Cement tile FLORA A+B - Series VIA special edition - 15 x 15 - grey brown / cream

Cement tiles were produced as early as the 1850̢۪s in France. They spread over the hole Mediterranean area fast, where you can still admire them in lordly mansions and public buildings to this very day.

Even nowadays every tile is hand-made. For that to happen, a coloured mixture is made by combining marble powder, white cement and pure colour pigments, that is than filled up with a carrier layer and bonded together under high pressure. As a result you get massive and extremely hard-wearing tiles with a slightly porous surface and a 3 mm thick colour coat and wearing surface. The characteristic and distinctive features these tiles have are attributable to the manufacturing process: the silky smooth surface, precious chatoyant colours, slightly uneven edges.

Surface

The surface shows a porous structure, similar to natural stone. Impregnation must be caried out after laying (see below). Through use and regular cleaning with re-fatting soft soaps a protective patina will develop and give the floor a vibrant look. Please be careful with acidic products (red wine, vinegar or the like). These should be removed immediately.

Deviations of colour, pattern and form as well as fine crazes and eruption of salt or lime may occur to a limited extent. The thickness of the tiles may vary slightly, the different thicknesses of the tiles are compensated during laying. When filling the master plate entry points may originate. These are also part of the characteristics of cement tiles and therefore are no reason to complain.

Suitability

The cement tiles are very hard-wearing and wear-resistant (similar to marble). Thanks to their (R9) step security they are suited for hallways, foyers and bathrooms. If your tap water contains high quantities of lime we discourage from laying in the shower area, as cleaning should not be carried out with acidic cleaning agents.

Cement tiles can be layed on underfloor heating, if the floor is heated evenly with usual water temperatures (22-28°C). Please avoid large temperature fluctuations. The combination with electric floor heating systems, which are inserted into the adhesive bed of the cement or terrazzo plates, is not recommended due to the increased thermal stress.

If cement floor tiles are laid in drywall construction, cementitious drywall tiles/screed elements should be used.

The tiles are not frost-resistant and therefore not suited for outdoor use.

Lead time

If the tiles from our standard range are not in stock, a delivery time of 10 weeks should be expected. Please send an enquiry! Tiles from our special series are made to order. The lead time is approx. 18-20 weeks.

Packaging and delivery

Tiles can only be transported safely with a forwarding agency. We would be pleased to provide you with an offer for delivery on your construction site. Transport cost depends on weight and distance. To prepare the offer we need to know the amount of tiles you plan to buy and your postcode.These tiles are delivered directly from our central warehouse to your construction site.

Receipt of goods

Please note that tiles must be transported to dry premises immediately, and cannot be put into interim storage in the open due to potential moisture absorption.

Laying

All tiling work must only be carried out by a qualified specialist. We cannot accept any liability for damages due to incorrect installation.

To achieve a harmonious play of colours we advise you to mix the packs among one another before laying them in the adhesive bed, leaving a thin gap (1-2mm) for the joints. Individual tiles may exhibit more pronounced colour differences, which is part of the laying pattern. However, before very differently coloured tiles are laid, this should be agreed between the tiler and the customer. The small joint width is a special design and should also be agreed explicitly between client and tiler.

The surface must be clean, even, load bearing, resistant to deformation, dry and free from anti-adhesive substances as well as solid and crack-free. Substrate treatment should be carried out according to the data given by the manufacturer of the tile adhesive. In order to bind the residual dust on the substrate and to reduce the absorbency of strongly absorbent substrates, the substrate should be pre-treated with a primer. (e.g. Oktamos UG 30 from Kiesel)

As tile adhesive we recommend using a very fast setting and hardening, high-strength and deformable mineral flexible mortar with crystalline water retention (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 large-toothed comb trowel. Using a 10 tooth comb trowel, the adhesive layer is applied which, when pressed and carefully aligned, allows a flat surface without runs and hot spots. For an almost cavity-free laying it is advisable to use the buttering-floating-technique. The open time / correction time of the adhesive must always be observed: the tiles must be inserted into the fresh thin-bed adhesive. Care must be taken that no skin has formed on the surface of the adhesive. Never stir too much adhesive and do not apply any more adhesive than can be processed during this time. Do not use already thickened residues. Moisture absorption of the tiles should be reduced to a minimum. Re-moistening of the tiles or irregular moisture content in the surface e.g. by drying too quickly, may cause effervescence.

