porcelain tile?

14 years ago

I recently had glazed porcelain tile laid on my bathroom floor and I noticed a few clear dried drops that looked like water. I tried cleaning the tile with a wet sponge but the drops would not go away. I used a weak white vinegar and water solution on the tile and now the sheen is gone from the tile and I think I have ruined it. I spoke with the person at the tile store and he said that vinegar was fine to use and the porcelain tile I have is pretty much indestructible. The porcelain tile is Panaria Ceramica "Kult" series. This was a newly remodeled bathroom and no harsh chemicals were used so I can't figure out what the drops were on the tile. When I applied the vinegar solution to the tile, the tile looked very smeared. Is there a product I could use to bring back the sheen? Thanks!

Featured Answer

jdr56
Original Author

14 years ago

Bill,
Well, I think the problem has been solved. My designer did some investigating and found out that it was a film of wax on the tiles that the company had put on. He suggested to wash the entire floor again with the vinegar/water solution and if that doesn't work use full strength vinegar. I had to use full strength vinegar and it worked. Even the picture frame effect is gone. This is my first experience with porcelain tile so I thought I had pretty much ruined it. Thanks again.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (13)

megsy
14 years ago
Have you tried remopping with just plain water?
brutuses
14 years ago
Did the installer use a grout sealer that maybe dripped on the tile itself?
Related Discussions
Did I ruin my soil?
Q
Comments (7)
you don't say if the stain was a water based product, so i'll assume it was as most are. i wouldn't be concerened as the grass will grow and once you cut it then any evidence of the stain will be gone and if it is a water based product then it should biodegrade and even if it is a spirit paint then contamination if possible would only come from a major spill not a splash? len Here is a link that might be useful: len's garden page
...See More
Did I ruin my All-Clad?
Q
Comments (5)
I have a huge set of AC SS pots and pans and have always just used vinegar (when needed for removing hard water spots and stains), and for baked on debris, Barkeeper's Friend. Yours should be fine and not ruined unless you warped the bottom. Letting a pot cook dry on high heat will warp it, in which case it is no good if you have a glass-top cooktop like we have. I'm hard on my cookware but all still look like new. PS: it is normal to have small scratches on SS, since they're designed to be used, not for showpieces. L
...See More
Did I just ruin our new tile job?
Q
Comments (6)
Grout: If your grout is too light and not matching your sample - then your tile installer added too much water to grout mixture. This causes oxygen at the surface of the dried grout, causing the white color. There are (2) ways to correct the issue: #1: remove and old grout and re-grout or #2: dye the existing grout. Tile being uneven: I can't really tell in your photos how uneven the tiles are... but at the very least, your tile installer should have used a tile puck. It is a level that installers use to ensure that everything is even and that there is a correct amount of mortar under each piece. Grout in the tile: This is actually what a lot of people do ON PURPOSE because they like the natural / rustic look of it. If you did not want that look - then the installer should have sealed the tile BEFORE grouting so that the grout could be cleaned off the tile easier. To get the grout out at this point would be difficult. They do make a heavy duty cleaner that breaks up the grout and makes it easier to chip out. You could use a grout removal tool add-on for drill or roto-zip. Very, very tedious work though... and it may be easier and quicker just to retile. *** Although I know a lot of clients that LOVE the way this looks... Oil stain on tile: No, I don't think you ruined the tile. But I am wondering why you put the stain. Did you want the tile to be glossy? You should be able to get the oil stain off with mineral spirits and mineral spirits will not damage the tile. Just wet some rags and wipe. You will probably have to wipe it down a few times. Was your tile pre-sealed? Most tiles (unless noted) are pre-sealed at the factory so it is going to be pretty impervious to any other liquids or sealers. So that means - if the tile was not glossy when you bought it, then you cannot just put a gloss seal on it to make it glossy. Basically the tile will have difficulty absorbing the gloss sealant. If the tile is truly un-sealed (such as a marble, travertine, limestone, ect.) then you will need to seal it before you start using it to avoid stains and dirt. Your tile looks like the Rialto or Roman stone series from Lowe's. If that is it - then it is a porcelain pre-glazed tile and you cannot make it glossy. The finish that is on it (dull) is how the tile is made. Hope that helps!
