decaying finish on ceramic floor tile

[laurenpharm]

Over the last 3 weeks, the 18 year-old red ceramic tile in my entryway has been decaying on top. This is only affecting the tiles adjacent to the dining room and front door. We are in Austin, TX. and the weather has been hot, yet the house is air-conditioned. The tile also has a slight, pungent odor and the affected surfaces look crystalline and this scrapes off when it is scrubbed, leaving a brighter, red tile underneath. The tiles affected are in the same general area yet some tiles that are 3-4 tiles away are affected and the ones in between are not. Some are more completely affected whereas others just have a small spot.

I have two 1 year-old, neutered cats and an older neutered female cat yet they use the bathroom outside (at least, I have not caught them using the tile floor). Any idea what is happening here?

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[doitright]

Hi Lauren, Welcome! :)

Can you post a picture? :shades:

With your statement about the cats and the odor, I am suspect about them being the cause.

The urine in itself can be responsible for the stripping of the finish, let alone the cause of the odor. Finishes don't usually fail suddenly, without something else contributing.

[Davestone]

Yeah, the traffic areas are probably wore through, and the cats and dirt are makig it more visible. :bow: :)

[laurenpharm]

Thanks for the replies. I won't be able to post a pic as I don't yet own a digital camera. I suspected the cats but never caught them in the act. I guess now I will just clean the crazy out of the tile and reseal. Thanks again!

Lauren