The cement floor tiles can be cut best with a diamond blade. Even mitres can be cut that way, so that clean mitre joints on outer edges are possible. The cutting should be done dryly.

If the laid out tiles need to be covered, this should be made with a breathable material (Do not use cardboard as this might leave marks and discolouration).

Basic cleaning

Cleaning the tiles after they were laid out constitutes the basis for the impregnation. Begin with sweeping or vacuuming the floor, if necessary remove grout- and/or colour residues with a spatula; then go on with wiping the tiles with a slightly damp cloth. Coarse constructional contamination can be scrubbed of with abrasive powder after the floor was made wet. Never clean with acid! Rinse the tiles with pure water and leave the clean surface to dry out well.

Jointing

The tiles can be jointed 2-3 days after laying.

Before jointing, the surface of the flooring should be slightly pre-wetted in order to avoid burning out the joints. The jointing of the tiles is made with a mortar made of 2 parts trass cement and one part quartz sand (grain size 0 - 0.3mm) that are combined with water to a yoghurt like texture and applied to the well-swept floor. The mortar is pressed into the joints with an epoxy resin floorboard and is worked in until the joint no longer falls (i.e. the mortar fills the joint completely).

ATTENTION: Do not use prepared joint fillers with plastic content, as these may establish a grey film. You will get the necessary trass cement and quartz sand in a hardware store.

After completion of a well-reachable section, the laying surface is completely cleaned by wiping with a slightly damp tile-laying sponge. However, the tiles should never be washed off wet! This could lead to cracking due to swelling and shrinkage.

Silicon joints should be made before the impregnation is applied. Please use a natural stone silicon that does not release acetic acid when curing in order to avoid discolouration. .

Impregnation/Sealing

Impregnation can be carried out 8-10 days after jointing, if the laying surface is thoroughly dry. The cement tiles have an open-pored surface and are therefore sensitive to dirt and moisture as long as they are not impregnated.

A clean, dry surface is the basis for subsequent impregnation. Before the impregnation, the floor should get cleaned again. Begin with sweeping or vacuuming the floor, if necessary remove grout- and/or colour residues with a spatula; then go on with wiping the tiles with a slightly damp cloth. Coarse constructional contamination can be scrubbed of with abrasive powder after the floor was made wet. Never clean with acid! Rinse the tiles with pure water and leave the clean surface to dry out well.

The cleaned tiles have a dull appearance. The surface shows a porous structure in the macro-fine scope. By closing this structure the floor will obtain the desired look. The general rule that applies for dirt as well as for the sealer: What is absorbed first is going to be visible.

Two different products are available for the impregnation, which can be used alternatively: VIA tile oil or VIA mineral impregnation

Option 1: Impregnation with tile oil

VIA tile oil is a deep penetrating, open-pore natural product with high filling power and rapid drying. Surfaces treated with VIA tile oil are free from toxins and allergy-triggering terpenes. Before the impregnation the tiles must be clean and absolutely dry; the capillary may not be saturated with water due to the previous cleaning. Before the impregnation of the whole surface is done, it is necessary to establish a meaningful trial area.

Suitable tools are paint rollers (foam) and a standard vibrating polishing machine. Soak the foam roller in tile oil to achieve an evenly saturating application of the oil. If the oil is absorbed by the floor at first, you must apply more oil until a thin excess is left behind. Rub in the excess oil immediately with the polishing machine. In easily accessible sections consisting of 3 tile rows, work your way to the exit. The oiling and polishing is best done in pairs.

The floor can be walked upon after 24 hours. The oil will be completely cured after 7 days and the floor will be ready for use. During curing you must not clean the floor.

