I got my first tile job......help..lol

[Clean-n-mean]

Hey guys,
I got my first descent size tile job this morning!!! I'm going to use robs groutmaster on it too!!!
It's about 440 Sq. Ft. of Spanish salcido tile. Is that how you spell it?
It's that big dark red kinda wavy tile. I will post a picture tonight.
So I want to clean it and seal it with a brilliant shine.
Here's my plan:

1. Robs groutmaster with my oreck xl with blue scrub ring.
2. 500 psi rinse and extract with my pmf wand and high heat.

Does this sound good?? So what and how do I seal it??? Do i use a wax on it or some type of sealer???
Does rob sell the sealer? I'm gonna need more groutmaster too.
Sound like a good plan??
Thanks for any and all help!! I'm gonna need all the help I can get........lol

 

[Clean-n-mean]

Spanish Saltillo tile. That's the name!!

 

[Lars]

Need to scrub those big grout lines. Agitation is key to cleaning especially at 500 psi. That’s not going to get it done with steam alone. Spent a little time scrubbing and loosing everything up before you steam and it will look great

 

[Clean-n-mean]

Need to scrub those big grout lines. Agitation is key to cleaning especially at 500 psi. That’s not going to get it done with steam alone. Spent a little time scrubbing and loosing everything up before you steam and it will look great

Thank You Lars!!! Yes, I will scrub them good with my oreck!!! Do you know what to use to seal or wax them????

 

[Clean-n-mean]

I found this video. However they dont say what type of sealer they use???

 

[Clean-n-mean]

Cant i do this with my oreck and the grout master?? Why is he doing it by hand?? Cant he scratch the tiles doing it with that scraper? I thought these saltillo where softer clay material?

 

[Clean-n-mean]

I dont know...
I'm not feeling the "fresh outa jail" look.....lol

 

[Dream Clean]

The real question is "does it already have a sealer on it" because if it does you're in for a ride. You would have to remove it with some type of floor stripper and lots and lots of scrubbing. As for a high shine finish I use a product called Rock Candy that puts a very durable high gloss finish on the whole floor. I always warn my customers though that it needs to be maintained and that it will be a bit pricey in the future, due to having to strip it all off if they let it get too bad.

If the tile is bare then a regular clean should get it done no problem.

 

[Clean-n-mean]

The real question is "does it already have a sealer on it" because if it does you're in for a ride. You would have to remove it with some type of floor stripper and lots and lots of scrubbing. As for a high shine finish I use a product called Rock Candy that puts a very durable high gloss finish on the whole floor. I always warn my customers though that it needs to be maintained and that it will be a bit pricey in the future, due to having to strip it all off if they let it get too bad.

If the tile is bare then a regular clean should get it done no problem.

Thanks for the help. I dont think it does. Going to look at it tomorrow. Just want to be sure I can get it looking really nice.

 

[Anderson]

be careful on that mexican/spanish tile stuff....

if it is waxed - you may have to pass on it ....
as you can peel or discolor the wax and have major issues.....

i have done those before but you gotta only clean grout lines...
any scrubbing or pressure heat on tiles will take off wax???

dont know but most of those tiles have been waxed???

go to a closet...get a screw driver to see if it peels off in an inconspicuous corner......

 

[Smtwn janitorial]

Careful... as said above. There are several old threads on it.

 

[Lars]

Thanks for the help. I dont think it does. Going to look at it tomorrow. Just want to be sure I can get it looking really nice.

Home Depot has some glossy sealer that will make it look nice

 

[Clean-n-mean]

be careful on that mexican/spanish tile stuff....

if it is waxed - you may have to pass on it ....
as you can peel or discolor the wax and have major issues.....

i have done those before but you gotta only clean grout lines...
any scrubbing or pressure heat on tiles will take off wax???

dont know but most of those tiles have been waxed???

go to a closet...get a screw driver to see if it peels off in an inconspicuous corner......

Thanks anderson!! So if its waxed or sealed dont bother or just do the grout lines. All grout lines by hand???
Wow!! Sounds like a expensive deal..

 

[Clean-n-mean]

I will do exactly what you said and test it first. I hope it's got nothing on it!!

 

[Anderson]

bro

to do that saltilo stuff....
you are basically doing a strip and wax janitorial job.....
at least to do it right......
thats what the guys are doing in the video....
they arent carpet cleaners...and they dont have to be.....

i have cleaned mexican tile......grout
low heat or no heat...
clean grout lines only....
low pressure...
only scrub grout lines with a grout brush......
do not scrub tile......
prespray only on grout lines.....

and you may be Ok without removing the old sealer?????
and the customer may be 50% pleased??????

because you are not really doing what the guys in the video or doing!!!!

But I have told these customers ...this is all I can do and if they wont it stripped and waxed they will have to get a janitorial co. to pay 3-4 times what I charge!!!!

All this to say this is a difficult place to start.....

 

[Anderson]

I will do exactly what you said and test it first. I hope it's got nothing on it!!

what are you charging????

 

[Clean-n-mean]

bro

to do that saltilo stuff....
you are basically doing a strip and wax janitorial job.....
at least to do it right......
thats what the guys are doing in the video....
they arent carpet cleaners...and they dont have to be.....

i have cleaned mexican tile......grout
low heat or no heat...
clean grout lines only....
low pressure...
only scrub grout lines with a grout brush......
do not scrub tile......
prespray only on grout lines.....

and you may be Ok without removing the old sealer?????
and the customer may be 50% pleased??????

because you are not really doing what the guys in the video or doing!!!!

But I have told these customers ...this is all I can do and if they wont it stripped and waxed they will have to get a janitorial co. to pay 3-4 times what I charge!!!!

All this to say this is a difficult place to start.....

Anderson,
Alright thank you! I appreciate the help man. I will talk to her. I may just stay away from it. Shes from my church, so if I messed it up I dont think it would be a problem.

 

[Clean-n-mean]

what are you charging????

I dont know yet. I have not seen it. I mean I've seen it, been over there, but never looked at it from a job standpoint.
I've done her carpets before. And they where shocked how nice they turned out. So she trusts me.

 

[Anderson]

2 tile jobs to stay away from

1. saltilo
2. color sealed grout lines.... - major problems??????

last saltilo tile i did...
i explained all this to the client...tried to talk her out of my service.....said i could only clean...
that grout would look good...
but tile wudnt look much different....
\
she didnt know if the tile had been waxed????
she said she wanted the job done anyway!!!!
ok so I did the job with flex citrus......now i use GM
following my procedure of grout only cleaning....

there was some discoloring on the waxed tile....
grout looked fine...
I wasnt pleased with the job...
but she was...
coudnt believe it !!???....lol....

 

[Clean-n-mean]

2 tile jobs to stay away from

1. saltilo
2. color sealed grout lines.... - major problems??????

last saltilo tile i did...
i explained all this to the client...tried to talk her out of my service.....said i could only clean...
that grout would look good...
but tile wudnt look much different....
\
she didnt know if the tile had been waxed????
she said she wanted the job done anyway!!!!
ok so I did the job with flex citrus......now i use GM
following my procedure of grout only cleaning....

there was some discoloring on the waxed tile....
grout looked fine...
I wasnt pleased with the job...
but she was...
coudnt believe it !!???....lol....
[/QUOTE
Ehhhh, I really need to look at this and report back to you.
I dont want to scrub grout by hand....