How to Deal With Grout Haze

One of the most common complaints is also one of the easiest to resolve and like many complaints has actually got nothing to do with the tiles themselves. 

A typical customer complaint sounds like this:

"I had porcelain tiles laid but there is a cloudy appearance all over the tiles. I have tried several different cleaning products and residue removers but the floor still looks hazy. I got a tiling company try their cleaning and polishing solution but it didn’t help. I am now sure that it is a fault in the tiles. I am very disappointed with them."

Now this may sound like it could be optical haze which I discussed in a previous blog* but is probably not. The distinctive cloudy appearance is most likely grout haze. This is becoming a classic problem with imported modern porcelain from certain sources.

This type of porcelain tile can have many microscopic holes caused by tiny gas bubbles like the holes in a loaf of bread in the body. The polishing process removes a fine layer of the surface which can take the top off some of those holes, thus exposing them.

 

During grouting, the grout is smeared all over the surface and some of the liquid containing cement, water, polymers and pigments can be forced into these holes. Washing and removing the fine layer of grout over the entire surface of the tiled area is a long messy job which is often why it is not done properly or done too late after the excess grout has dried. So you end up with the tiny holes filled with the dirty residue. So, it remains there and is allowed to dry. There are so many tiny holes that when you look at the tile they all appear to merge into one like pixels on a screen giving an all-over cloudy or hazy appearance.

These tiles would have benefited from sealing prior to grouting but there are a number of things you can try. Given that you have tried several cleaners already, I can be fairly safe to assume you have tried a proprietary grout haze remover (acid based) so I would try one other thing, before moving on to a final combination approach.

Try Grout Haze Clean Up. This is actually designed to be used at the time of grouting but at full strength it can work a week or more later. If that fails, go for the combined approach:

First apply Sealer and Coating Remover neat and spread over the affected area and leave for half an hour, then, without removing the SCR, add some diluted Phosphoric Acid Cleaner, leave the two chemicals for another few minutes. The first product is attempting to break down any polymers present, this takes time. When it has done this there is more chance that an acid can now work on any cement present. Be very careful with the acid and grout haze remover. They are toxic. Wear eye protection and gloves.

Next try Nanoscrub. It is basically a cream abrasive cleaner but there are 3 components to the product: a slightly alkaline cleaning solution, a calcite (limestone) based grinding powder which won’t scratch marble, limestone or other soft stones and most importantly there’s the nano-technology. The nano particles reduce the surface tension of the cleaner so it can more easily penetrate the small pores and micro pores of the surface which makes it much more effective. As a mild cleaner in its own right, NanoScrub will breakdown mild surface soiling such as general grime and dirt, but, it is the calcite-derived abrasive that will do most of the hard work.  It will safely abrade the residue off with no ill effect on the marble’s surface. In the same way there are many surface contaminants that can be safely and effectively removed from most stone surfaces, for example, hard-water deposits or soap-scum in shower areas think of NanoScrub as an ‘exfoliating cream’ for tiles or stone.

There are some situations that cannot be saved; sometimes it is not so much the grout haze, but a very stubborn waxy coating can give this appearance. Finally, the appearance of haze could be a polishing fault in the tile, in that the tile has not been correctly finished at the factory. This cannot easily be rectified and would be a perfectly valid complaint.

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Dealing with Complaints about Warped Tiles

This is my second article on warpage in tiles, mostly because certain key changes have occured in the international standards. More on that later.

Due to the process of firing a natural product like a ceramic tile, it is expected that every tile is not going to be absolutely perfect. Warping of the tile itself is one of the more common issues in manufacturing. This is why there is an International Standard set down to specify the acceptable tolerances for warping in tiles. If a delivery includes tiles that seem to be warped, the tiler would generally decide not to lay these ones. Remember that tiles simply cannot warp after being laid. They are completely rigid, the may crack or lift but the don't bend!

Any warping in a ceramic tile will happen in the factory during manufacture. It is important to realize that a certain amount of warping across a tile is acceptable under the standards. The calculation for acceptable warpage is related to the size of the tile and the degree of warp across the length of the tile. Although all Tiles are graded within the set tolerances, sometimes poorly graded tiles can slip through and be packed as first grade.

Recently, a major revision was made to an important standard under the jurisdiction of ISO/TC 189, ISO 13006 which establishes the international specifications for ceramic tile.
The ISO 13006 International Standards specify an allowable percentage of variation. Previously the flatness (warping or bending) of the tile allowable was 0.5% of the diagonal length of the tile. This allowed for a possible bend of up to 3mm bend on a 60x60 tile. The new standard says that any tile classified as BIa needs to have less than a 2mm bend. It does not matter if the tile is 30x30 or 1,2mx1,2m the maximum bend allowed is 2mm! This revision was the first to this document since its inception in 1998.