Trial: After impregnation the floor may no longer absorb any liquids. This can be checked with some water drops that must drip off on the surface and should not penetrate the floor. This is the only way to ensure that the floor will be easy to clean and no dirt will settle.

Option 2: Impregnation with VIA mineral impregnation

VIA mineral impregnation is a protection against soiling on a sodium silicate basis with the following advantages:

• can also be used with residual moisture in the freshly laid tiles
• easy and time-saving application
• Crystallization results in improved resistance to abrasion and chemicals. Before the impregnation the tiles must be clean. Before impregnation of the whole surface is done, it is necessary to establish a meaningful trial area.

A small amount of VIA mineral impregnation is applied thinly on a small section with a floor mop. Apply the first layer going in one direction and the second layer in the opposite direction, as if painting a cross. The mineral impregnation is also absorbed by the surface at first, so the section must be worked on until a thin excess remains. Then push the surplus into the next working section and continue the process until the entire laying surface has been worked on. After about 1 hour of drying, a second layer is applied over the entire area.

Surpluses and striation should be avoided Excesses that have not been carefully removed form an ireversible milky veil on the surface. The floor can be walked upon after 12 hours. The floor will be ready for use after 7 days.

TRIAL: After impregnation the floor may no longer absorb any liquids. This can be checked with some water drops that must drip off on the surface and should not penetrate the floor. This is the only way to ensure that the floor will be easy to clean and no dirt will settle.

Surface polishing

The freshly impregnated floors as well as older tiles can be polished with diamond pads and a rotary disc machine. Diamond pads are floor pads prepared with billions of microscopic diamonds which clean and polish the floor mechanically. Please proceed as follows:

The wet surface is worked on with three different pads successively. Each pad has a different graining and they are marked with different colours respectively.

• White pad (coarsest graining) Wet the floor. The white pad removes minor scratches and leaves a silk-mat, clean surface behind. This pad is not necessary for freshly laid floors.
• Yellow pad (middle graining) Wet he floor. The surface gets compacted and the foundation for the subsequent polishing is established.
• Green pad (finest graining) Go over the wet floor several times until it’s dry. A closed surface arises. This pad is also suitable for the daily care of the floor.

Care instructions

Every cleaning procedure consists of cleaning and care. It is important that the cleaning effect is not reached by using acidic cleaning agents, but by using alcaline, slightly re-fatting cleaning agents!!! Acidic cleaners roughen the surface and should never be used. Coarse contaminations can be removed with abrasive powder. Traditionally, terrazzo floors were cleaned with a re-fatting soft soap – soft soap contributes to the care of the floor as it is naturally re-fatting.

Haste makes waste – a patina will form over time and protect the floor.

Treatment of stains

Any dripped liquids, especially red wine should be removed immediately. Stubborn stains can be removed with a scourer, scouring pads or rough brush and scouring powder. However, stains that arose prior to the impregnation or due to incomplete and deficient impregnation, are usually irreversible. Grinding with a diamond sanding pad can help in order to conceal this - but if need be, the tile must be replaced.

Source of supply for additional products

The below mentioned products for laying and surface treatment are available at our company:

• 711.0000.GRU - VIA plate primer 5kg-containers consumption ca. 0,15 -0,25 kg / sqm
• 711.0000.KLE - VIA tile adhesive 25kg-bag consumption ca. 25 kg / 4-5 sqm
• 711.0000.SAN - VIA quartz sand 5kg-bag sufficient for approx. 100 sqm of laying area
• 711.0000.OEL - VIA tile oil 1 l consumption ca. 1 l / 30-40 sqm
• 711.0000.MIN - VIA mineral impregantion 1 l consumption ca. 1 L / 10 sqm
• 711.0000.SEI - VIA tile soap 1 l consumption 1 tablespoon for 10 l water
• 711.0000.DSG - big diamond pads 1 set white-yellow-green / diameter 402 mm
• 711.0000.DSK - small diamond pads 1 set white-yellow-green / diameter 201 mm