Care and Maintenance - Porcelain

Horizon Italian Tile recommends following these simple steps to ensure the beauty of your porcelain for its lifetime.

Post-Installation Cleaning
The first and most important step involves the complete removal of grout residue and construction debris after the initial installation. The most effective way to remove grout residue is to follow the grout manufacturers recommendations and instructions.

For products with a matte or textured finish Horizon Tile recommends using Fila Deterdek Acid Cleaner post-installation to remove thin set residue and grout haze on porcelain tile.
For products with a polished finish or finishes that are acid sensitive Horizon Tile recommends using Fila Neutral Cleaner.
Thorough rinsing with clean water is necessary to ensure successful cleaning.

Daily Maintenance
Porcelain tiles require minimal maintenance.
Daily cleaning should be performed first by sweeping or vacuuming to remove loose soil or other surface contaminants, followed by damp mopping with clean hot water.

For optimum results:

Horizon Italian Tile provides these recommendations to its customers as an information source only. Horizon Italian Tile can not guarantee the performance of the cleaners recommended as Horizon has no control over the application of cleaners by other parties. Horizon Italian Tile recommends testing a small area prior to using any cleaning or maintenance product to determine if it is suitable for its intended purpose. Horizon Italian Tile is not liable for damages of any nature to your porcelain tile. 

 

 

 

 
Installation Recommendations 
 
According to the Tile Council of North America, lippage is defined as a condition where one edge of a tile is higher than an adjacent tile, giving the finished surface an uneven appearance. This condition is inherent in all installation methods and may also be unavoidable due to the tile tolerances, in accordance with ANSI A137.1. 
 
Some patterns, such as a 50% off-set (also known as brick joint), accentuate the effects of warpage and therefore result in more lippage than most installation patterns. Horizon Italian Tile recommends using a running bond pattern not exceeding a 33% offset in order to avoid lippage. The grout joint thickness can also play a role in an exaggeration of lippage. It is important to understand that widening the grout joint does not eliminate lippage, but it can make the lippage less apparent. Horizon Italian Tile recommends a minimum grout joint of 1/8” for all rectified tiles in order to avoid lippage. 
 
Lighting conditions are also a factor to be taken into consideration in the appearance of lippage. Techniques where the lighting is located at the wall/ceiling interface or mounted directly on the wall, such as cascading light, cove lighting and wall-washers, tend to accentuate the shadows cast onto the surface of the tile. This can result in exaggerated and unappealing shadows on allowable lippage and/or warpage. In order to insure an acceptable installation, it is recommended to coordinate a job site mock up with the final lighting installed. 

 

 

 

 

 

Print HERE: Recycled Porcelain Tile