Cement Floor Tile HELIA - Series VIA - 20 x 20 - sand/white

Sand-coloured cement tiles: Traditional design for modern interiors

The HELIA cement tile combines a handcrafted texture with a understated, minimalist design. The muted sand tone and delicate white ornamentation create a warm, vibrant base for modern interior concepts, providing a natural contrast to smooth surfaces.

Thanks to its matt finish, the tile is particularly suitable as a characterful floor covering for open-plan kitchens and entrance areas where a pleasant, natural barefoot feel is desired.

Product features & material:
Authenticity: Genuine cement tile (not ceramic), open-pored and naturally warm underfoot.
Appearance: Matt sand beige with a delicate white pattern.
Character: Over the years, the material develops a natural patina typical of cement products.

Care and installation:
Cement tiles are sensitive to acids and are therefore not suitable for direct wet areas (e.g. inside the shower). For long-lasting protection, professional impregnation is necessary after installation. Cleaning should only be carried out using acid-free products, such as soft soap.

Planning advice:
For a harmonious layout, we recommend laying the tiles with narrow joints.

Price per m²: 95 €

incl. VAT,
plus shipping

Delivery time ca. 2-3 Wochen

Article: 104177-001

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More information

Surface
Cement floor tiles have an open-pored surface, similar to natural stone. They must be impregnated after laying (see below). Use and maintenance care with moisturising soft soap will create a protective patina over time, bringing the floor to life. Caution is advised with acidic products (red wine, vinegar, etc.). These should be removed immediately if necessary.
In the case of cement floor tiles, deviations in pattern, colour and shape as well as fine hairline cracks and salt and lime chips may occur to a small extent. The tile thickness may vary slightly and must be levelled out during installation. Due to the production process, circular filling points may occur when filling the moulds. These are characteristic of cement tiles. These are not defective goods.
Suitability
Cement tiles are hard-wearing and wear-resistant (similar to marble). Thanks to their slip resistance (R9), they are also suitable for wet rooms such as corridors, entrance areas and bathrooms.
Installation in directly wet areas is generally not recommended, however. Floor coverings in showers must fulfil at least slip resistance class R10 and B. Cement tiles fulfil slip resistance class R9 and B. Additional measures would therefore have to be taken to fulfil the legal requirements. Particularly high demands are placed on the protection of cement tiles in wet areas. Aggressive acidic cleaning agents can attack inadequately protected cement tiles. Care products such as hairspray, shampoo and shower gel often have a pH value that is pleasant for human skin but can become a problem for cement tiles. The frequent alternation of moisture and drying is very stressful. Limescale marks that develop over time cannot be adequately removed and make the surfaces rather unsightly over time.
Cement tiles are also suitable for underfloor heating if the floor is heated evenly and at a normal water temperature (22-28°C). Excessive temperature fluctuations should be avoided. The combination with electric underfloor direct heating systems, which are laid in the adhesive bed of the cement or terrazzo tiles, is not recommended due to the greater thermal stress.
If cement floor tiles are laid on dry construction substrates, cement-bonded dry construction boards / screed elements should be used.
Cement floor tiles are only partially frost-resistant and are not suitable for outdoor use.
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Maintenance
Every cleaning process consists of cleaning and maintenance. It is important that the cleaning effect is not achieved with acidic cleaning agents, but with alkaline, slightly moisturising cleaners !!! Acidic cleaning agents roughen the surface and should not be used under any circumstances. Coarse soiling can also be removed with scouring powder (e.g. ATA) and a brush. Traditionally, cement mosaic tiles and terrazzo floors were cleaned with a moisturising soft soap - soft soap contributes to floor care through natural moisturising.
Good things take time - a patina only builds up over time and protects the floors maintained in this way.
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Basic cleaning
After installation, thorough cleaning is the basis for impregnation. After sweeping or vacuuming the floor, possibly also removing mortar and paint residues, the surface should be wiped with a slightly damp cloth. Coarse building soiling can be scrubbed off with scouring powder after light pre-wetting. Acidification is not permitted! Then wipe the boards sparingly with clean water and allow to dry thoroughly.
Laying
The installation work must be carried out by an installer who is familiar with the specific material properties. We accept no liability for improper processing.

Before the individual panels are inserted into the adhesive bed with as few joints as possible (joint width 1-2 mm), the packages should be mixed together to create a harmonious interplay of colours. Individual slabs may show stronger colour differences, this is part of the laying pattern. However, before laying tiles with very different colours, this should be agreed between the installer and the client. The narrow joint width is a special design and should also be explicitly agreed between the client and installer.

The substrate must be clean, level, load-bearing, dimensionally stable, dry and free from adhesion-reducing substances, stable and free from cracks. The substrate should be treated in accordance with the adhesive manufacturer's instructions. In order to bind the residual dust of the substrate and reduce the absorbency of highly absorbent substrates, the substrate should be pre-treated with a primer as required. (e.g. Oktamos UG 30 from Kiesel)

A particularly fast-setting and hardening, highly stable and mouldable mineral flexible mortar with crystalline water binding must be used as the tile adhesive. (e.g. Servoflex K-Schnell SuperTec from Kiesel). Firstly, a contact layer of the flexible mortar is applied to the substrate with the smooth side of the notched trowel. A layer of adhesive is then applied with a 10 mm notched trowel, which, when pressed down and carefully aligned, creates an even surface without any overhangs. The buttering-floating method should be used to ensure a fully saturated, void-free installation. The open time/correction time of the adhesive must be strictly adhered to: the boards must be pushed into the fresh adhesive bed and pressed into place. Care must be taken to ensure that no skin has formed on the surface of the adhesive. Never mix too much adhesive and do not apply more adhesive than can be processed in this time. Do not use leftover adhesive that has already thickened! During installation, care must also be taken to minimise the penetration of moisture into the boards. Rewetting of the tiles or an uneven moisture content in the covering, e.g. due to the surface drying too quickly, can lead to cupping.

