Fixing uneven finish on ceramic floor tiles

[MarthaMcG]

We just had a new ceramic tile floor installed in our basement, over concrete. The tiles are unglazed and had a nice natural look to them. Our contractor laid down the grout and then used a matte sealer over top. However, the floor is not completely even, so the sealer pooled in several places, making both the tile and grout glossy. We don't care about the floor being completely even (it's pretty good) but we did want the tiles to look matte. The contractor apparently tried to strip the sealer off, then reapply it - but now it looks worse. It's still glossy in some places, and now there are quite a few other places where the floor is mottled with unfinished spots. We've decided to try to fix it ourselves, since it may take a lot of time to fix.

Any advice would be welcome. We tried an undiluted finish stripper (er, not a Finnish str... oh, never mind) last week and it didn't have much effect on either problem. We can't use a power-washer - there's drywall and baseboard already installed. I assume it would be a bad idea to try to sand/steel wool the finish off? We thought we'd try leaving the stripper on longer to see if that helps, and if not, we'll just give up and try coating the floor with a glossy finish.

I'm worried that nothing will ever make this floor look good. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd be very grateful.

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[tileguytodd]

The type of Sealer Used???

My reccomendation is to contact the sealer manufacturer and get specific removal instructions from them.

[Davestone]

Also, you may use a sealer remover like Aldon, or Aquatech has, since i believe it was a water based you used, then test a small area,maybe one room, and see if it does what you want it to,then keep working on that area and reseal,hopefully it will turn out like you want and will make the job easier,doing a small area at a time....if it comes out even. :tup1:

[doitright]

Hi Martha, Welcome! :)

I also strongly encourage talking with the matte sealer manufacturer. If you use a brown stripping pad (similar to a green scotch brite pad), you should have no problem removing the gloss from the tile surface. It may or may not work in the grout though.

Keep us posted.

[Undermount-Sink]

i am agree with the tileguytodd you have to contact manufacturer and i am sure they will give you solution of your problem.

[MarthaMcG]

Thanks to all for your advice! We'll check with the manufacturer and I'll keep you posted...