Advice on laying, cleaning and
maintaining the tiles
BEFORE LAYING
Firstly, before installing the product, it is important to check
that it conforms with what has been ordered in terms of
its appearance, format and quality. This should be done
by randomly checking the content of some of the boxes,
verifying that it corresponds with the delivery note for the
goods.At the same time it should also be verified that
the material is in perfect condition. The pieces should be
handled with care to avoid any problems of deterioration
(chips, cracks, scratches, etc.). Having carried out this
inspection, the surface needs to be prepared where the
product is going to be laid, applying a screed to the wall or
floor to create a totally smooth surface using selflevelling
materials. The necessary gradients must be respected
when laying outdoor flooring. In the case of flooring, before
laying the ceramic tiles, place some of the pieces on the
levelled surface to see the effect they have.
A product suitable for modular installation. For a modular
installation, shade and caliber compatibility must be
specifically requested when placing order. In modular
installation, 2mmgrout joint.
DURING LAYING
The appropriate system used for laying tiles
depends on the nature of the ceramic product.
Porcelain products should always be laid with a
fine layer of suitable adhesive, as per standard
UNE EN 12004. Special S1 or S2 type adhesives
should be used on facades and depending on the
format of the tile to be laid, as per standard EN
12OO2, using the appropriate mechanical means
to ensure the tiles adhere correctly.
When laying the tiles it is very important to use
the appropriate tools (toothed tiling trowel, rubber
mallet, rubber float for pointing, etc.).
The tiles should be seated with a rubber mallet,
making sure they are flush and achieving the
greatest possible coverage of adhesive on the
back of the tiles. To lay outdoor tiles, the “double
gluing” technique should be used, consisting
of applying adhesive on the support as well as
buttering the back of the tile to ensure total
coverage.
The sides of the already laid tiles should be
completely clean before laying the next tile.
Both for floors and walls, the pieces must be
positioned with perfect alignment both vertically
and horizontally in terms of their joints.
When laying tiles in an offset pattern, the pieces
must not be further apart than 20% of their total
length.
Polished and/or rectified ceramic tiles are slightly
bevelled to avoid any chipping and to make them
easier to lay. The rectified wall tiles must be
placed with a gap of at least 1,5mm while rectified
floor tiles will be placed with 2mm gap for indoors.
In the case of either not rectified floors or walls the
minimum gap required will be 2,5 mm. In outdoors
the gap between tiles must be at least 3 mm.
Joints should always be sealed with a rubber
float once the tiling adhesive has completely
set. The material’s application times must be
respected and any leftovers removed using a
sponge soaked in water.
Structural / partition and perimeter joints must
be respected.
In areas greater than 7 m
2
, a minimum joint of
5 mm must be left around the whole perimeter
in order to absorb any possible movement in
the tiles.
Partition joints should be made on surfaces
greater than 50 m
2
indoors and 25 m
2
outdoors,
with a division every 5x5 metre block indoors and
every 4x4 metre block outdoors.
When laying skirting and fillets, their size should
never exceed the nominal size of the base.
AFTER LAYING
Particularly with flooring, once the repointing
process has been completed, any excess
material must be removed before it hardens
and then the tiles cleaned with non-abrasive
products (avoiding hydrofluoric acid, such as
hydrochloric acid and other similar products).
The tiles can be cleaned adequately with hot
water and a neutral detergent.
Fillets with metallic applications should not be
cleaned with products containing acids neither
with scouring pads or other elements that
could damage the surface of the tiles, making
the decoration disappear.A damp sponge
should be used to clean them instead.
It is important to protect the clean, tiled surface
with cardboard or other protection so that the rest
of the workers on the site do not damage it.
MAINTENANCE
Before trying to remove a stain with aggressive
cleaning agents, it is advisable to test the effect
of these products on the surface of the floor/wall
tiles and the grouting material in a tiled area that
is not visible, thereby avoiding any damage or
significant changes to the tile’s surface.
In any case, it is advisable to provide the client with
information on recommended cleaning agents for
removing stains and the recommended adhesive
materials for tiling.
Special attention should be paid to the initial
cleaning as well as to the subsequent maintenance
of the polished floors and walls.
During polishing, the micropores in the surface of
polished porcelain flooring open up, which means
they are more susceptible to staining by certain
liquids.
With these polished porcelain floors, it is very
important that any liquid that might affect them (oil,
fizzy drinks, alcoholic drinks and acids) are cleaned
up with water as quickly as possible to avoid
exposing the tiles to the liquid and staining them.
The flooring may be affected if the stain is left on
the tules for a long time.
special pieces
In complementary special pieceswheremetals havebeen
used (gold, silver, copper,...),lustres,mashing, resins, glass,
etc., may present certain characteristics (slight variations in
shade, oxidation on contact with air and moisture, aged
appearance with the passage of time,...)
Rectified and/or meshed materials require handling with
care to prevent chipping on their edges and surface
scratches.
For fixing glass listellos, use silicon or non acetic adhesives
of class C2 and D2.
Complementary pieces are not suitable for outdoor
installation, except those obtained from its base and this
would be recommended for outdoor installation.
CLEANING OF WORK: Avoid the hardening of the
adhesive material on the piece (clean before 24 hours).
Remove the remnants of adhesive (cements, String, etc.)
with a sponge and plentiful water. Not use any abrasive
product or application with acidic or alkaline
base, to avoid any loss of appearance or surface attack.
Do not use products with hydrochloric acid nor cleaning
pads.
MAINTENANCE: in the cleaning of tiles, not use powder
detergents, neither acidic nor alkaline solutions, neither
cleaning pads nor abrasive elements. It is enough to use a
neutral liquid soap and a wet cloth.
Noclaimswillbeacceptedformaterial installed,risingfrom
a failure tocomplywith thesuggestions for installation, and
if the above instructions have not been followed.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS WHEN LAYING
A STEP TREAD TILE
A step tread tile is made up of a floor tile joined to
a curved vertical moulding or stair nosing. This is
made in extruded stoneware with white porcelain
paste, is highly resistant and has an ergonomic
profile in the shape of a step. The step tread tile
provides an effective, safe solution for all kinds of
stairs, changes in level, ledges and edging.
To post these tiles correctly, they need to be
placed on a prepared surface, preferably using a
good quality adhesive mortar or cement adhesive
in a fine coat spread over the support with a
toothed tro el and with double bonding, so that
when it is packed, a continuous, regular layer
of adhesive remains between the tile and the
support, without any gaps.
The tiles should then be adjusted to the support
edge to stop them from jutting out or lacking any
real support (see figure 1). If the piece is deeper
than required, it must be cut to size so that the
tread is totally supported by the base of the
support and so that the moulding adheres to the
rise of the step after the tile is put into place (see
figure 2).
AFTER-SALES SERVICE
The site foreman or, if applicable, the buyer is
directly responsible for upervising and checking the
material supplied (quality thereof, state of packing,
that the documentation provided corresponds to
the installed product, in accordance with current
legislation.
Any anomaly in product quality must be notified
to the Commercial Department of Keraben S.A. In
order to make a complaint about any product it is
necessary to state the model, format, tone, calibre
and physical tests carried out on the product,
as well as the flap on the product identifying it
and the invoice for the purchase, and any other
evidence that may be of interest in order to reach
a decision concerning this complaint.
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