Cement floor tiles are best cut with a diamond blade. Even
mitres can be designed so precisely that clean joints on outer edges are possible. Cutting should be done dry.

If the laid floor still needs to be covered, this should be done with a breathable material (no cardboard, as this can leave marks and discolouration).
Grouting
The tiles can be grouted 2-3 days after installation.
Before grouting, the flooring surface should be slightly pre-wetted to prevent the joints from burning out. The grouting mortar is mixed on site from trass cement 2:1 with the finest quartz sand (grain size 0 - 0.3 mm) with the addition of water to a yoghurt-like consistency and applied to the swept tile floor. The mortar is pressed into the joints with an epoxy resin grout board and worked in until the joint no longer falls (i.e. the mortar completely fills the joint.)

CARE: Do not use ready-made grouts that contain a plastic component, as these can form an irreversible grey haze! The required quartz sand and trass cement can be obtained from building materials stores.
Once a section that is easily accessible has been completed, the laying surface is completely cleaned by wiping with a slightly damp tiling sponge. However, the tiles should never be washed off! This could lead to cracking due to swelling and shrinkage.
Silicone joints should be applied after the impregnation has been applied. Use a natural stone silicone to avoid discolouration. Always use the smoothing agent specified by the respective natural stone silicone manufacturer. Remove excess smoothing agent immediately without disturbing the joint!
continue to apply oil until a thin excess remains. Immediately polish the excess oil into the surface with the vibrating polishing machine. Work in easily accessible sections of approx. 3 panel rows towards the exit. Oiling and polishing is best done in p
Impregnation can be applied 8-10 days after grouting, when the laying surface is thoroughly dry. Both cement tiles and terrazzo tiles are open-pored and therefore sensitive to dirt and moisture as long as they are not impregnated.
A clean, dry surface is the basis for impregnation. The floor should be thoroughly cleaned again before impregnation. After sweeping or vacuuming the floor, possibly also removing mortar and paint residues, the tiled surface should be wiped with a slightly damp cloth. Coarse building dirt can be scrubbed off with scouring powder after pre-wetting and then wiped sparingly with clean water. Acidification is not permitted! Allow the cleaned surface to dry well again.
The thoroughly cleaned tiles have a dull appearance. The surface shows an open-pored structure in the macrofine area. Closing this structure gives the floor its desired appearance. The following generally applies to both impregnating agents and dirt: What penetrates first is also visible.

Two different products are available for impregnation, which can be used as desired: VIA Board Oil or VIA Mineral Impregnation

Design 1: Impregnation with Board Oil
VIA Board Oil is a deeply penetrating, open-pored natural product with high filling power and fast drying. Surfaces treated with VIA Board Oil are free from toxins and allergenic terpenes. Before impregnation with VIA Tile Oil, the tiles must be clean and completely dry
Surface polishing
Surfaces freshly impregnated with VIA tile oil or VIA mineral impregnation, as well as tile surfaces that have been in use for many years, can be polished using diamond abrasive pads and a single disc machine. Diamond abrasive pads are floor cleaning discs that are equipped with countless microscopic diamonds and mechanically clean and polish the floor.
The procedure is as follows:

The moistened surface is treated with three different pads in succession. The pads have three different grain sizes and are marked with different colours.
- Wet the surface with the white pad (coarsest grain size). The white pad removes minor scratches and leaves a silky matt, clean surface. This pad is not required for freshly laid floors.
- Moisten the surface with the yellow pad (medium grain). The surface is compacted and forms the basis for subsequent polishing.
- Green pad (finest grain) The damp floor is worked over several times until it is dry. A closed surface is created. This pad is also suitable for daily floor maintenance.
The correct side of the pad must be mounted on the single disc machine. The marked side must face upwards. The surface must be moistened
Stain treatment
Any dripping liquids, especially red wine or similar, should be removed immediately. Stubborn stains can be removed with a pot cleaner, scouring pad or coarse brush and scouring powder. However, stains that occurred before impregnation or due to incomplete and inadequate impregnation are usually irreversible. Sanding with a diamond sanding pad can help to conceal these - if necessary, however, the board must be replaced.
Where to buy additional products
The specified products for installation and surface treatment are available from us:
- 711.0000.GRU - VIA board primer * 5 kg * Consumption approx. 0.15 -0.25 kg / sqm
- 711.0000. KLE - VIA panel adhesive * 25 kg bag * consumption approx. 25 kg / 4-5 sqm
- 711.0000.SAN - VIA quartz sand * 5 kg bag * sufficient for 100 sqm installation area
- 711.0000.OEL - VIA panel oil * 1 L * consumption approx. 1 L / 30-40 sqm
- 711.0000.MIN - VIA Mineral Impregnation * 1 L * Consumption approx. 1 L / 10 sqm
- 711.0000.SEI - VIA Slab Soap * 1 L * Application 1 tbsp. to 10 L water
- 711. 0000.DSG - Diamond sanding pads large * 1 set * white/yellow/green - diameter 402 mm
- 711.0000.DSK - Diamond sanding pads small * 1 set * white/yellow/green - diameter 201 mm
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