If the tiles do fall outside the standards, you obviously should replace them for the customer but as usual not after they have been installed. A professional tiler should be able to see an excessive variation by eye or by rocking the tile on a known flat surface any gap larger than 2mm at one end of the tile is clearly visible. Of course excessively warped tiles should never be installed on site. If they need to be removed and reinstalled, the tiler would be expected to do this at no charge. If there is any doubt about a tile, it should not be installed. As a supplier you should be happy to replace any tiles that are warped. According to ISO13006 a mimimum of 95% of the tiles should be free from any discrepancy that would impair the appearance of a large area of tiles. So If the number of warped tiles within the consignment exceeds 5% you have a valid reason to complain to your supplier.

How to Answer Common Tile Complaints

Firstly, although manufacturing defects can be the cause of tile complaints, first grade tiles are most often within spec. The most common cause of failures and complaints by far is improper installation. It is crucial, if you are to avoid making expensive recompense, to establish the real cause of the failure. Remember that customers generally won’t have the expertise to accurately determine the cause.

Complaint: My tiles are scratched.

Problem: Tiles can become scratched during freight and delivery. This can happen if two tiles are rubbing against each other during freight and transport. If this does happen, it is usually with wall tiles that have a softer glaze than the tougher floor tiles. More commonly tiles can be scratched when grout and adhesive is removed. Scratches like those in the picture above were clearly caused during or after installation.


In the International standards, a scratch is defined as such when it can be observed easily from normal viewing distance. For example on a floor, a scratch would need to be seen without bending over from a standing position. If you need to get close to the tile to find the scratch, the tile is up to international standards and the customer has no basis for complaint.

What do I say to the customer?
Your client doesn’t want scratched tiles installed and neither do you. The tiler should not install any scratched or damaged tiles. It is standard practice as set out in the national standards of building practice. It is the responsibility of the tiler to put any damaged tiles aside. If the tiles have not been installed you should make good on your guarantee and exchange the damaged tiles. If the tiles are fixed to the wall there are two options for your client to consider. The best option is for the tiler to replace the scratched tiles with the 10% extra that should have been purchased for breakages, cuttings and spares. In specific circumstances, with small amounts of scratching, a glass repair service can remove some scratches from tiles, the same as glass can be repaired. The important point is to stress to the customer is that the scratched tiles should not have been installed. The tiler should complete the job satisfactorily.

Complaint: My tiles are warped

Problem: Warping is also known as lippage because if they are laid the result is a lip between two tiles as you can see in the disatrous installation above. Due to the process of firing a natural product like a ceramic tile, not every tile is going to be absolutely perfect. Warping of the tile itself is one of the more common issues in manufacturing. This is why there is an International Standard set down to specify the acceptable tolerances for warping in tiles. This is generally around 1% or 6mm on a 600cm tile. As explained above with scratched tiles, if a delivery includes tiles that seem to be warped, the customer’s tiler should not to lay these tiles.

What can cause the problem?
Tiles simply cannot warp after laying; they may lift, or break but any warping in a ceramic tile happened in the factory during manufacture. It is important to realize that a certain amount of warping across a tile is acceptable under international standards. The calculation for acceptable warpage is related to the size of the tile and the degree of warp across the length of the tile. Although all Tiles are graded within the set tolerances, sometimes poorly graded tiles can slip through and be packed as first grade.

What do I say to the customer?
If the tiles fall outside the standards, we will replace them. Excessively warped tiles should never be installed on site. If they need to be removed and reinstalled, the tiler would be expected to do this at no charge. I stress again that if there is any doubt about a tile, it should not be installed.

Complaint: My tiles are not square

The best option to avoid size and squareness problems is for the customer to buy “rectified” tiles, these are specially trimmed at the end of the production line and are cut to much finer tolerances, however…

Problem: Being a natural product that is kiln fired, there will always be some tiles in each batch that show some imperfections. It is not common for glazed ceramic tiles to be out of square. Plus, before packaging, tiles are sorted and graded to remove any that were. Sometimes a few can slip through the system. These tiles are perfectly sound, but all the same are imperfect. The generally accepted standard allows 5% of any first grade consignment to have some imperfections. 5% means that 5 tiles may have some imperfections in each batch of 100 tiles. The tiler should always put these tiles aside and use them when a cut tile is needed.