...See More
climbing rose help....did I ruin my rose?
Q
Comments (20)
I have never heard of cutting back a bare root rose at planting unless there is some dead cane to be removed. Pruning of any kind always stimulates TOP growth, not the roots. You can leave all the hips on you want. The rose will not go dormant. It will continue to put out growth until the weather stops it. I've left hips on from the spring flush in June and the rose continued to grow and bloom right through until October. New Dawn is such a growth monster that I can't see any purpose in disbudding it. The roots are growing, count on it! Roses, climbers in particular, will not send up more cane than their root system can sustain. Hence the saying for climbers, first year sleep, second year creep, third year leap. Those first few years that it seems to not be doing anything it is in fact building a big enough root ball to be able to push nutrients up those long canes you're waiting for. Once it feels it has sufficient roots to do that it will begin to climb.
...See More
jdr56
Original Author
14 years ago
I tried remopping several times with warm water-nothing helps. No grout sealer had been used. It seems like the vinegar solution reacted with whatever was on the tile. It immediately turned cloudy. I'm wondering if in time it will just wear off and return to the original surface.
Thanks!
bill_vincent
14 years ago
I would go to the showroom where you bought the tile. It's tough to say without looking at it, but from what you say, if this is a glazed porcelain, there's a chance the glaze may have been comprimised. Just about every tile manufacturer these days warns not to acid wash their tiles because the acid could ruin the glaze. But I have a hard time believing that an acid as weak as vinegar would ruin a glaze. Again, I'd have the showroom send someone out to take a look at it.
jdr56
Original Author
14 years ago
Bill,
I did speak with the guy at the showroom and he's coming out tomorrow to take a look at the tiles.
I just don't understand why this has happened. I experimented on several left over tiles with vinegar and water- even tried acetone and rubbing alcohol. Didn't harm them a bit. Do you suppose I have some tiles that have a weak glaze on them?
I'll let you know what the outcome is.
Thanks!
bill_vincent
14 years ago
I'll be interested to hear what he has to say. As for the glaze, anything's possible.
jdr56
Original Author
14 years ago
Bill,
The guy came out today and said there's nothing wrong with the tiles. He said the vinegar solution I used just cleaned the tiles and brought them back to their original finish- kind of matte. Is it possible for the entire bathroom tile floor to have taken on a "sheen" during the remodeling? He explained that with all of the workers tracking in dirt, etc. that this could happen. I would think instead of a shiny appearance it would be dull. I did notice that the tiles now have a shiny "picture frame " (grout haze?). If it is a grout haze on the tiles, how do I remove it since the tile has been down for a couple of months. Does any of this make sense to you?
Thanks again
bill_vincent
14 years ago
ALthough the part about cleaning the grout haze makes alot of sense, that's the first time I've heard of any porcelains being "prewaxed". but so long as it fixed the problem, terrific! That's one to file away for future possible use! :-)
jdr56
Original Author
14 years ago
Bill,
This is all new to me! From what I've been told, the wax film had been applied to protect the tile during shipping. Have you ever heard of this? Anyway, all is well with the tile and just to let you know my designer doesn't believe in sealing grout either!
It's been good talking to you!
pearl1957
5 years ago
My beautiful aubergine tile floors have splash spots all over. Used water over and over. Still see, the vinegar made them sticky. Help!
HU-215266425
2 years ago
I accident used straight white vinegar as I thought it was diluted in a spray bottle on porcelin vanity top. Now it looks etched. What can I do now?
Jenna Lynn
2 years ago
Did you find a solution? the same thing happened to me. i was cleaning with white vinegar and it was dripping down on other tiles and now those tiles have streak marks from the vinegar that i cannot get out :(

Did I ruin my new porcelain tile?

jdr56
Original Author

Comments (13)

megsy

brutuses

Related Discussions

jdr56
Original Author

bill_vincent

jdr56
Original Author

bill_vincent

jdr56
Original Author

bill_vincent

jdr56
Original Author

pearl1957

HU-215266425

Jenna Lynn

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Did I ruin my new porcelain tile?

jdr56Original Author

Comments (13)

Related Discussions

jdr56Original Author

jdr56Original Author

jdr56Original Author

jdr56Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

jdr56
Original Author

jdr56
Original Author

jdr56
Original Author

jdr56
Original Author

jdr56
Original Author