Use and Care Guide

RECOMMENDATIONS GUIDE
Polished Tiles
In the event a polished finish
is used in an area prone to
excessive spills or dirt, it
may be advisable to treat the
tile with a penetrating-type
sealer.
During the polishing process,
microscopic pores are sometimes
exposed. Although the pores
are shallow, spills can fill
them making standard cleaning
procedures inadequate. By
using a penetrating-type
sealer, these microscopic
pores are filled preventing
stains from setting in. A
penetrating-type sealer is
designed only to fill pores,
not to coat the tile surface.
You will not alter the polished
tile’s appearance, provided
a recommended sealer is used
and applied according to
manufacturer’s instructions.
Glazed, Matte, Honed
and Textured Tiles
StonePeak Ceramics’ porcelain
tile products do not require
the use of sealers, surface
coating or waxes on the
Glazed, Matte, Honed and
Textured porcelain tiles. In
fact, the surface of the matte
series is so smooth, and non-
absorbing, that Stain Test
results show that StonePeak
Ceramics’ porcelain tiles are
virtually stain resistant.
Applying a sealer or surface
coating to matte finish
porcelain tiles will only
add unnecessary steps to the
overall maintenance program –
without enhancing the overall
appearance of the tile. The
use of sealers on impervious
porcelain paver tiles will
turn a low-maintenance tile
into labor intensive high-
maintenance tile, and in most
cases, these applied surface
sealers on matte porcelain
tiles change and/or diminish
the slip resistance of the
porcelain tile.
If contaminants occur due to more than daily routine activities,
then the use of a stronger cleaner may be needed. Use caution in
selecting the product for heavy duty cleaning as many chemicals
can damage items of the installation or near the installation
as well as discolor and/or stain certain types of tiles.
Porcelain tiles are the most durable tiles available, however,
we do not test every chemical made, and therefore a test area
is needed to confirm that the product selected is suitable
for the removal of the contaminant in question. Please refer
to the Stain Removal Guide for information about particular
stains and manufacturer information. The information listed
is only a guide. For more specific information please contact
one of the manufacturers listed. Always follow the directions
from the manufacturer of the cleaning product you intend to
use.
Daily
Maintenance
As with any flooring material, general maintenance and cleaning
varies depending on the surface, texture of the tile and
surface contaminate. Generally, neutral cleaners are more
than sufficient to clean and maintain StonePeak Ceramics’
porcelain tiles. It’s important that the cleaner used is a
non-oil, non-soap, and non-animal fat based product.
These cleaners have a tendency to act like a magnet and attract
dirt and dust, due to the residue build-up left behind during
the clean up.
Generally water and a soft sponge will remove most contaminants
from your porcelain tile. If a cleaning product other than
water is used for general cleaning only a neutral Ph cleaner
(with the characteristics described above) should be used.
These neutral Ph cleaners are available from most sealer
manufacturers and can be found at a local hardware store or
tile distributor. Cleaners such as Formula 409, Fantastic,
or Windex can sometimes be used on unsealed tiles, but most
are alkaline in nature and could attack the surface finish.
If using a cleaner such as this always test a small area
first. If you are not able to remedy the situation using the
materials above refer to the Heavy Duty Maintenance section of
the Recommendations Guide.
Heavy Duty
Maintenance
CARE AND MAINTENANCE
Initial Cleaning
During Installation
As with any flooring material,
the most important step in
the care and maintenance of
your porcelain floor is the
initial cleaning. The single
most important step in caring
for your StonePeak Ceramics’
floor is the complete
removal of setting material,
grout residue, and/or any
construction residue from the
surface of the tiles before
they have a chance to dry. In
most cases, StonePeak Ceramics’
porcelain tiles can be cleaned
successfully by scrubbing the
installation with a “neutral
detergent cleaner” followed by
a thorough rinsing.
If a grout residue still
remains, rinse further,
cleaning the tile several
times with clean water, to
be certain you have removed
traces of grout residue from
the surface of the tiles. Grout
manufacturers have printed
detailed instructions for
the proper cleaning of grout
residues available. The grout
manufacturer’s directions
should be followed if a grout
film is present on the surface
of the porcelain tiles.