What can cause the problem?
Laying tiles which are not square will make the grout joints a difficult job. Some "extruded" or quarry tiles are made in such a way that each tile is slightly longer than it is wide. This is standard for this type of tile and the tiler should realize that each tile needs to be laid in a particular direction with wider grout joints. Mosaic tiles can be placed "off square" on the mounting mesh. This mesh can also be creased if the tile boxes take a severe knock on the edge or if the boxes are stacked on their side for transport.

What do I say to the customer?
If there are a lot of odd shaped tiles in the consignment bought by the customer something has gone wrong and the tiles will need to be replaced. You should exchange the affected tiles. If the tiler decided to lay unsquare tiles and spend the extra time needed to straighten each tile and grouting joint, that is his choice and the customer should take it up with the tiler. You obviously would not be expected to compensate the tiler for extra time spent laying the tiles. Visually imperfect tiles should never be installed unless specifically requested by the owner.

Understanding Tile Tenting Complaints

Tenting and delamination are the terms used to describe what happens when an area of tiled floor lifts centimetres off the substrate beneath. In the tile business the phenomenon is called tenting when the tiles lift, because the lifted tiles look like rows of peaked camping tents. The forces involved can be extremely powerful. In the photo above you can see the tented tiles lifted up an entire store gondola! When the tiles simply come free from the substrate without tenting it is called delamination. Close inspection often shows that more than one area of the floor has delaminated. Several sections might have lifted, not necessarily simultaneously but very close to it. And then, at times the delamination is only apparent when the floor is tapped upon or when someone walks across it wearing hard shoes and the floor doesn’t sound solid but rather hollow instead. As with most complaints tenting is generally caused by poor installation technique.

There are several reasons why a tile floor might delaminate:

• the floor might not have been cleaned prior to tile installation;
• the setting mortar might have partially dried before the tiles were placed in it;
• the tiles themselves might have had dust or other contaminants on their backs.

The main reason, however, that tiled floors delaminate and tent is because of a lack of movement accommodation. Tiles have a different rate of expansion and contraction (the coefficient of expansion) than concrete for example, the material that ceramic tiles are often installed directly upon. Other common tiling substrates will also expand and contract differently than ceramic and stone tiles.

Concrete expands and contracts more than many other tiling bases. The difference between concrete’s rate of expansion (and contraction) and that of ceramic tile is about 10 to 1. A concrete slab one hundred feet across can grow and contract over half an inch. It only takes a fraction of that movement to cause a tile floor to delaminate. Knowing this, tile setters employ breaks in tiled floors to accommodate that movement. These are called movement joints and are placed at specified intervals to divide large tiled surfaces into smaller expanses and thus lessen the effect of substrate movement. The joints are then filled with flexible material instead of tile grout.

In addition to movement joints in the tiled field, perimeter movement joints are used where tile floors abut impediments to movement, i.e., walls, cabinets and the like. Whereas smaller tiled floors may not need movement joints in the field of tile, all tile floors need perimeter movement joints and it is the lack of perimeter joints that most often contributes the greatest causal force to a tented floor, even though other factors; contaminants, skinned over setting mortar and other installer errors, may come into play also. The fact that I used concrete floors as my example doesn’t eliminate other tile substrates from the need for movement joints.  All substrates move, albeit some less than others. Cement backer board, for example, is an excellent base for ceramic tile when the board is properly installed, but movement joints must still be provided. Various tiling membranes, both sheet and semi-liquid, can further improve longevity of tiled floors over any substrate, but every manufacturer of such membranes will specify that movement joints be employed.

The clause in our disclaimer pertinent to this issue reads as follows:
"When tiling large areas allow for expansion joints, generally every 5x5m area. Ensure that perimeter joints are in place and free from any adhesive and or grout."

Even in tough environments, properly installed tile floors with movement/expansion joints will last virtually forever.

How can tiles wear out?

The problem of wearing.

Tiles are well known for their durability and wear resistance, but they are not indestructible. If mistreated, or subjected to harsh conditions, or incorrectly selected for purpose, the glaze on a ceramic tile will scratch or wear away. There is a difference between wearing and scratching. Wearing is where the glazed surface is thinning and eventually actually worn through. Scratching is damage to the surface from a harder substance that scratches the glaze. Heavy scratching can give the effect of making the surface of a glazed tile look dull. This is damage to the surface, but not actually wearing through. Even solid granite slabs in a heavy traffic area will dull from scratching. If you have ever been in an old castle you will have noticed that over the centuries solid stone stairs wear away until the are distinctly hollowed. The best way to avoid tiles becoming worn is to select tiles appropriate to the traffic; proper porcelain for high-traffic and commercial spaces. The other way is to keep the floor clean and free from sand and abrasive dirt. This is especially important at doorways and entrances.

