CONCRETE & STONEWORK
PROTECTING & MAINTAINING EXTERNAL PORCELAIN PAVERS
With the increasing popularity of porcelain pavers , it ’ s no wonder that the discussion surrounding maintenance has increased . And there ’ s one issue , in particular , that keeps cropping up – should an external porcelain tile be protected and , if so , should a barrier treatment or a sealer be used ? LTP Director , Mark Atkins explains .
Routine sealing of natural stone laid indoors is now common practice . Even the advice to seal external stone pavers is gaining traction , bring with it benefits in terms of performance and aesthetics . Porcelain pavers , however , are seen as a different animal . Because matt porcelain doesn ’ t need to be sealed , it ’ s generally laid and assumed that it will look after itself . will penetrate quite easily and stain the tile . It will also be vulnerable to organic stains once installed . Many matt porcelain tiles , on the other hand , don ’ t need to be sealed . However , if the tile has a textured surface – which is generally the case in external applications – it will benefit from application of a quality barrier treatment before grouting .
What is the difference between a sealer and a barrier ? The difference between a sealer and barrier is down to the active ingredients .
In some respects , this is correct . Only porcelain tiles with a polished finish need to be sealed . This is because the polishing process exposes capillaries – effectively , lots of microscopic pin holes - which remain porous . If the surface of the tile isn ’ t sealed , grout and spillages
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