Once the initial cleaning
process has been completed,
StonePeak Ceramics’ porcelain
tiles just need to be swept or
vacuumed and damp mopped with
a “neutral detergent cleaner”
followed by a thorough
rinsing.
Please note: Acid washing is rarely recommended. Acid or acid based cleaners should not be used to clean a grout residue. Some
acids can burn non-epoxy or cementitious grouts and leave a white film that is almost impossible to remove. Also, the use of
certain acid solutions can structurally weaken the grout in the joint of the tile. If in the event a mild solution of sulfamic or
phosphoric acid base cleaner is needed, carefully read the manufacturer’s instructions.
Special Grouting
Precautions
It is recommended that a test
patch be done prior to grouting
the installation to determine
if contaminations of grout
pigment will occur on the tile
– especially when using light
colored tiles or polished tiles
that are to be grouted with a
dark contras ting colored grout,
or when dark colored tiles are to
be grouted with a light colored
grout. If discoloration does not
occur on the surface of the tile,
then proceed with grouting. If
discoloration does occur, it
is recommended to request from
the grout manufacturer a proper
procedure for the protection of
this surface.
Proper Care During The
Construction Phase
Like any other finished material,
StonePeak Ceramics’ porcelain
tiles are viewed as a finish
flooring material. We strongly
recommend that a protective cover
such as cardboard, construction
paper, plywood, and/or other
covering which will protect the
porcelain tile during the initial
construction phase be used. The
use of plastic as a cover is
not recommended, since plastic
becomes slippery when construction
residue comes in contact with the
plastic. In addition, plastic has
a tendency to delay the natural
curing process of the thin-set
and/or grout.
Cleaner Manufacturers Contact Information
Miracle Sealants Company 12318 Lower Azusa Road, Arcadia, CA 91006 Phone: [phone] Extension 3013
Aqua Mix 250 Benjamin Drive, Corona, CA 92879 Phone: [phone]
Fila Chemicals 10800 NW 21st Street #170, Miami, FL 33172 Phone: [phone]
* SR/95 for difficult to remove and colored stains.
** Grout haze Clean-Up, Sulfamic Acid Crystals, and Phosphoric Acid Cleaner should not be used on polished or acid sensitive surfaces.
*** Miracle Sealants offers additional products for removal of these stains, refer to manufacturer’s literature.
Food Stains
Coffee, Wine, Grape, Juice, Tea,
Mustard, Ketchup, Soda, Other foods
Oil Based Stains
Animal Fats, Vegetable Fats, Cooking
oil, Wax, Rubber, Lipstick
Oil based paint
Other Stains
Ink, Felt Marker
Crayon
Pencil
Paint (H2O based)
Grout
Cement, Latex/Polymer
Epoxy
Stain Removal Guide
Stain Miracle Sealants Aqua Mix Fila Chemicals
Porcelain and Ceramic Tile Cleaner
or Miraclean #1***
Porcelain and Ceramic Tile Cleaner
or Liquid Poultice***
Porcelain and Ceramic Tile Cleaner
or Poultice Powder with Liquid Poultice,
Mira Strip
MiraSeal GCFR, H2O Strip or Epoxy Grout
Film Remover
Epoxy Grout Film Remover
Concentrated Stone & Tile Cleaner or
Heavy-Duty Tile & Grout Cleaner for heavier stains
Heavy-Duty Tile & Grout Cleaner
Sealer and Coating Remover
Sealer and Coating Remover
Phosphoric Acid Cleaner w/ Poultice Stain Remover
Sealer and Coating Remover
Sulfamic Acid Crystals or Phosphoric Acid Cleaner
(after 10 days on new grout)
or Grout Haze Clean-up (first 1-10 days)**
Sealer and Coating Remover
PS/87 or SR/95*
PS/87
PS/87 or No Paint
PS/87 or SR/95*
PS/87
PS/87 or No Paint
Deterdek
PS/87
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