Tile Guide
Our product
Our tiles are all handmade, so please note that our tiles will not all look exactly the same: They will have colour variation, some more than others, there will be foulds/marks of how the concrete dries out of the moulds & you will find colour variations. This is what makes our product unique and gives it the characteristics that our clients have come to love.
Where to lay our tiles
Our tiles can be used for interior and exterior use. They can be used throughout your home, bathrooms, (we don’t recommend them for directly in a shower, due to concrete being porous, even though sealed.) kitchens, outside patio areas and the like – please note they are not a non slip product.
Not recommended
We do not recommend our tiles be used for pool surrounds due to them not being a non-slip product and some salt chlorinated pools can affect the tiles. We also do not recommend to use them inside a fireplace or braai area where there is direct contact with heat.
Sealing the Tiles
We recommend using a waterbased sealer – Conseal for sealing of our tiles. We supply from our factory. It is a non toxic, indoor and outdoor sealer. The sealer can be applied with a large brush or large sponge.
Give the tiles one coat of sealer before laying. This is very important as it prevents any cement residue staining the tiles on the surface when doing the grouting, however any extra residue should be removed immediately.
It is not necessary to pre-seal the complete batch of tiles prior to laying. Do 20 – 30 at a time while the job is in progress as the sealer absorbs within minutes. On completion of the area allow to dry and apply one more coat to the tiles and the grouting. For higher traffic area’s and area’s with more moisture, we would suggest another coat or even 2 of sealer.
Taking Care
It is very important that the tiles are handled with care during the installation process and before it has all its sealer applied. Our tiles are handmade and are not all exactly the same in thickness and size, therefore they need to be stacked and packed neatly to prevent breakage – the tiles strength really comes into effect once laid and bedded in a strong cement grout.
There should be no traffic on the tiles before the final coat of sealer is applied and completely dry.
Our tiles should never be cleaned with harsh chemicals (especially if layed in a commercial setting) please make sure all cleaning products are PH Neutral or else they will strip the sealer from the tiles. (no acid to be used on concrete products at any given time)
Just general care of tiles, mop with light soapy water, keep clean and remove excess dirt/stains from tiles, do not allow oils or spills to lay on tiles for an extended time period as concrete is porous and they will become stained.
Laying our tiles
We strongly recommend using a professional tiler with experience of installing concrete tiles.
Tiles can be layed directly onto a rough cast base – however it would be more preferable to lay on a screeded surface as it would be easier for the tiler to get the levels correct. If the surface is already screeded use a cement base tile adhesive approximately 3mm thick to bed your tiles in. Space your tiles 15-25mm apart, depending on your personal preference. Our tiles do have a bevel edge, therefore cannot be butted up directly against one another – they also need a strong grout to secure and give extra strength to the tiles. We recommend a 50/50 sand cement mix for the grouting.
Ensure the base of the tile is completely supported when bedded in, i.e no hollow spots.
The tiles must be CLEAN and DRY and on a level surface when tiling.
Let the tiles and adhesive stand to dry and clean with a damp sponge or if needed a pH neutral cleaner, once dried properly to remove any dust from the tile surface. Once tiles are dry and cleaned, the tiles will be ready for their 2nd and 3rd coat of sealer depending on your preference.
Tiles can be cut with a diamond blade or an angle grinder.
Grouting
Clean tiles as mentioned above, any extra residue should be removed immediately.
Do not allow water or other liquids, stains or dirt to go on the surface of the tiles before sealing.
We suggest using good quality adhesives, bonding liquids and keying agents.
NO TRAFFIC ON THE TILES BEFORE SEALER IS APPLIED AND DRY and while the job is in progress – handle with care on site and during installation.