Aga Ranges Fired Earth - Manual (Page 7)

Pammets because salt pits cannot be
'blended in' without the use of wax polish.
Maintenance
Terracotta floors should be swept or
vacuumed regularly to remove all loose dirt.
It is important to use the correct Fired Earth
products when maintaining your floor, as
these have been formulated to both clean
the floor and be gentle on the sealants.
Spillage and cooking stains should never be
allowed to remain on an unglazed floor and
should be wiped off immediately with a
clean, damp cloth. More stubborn marks
can usually be removed using white spirit.
Terracotta finished with wax polish
Between waxing, the floor should be
washed with Fired Earth Super Floor*
diluted in clean, warm water. Avoid harsh
or abrasive floor cleaners.
For most domestic floors it is advisable to
apply further wax coats from time to time.
The frequency will be dictated by the wear
and washing the floor receives. If a build
up of wax becomes visible, reduce the
frequency of waxing. Likewise, if the tiles
are marking or look dull and dry, increase
the frequency.
Terracotta finished with
Cotto Rapid*
Floors should be wiped clean using Fired
Earth Stone Clean* - diluted with water.
Reapply Cotto Rapid* when the floor
appears dull.
General characteristics
Efflorescence - Terracotta contains various
soluble minerals and salts which can be
activated by damp and moisture. This may
appear as a white stain or ‘bloom’ on the
surface and should be wiped away with a
clean damp cloth. Stubborn efflorescence
may be removed with a cement stain
remover, such as HG Extra Cement/Grout
Remover*. Do not soak terracotta tiles
during fixing as this may activate
efflorescence.
Streaking - This occurs when terracotta is
sealed with a dirty brush, dirty oil or uneven
application. As soon as streaking is noticed,
stop sealing and eliminate the cause.
Sweating - Terracotta tiles can sweat and
on occasion may actually exude recently
applied sealer. This might happen when cool,
damp tiles are sealed in a hot environment
or if a new floor is sealed in an unoccupied
property in mid-winter. Avoid sealing
terracotta tiles under these conditions.
Salt pits - Salt occurs naturally in
terracotta. In certain situations the salt is
drawn to the surface and creates craters or
blistering. Should this occur, fill the craters
with grout, reseal and finish.
Mildew - If terracotta tiles are sealed while
damp, or the subfloor is damp, there is a risk
of mildew forming in the tiles. This will
appear as black or white marks and spots.
For further information contact the Fired
Earth Technical Department.
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12
Presealed Terracotta
These tiles require no sealing.
Finishing
Apply one coat of Cotto Rapid*. The use of
this product on Pale Presealed Terracotta
may darken the appearance. Reapply
Cotto Rapid* when the floor appears dull.
Maintenance
Presealed terracotta floors should be swept
or vacuumed regularly to remove loose dirt.
It is important to use the recommended
Fired Earth products when maintaining
your floor as these have been formulated
to both clean the floor and be gentle on
the sealants. Floors should be wiped clean
using Fired Earth Stone Clean* diluted
with water.
Geometric and Roman Mosaic Tiles
Sealing
Geometric tiles should be sealed with two
sparing coats of MN Stain Stop*. They
require no further sealant or finishing. Fired
Earth Roman Mosaic tiles do not require
sealing prior to grouting. Apply 2 coats of
MN Stain Stop* after grouting.
Maintenance
Tiled floors should be swept or vacuumed
regularly to remove all loose dirt. It is
important to use the correct Fired Earth
products when maintaining your floor, as
these have been formulated to both clean
the floor and be gentle on the sealants.
Spillage and cooking stains should never be
allowed to remain on an unglazed floor and
should be wiped off immediately with a
clean, damp cloth. More stubborn marks
can usually be removed using white spirit.
Floors should be wiped clean with MN Easy
Care* diluted with water.
Encaustic Tiles
Due to the very porous and delicate nature
of this tile, extreme care must be taken
with handling and installing.
Fired Earth recommend the use of our
installation service for this tile. Please
discuss further details with a member of
our Sales Team.
Detailed fitting instructions must be
followed. These can be obtained through
our sales teams in store or via our Technical
Department (see page 24 for contact
numbers).