How to prevent tire marks on tile?

[Wakesurfer]

Time for some more advice from the brain trust...

We are at the tail end of our porcelain tile job in the garage - finally!
The tile was supposed to be "Delorian Grey" with a smooth honed surface (PEI 5). Not glossy, but more slick than matte. Well, AFTER we laid the tile (before grouting), we had our cars parked on the tile and noticed that some tiles were picking up tire marks while others were totally clean. The tire marks would start and stop at the tile borders depending on the tiles. Much to our surprise and dismay, we then noticed that about 1/5 of the tiles were noticeably rougher than others.

Here are pictures taken at an angle which highlight the surface differences:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=498163&stc=1&d=1448068372
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=498164&stc=1&d=1448068372

During installation, we mixed the boxes randomly and never noticed a difference until the tire marks. When they are clean, the colors are virtually identical. However, if you look at the tiles in daylight and at an angle, you can see the difference in sheen. We even used grout release on the more matte tiles to help clean them during grouting because they were much harder to wipe clean. A wet sponge easily glides across the glossy tiles, while the matte ones have more resistance! I have struggled to find a solution (other than re-tiling - wife says that's not an option). I have talked to my local supplier and Miracle Sealants, and they have suggested the following possibilities. Neither was very confident of the results:

1) Try to seal the affected tiles with Miracle 511 Impregnator Sealer.

The label lists porcelain tile, but how much, if any, would adhere to the porcelain seems questionable. The idea would be that a sealer would fill the small crevasses which seem to attract tire marks and dirt.

2) Or use Miracle Tile Brite: According to their site, "Tile Brite is a unique, natural, non-wax powder compound designed for the polishing of most tiles. Tile Brite will produce a long lasting luster, while providing durable slip resistance."

Tile Brite is a compound applied in slurry form and worked with a machine polisher. They said it would create more of a slick sheen, but most likely not to the level of the "good" tiles.

I've scoured the net and found other products like HD40.

Does anyone have experience with a similar situation or have ANY solutions? Sealer? Polish?

Thanks



P.S. Anyone know how to rotate a picture on here? The first one turned when it uploaded!

 

[bdamico]

If it's that big of a deal, reconsider busting those out. I don't think 511 is going to build up and fill anything (which I just used again to seal my showers). I also don't think you want to start trying to polish or hone them.

 

[Wakesurfer]

Thanks for the reply. I think I would rather get really good at cleaning!... This project has dragged along too long already and I'm not sure how many tiles I would go through to use only the slick ones. I may not have enough! Are there any surface waxes/compounds that anyone has used to help reduce transfer marks and dirt?

 

[boobag]

this is why you first make sure all the tiles are from the same lot, by checking the numbers on the boxes.

not sure if this will work, but you could try buffing the duller tiles the same way granite guys would buff granite...using wet/dry fine discs.
i'd test this on a spare tile first.

 

[bdamico]

not sure if this will work, but you could try buffing the duller tiles the same way granite guys would buff granite...using wet/dry fine discs.
i'd test this on a spare tile first.

and while I have never heard of stone grinding/polishing technique on porcelain, make sure you have throughbody tile

 

[PoorOwner]

Looks like a great installation !
I would leave it alone. But that's just me when it comes to tile and stone, need to know to quit while you are ahead.

You can try some tile cleaner to remove the tire marks..
Once you park and walk a bit you will have a layer of dirt that makes everything looks more even.

 

[Denwood]

I suspect that a good surface sealer will do the job. It will increase lustre on the dull tiles..and the smoother tiles should look similar. I would try it on two tiles (smooth and dull) and see how it looks.

 

[duneslider]

Just remember that porcelain is "essentially" non-porous and anything you put on top isn't going to have much to adhere to. 511 is a penetrating sealer and will do NOTHING as there is no place to penetrate.

To me it looks like you got two TOTALLY different products, this isn't just a dye lot issue. If the tile boxes all have the same lot/color/product numbers I would see what the supplier would do to help you out. However, this should have been caught in the installation. Maybe they can track down more the correct tile for you so you can replace them.

I don't see any of those options working and anything you apply to the tile defeats the WHOLE purpose of going with porcelain. Any topical sealers/finishes now become your wear layer and the will be INFERIOR to porcelain.

You could pay someone to come hone the entire floor but porcelain isn't fun to hone and since it is way harder than concrete or natural stone it eats up the polishing equipment so it won't be cheap and probably a lot of companies won't want to do it.

Your best bet is to chip out as many as you can in the most noticeable areas and put in tiles that match. Probably the cheapest route too.

 

[Gerald O]

You installed those tiles knowing that they didn't have matching surface finishes. Since too many of them are the rougher finish I'd just live with the tire marks now, and clean them up once in a while. Anything you put on the tile is just going to have its own maintenance hassle and will get marked up too.

 

[Denwood]

I would agree...despite my suggestion of surface sealer if the sheen is really bothering you. Just use and enjoy the floor as is. It looks awesome!

 

[Wakesurfer]

You installed those tiles knowing that they didn't have matching surface finishes.

Actually, we didn't know until after they were installed!

We recycled the boxes of almost all of the tiles as we used them so we can't say for sure if they were the same lot - lesson(s) learned. We do know that they were the same series, finish, and color. It looks like we will have to perfect our cleaning techniques!
Poorowner, thanks for the compliments, I'll post some finished product pictures eventually.

 

[Gerald O]

Actually, we didn't know until after they were installed!

Don't you agree that the difference is obvious in the photos. How could you not see that? Too late now, but you could have arranged them in a pattern rather than randomly mixing the two textures. No one would have predicted the tire marks though. I think that is going to vary too by the tire rubber compound itself. The tires on some of my cars leave heavy marks on my concrete while other tires barely leave any.

 

[gregtwojeeps]

I think your expectations are a bit high for a place a car is being parked in. It is a garage, a car tire will leave marks on porcelain just as it did on my new porcelain tile in the pic... that I laid in my previous garage.

So will melting snow/salt debris. It cleans easily, so save yourself some stress and missing out on life's other finer things and adjust your expectations of what a garage floor will look like that is being parked on.... accordingly. Good luck. JMO