What can cause the problem?

Abrasive grit is brought in under shoes. Gravel can be very hard and if it is trapped under a shoe and then trodden onto the tiled surface it will cause scratches and wearing. Not having doormats at entrances to remove grit and sand from shoes is a major factor. The effect of grit underfoot is like sandpaper. Your professional advice to customers is crucial. When advising a customer make sure you determine where the tiles are to be laid and how much traffic the area will receive. Recommend a suitable tile with the right wear resistance. Porcelain full body tiles rather than glazed are the best for high traffic areas as even with massive wearing the colour will not appear to fade.

In the worst case, soft glazed wall tiles, laid on a front porch or other heavy traffic area will wear through very quickly. Advise the customer to keep tiles clean. A clean tile won't have a film of accumulated grinding dirt on the surface. Advise against using unnecessary chemicals, especially acid based ones or using hard cleaning implements such as steel wool. These will deteriorate the surface of a tile.

Once the glaze on tiles has worn, it can't be rejuvenated. Likewise, damage by harsh scratching can not be reversed. Scratched tiles will continue to perform as a tile should. But, once a tile surface has worn through, and the protective glazed surface is gone, the tiles will have to be replaced.

What are the hardest wearing tiles?

Our Titan full bodied porcelain tiles are amongst the hardest wearing tiles in our collection.
http://linkinternationalkl.com/pdf/TESSCERA%20Brochure%202013%20Eng%20Span%20standard%20A4.pdf

3 Water-Saving Products for Real Water Saving

Showerheads, handshowers and bathscreens: By retrofitting a bath with a bathscreen and a hand shower and having a shower rather than a bath is a massive saving on water every day! Water-saving shower heads are designed the same way as the taps we mentioned but also have settings so the optimum spray can be used. Now everyone in the home can have the shower they like best but overall it will save water.

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Aerator taps: Taps that are fitted with aerators increase the apparent pressure while actually reducing the flow. This makes rinsing dishes or hands more effective with less water! Because the hydraulic action of the jet combined with air is more effective than water alone. Without an aerator, water usually flows out of a faucet as one big stream. An aerator spreads this stream into many little droplets. This helps save water and reduce splashing.

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Dual flush toilets: Quite simply only use the amount of water you need for the purpose.

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How to Deal with Customer Complaints of Shade Variations in Tiles

The variation of color, texture, and tone between individual ceramic tiles is properly called ‘color shade variation’ . Variation in color and shade is an inherent characteristic of any fired tile and rather than being a problem can actually enhance the character and beauty of the finished project, however many customers want absolute consistency and this leads to complaints.
 
The key point is that shade variation should be noticed before tiles are laid. Let me tell you a story that happened in our company.
 
We went to visit a client on site following a complaint. The client showed us the laid tiles and asked
   “Can you see it? There’s variations in shade all over!”
 
Mike agreed;
   “Yes I can see it clearly. Can you see it too?” He asked, turning to me.
   “Oh yes I can see it.” I replied
 
He then turned back to the client;
   “So if we all agree that we can see it, why couldn’t your tiler see it?”
 
This comment put the conversation back on an even footing. Even if there were excessive variations in the batch it is the tiller's responsibility to check for variations before fixing the tiles

All tile disclaimers contain the warning that prior to any installation, the tiles should be approved by the customer. No claims for shade or texture variation will be honored after installation. The shade number is marked on the boxes. National standards and codes of practice all insist that boxes be mixed and tiles be dry-laid under good lighting conditions to ensure tonality is mixed. Variations are classed as follows:
 

• V1 UNIFORM APPEARANCE - Minimal to no difference among pieces from the same production run because each ceramic tile is manufactured using the same glaze applications and body texture. 
• V2 SLIGHT VARIATION - Distinguishable differences in texture and/or pattern within similar colors.
• V3 MODERATE VARIATION -Though the colors present in a single piece of ceramic tile may indicate the colors to be expected on other tiles, the amount of colors on each piece might vary significantly.
• V4 RANDOM / DRAMATIC VARIATION - Random color variation from tile to tile, so that one ceramic tile may have a totally different color from that on other tiles. Thus, the final installation will be unique which may well be the effect the customer is aiming for.

Shade variation is inherent in all tile products, including porcelain, glass & ceramic simply as a result of the manufacturing process such as miniscule changes in temperature or fractional differences in glaze composition.

The color shade varies to some degrees in pieces of ceramic tile, in every style and from each production run. You should review several pieces of the same style of ceramic tile from the same production to decide for acceptable color shade variations. A final point, remember that shades of color are seen differently on computer monitors and therefore customers should request a sample before making a final selection or purchase.

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