Saltillo tile spots and cracks

[tlaloc]

Greetings and Happy Holidays! Thank you for making this forum available.

I recently bought a fairly new home with saltillo tile floors. Some issues have arisen that I'm wondering if someone with saltillo tile experience can give me some feedback and advice on. There are a number of hairline cracks, some more significant than others, and a new one seems to appear every month or so. We've only been in the house since Feb. I am wondering what the cause of these are and if this is normal and what, if anything, can be done about them?

Also, I question whether these tiles were sealed correctly/thoroughly. They have a matte finish and there are places where the sealant looks streaked and some places where water and grease will absorb into the tile. I don't know what was used to seal it. Today we discovered these spots that seemed to appear out of nowhere overnight. Does anyone know what these are and what can be done about them? I see small ones here and there in the house, some with little craters (lime?) but no chipping, just a white spot. What can be done about this and is it related to improper sealing? Should the sealant be stripped and the floors re-sealed? Can the spots be removed? (Pics attached)

One last question: Can (select) saltillo tiles with radiant floor heat underneath be replaced without too much hassle and without damage to the heating system?

Thanks so very much for your help.

Leigh

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[doitright]

Hi Leigh, Welcome! :)

Those tiles don't look like saltillo tiles to me. They are very even in color and size (in your photo).

What part of the country are you in?

What type of material is under the floor (concrete, cement board, wood, etc)?

Are pieces of the tile missing where the white spots exist?

What are you using to maintain the floors?

Hopefully others will chime in with suggestions, but I would like to procure some more background information about this floor.

[cx]

Welcome, Leigh. :)

I've pingged our local (Ft. Worth, Texas) Saltillo expert. Maybe he can tell us what you've got there.

I agree with John that it doesn't look like real Saltillo, but it doesn't quite look like the "Super Saltillo" (machine made imitations) we get in this area (San Antonio, TX) either. We'll get some of our other Texans to have a peek, too. Some of them have seen a bit of Saltillo in their time.

Looks like two different kinds of cracking to me, also. The answers to some of John's questions may help with that, too. The white spots I got no eye-dee. Definitely not the familiar "lime pops" typical in real Saltillo.

Replacing tiles over a radiant heating system will depend a lot upon what sort of system we're talking about. Electric just under the tile installation? Hydronic in a concrete slab? Hydronic under a wood subfloor? Etc.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[silvercitytile]

yo leigh. those look like saltillo to me. and to some thats the beatuty of saltillo, the hair line craks and not so perfect lay out , kinda southwestern feel imo. and for replacin tile on radiant heat floor depens on what kind. :tup2:

[Davestone]

Looks like a factory made type of saltillo to me,or what we call here Spanish tile, and looking at the grout maybe even imprefections in the tiles, or effloresence coming up through it.

[SABoyt]

Hi Leigh. I agree with dave. Looks like the spanish variety. The white spots are most likely where the topical sealant is delaminating from the tile due to foot traffic (like high heels) or some type of pressure being applied to the floor. I would be concerned about the sub floor. With the cracks that are occuring and the delamination in circles, it should be checked out. The selaer is definately in need of stripping and reapplication. That is evident in the grout lines of the pictures you posted.

I would also be curious how the tiles "sound" when taped with a hard object. Are they all the same are do you get different hollow sounds-particularly on the ones that are cracked and spotted.

Where are you located? There are restoration companies all over that are competent to look at this problem for you and give you the right advice.

[ceramictec]

what size are the tile?

I have seen glazed quarry tile that looks like that.

[Stonehenge]

Hi Leigh,

I believe that the lighter spot might be a factory error, unless this photographic issue. While I call saltillo a different material you just never know in this day and age. Wet the area where the lighter spot is to seee if there is a darkening after a period of 15 minutes, maybe that will help.

[Hector Macias]

Hi guys. That's definitely one of the "Saltillo" tiles Home Depot passes of as a handmade product. They absolutely aren't but Home Depot is so big they can claim anything they want and get away with it. Sealer looks to be delaminating as Saboyt said. Sealer penetration on these tiles is much different than the authentic tiles. These tiles are more dense and have a tendency to not absorb sealer consistently. Sometimes removing the sealer from the spots with lacquer thinner then reapplying sealer can help immensely. Full strip and reseals are a nightmare. Best to try to avoid them if you can.

[tlaloc]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your responses.

It is Saltillo tile even though it does look a little different than most Saltillo tile I've seen here in Northern New Mexico. There is natural color variation, just not as much as traditional Saltillo tile and it seems to be just as soft. There is no tile missing where the white spots are. The tiles are 11.5" square. They have rounded edges and wider grout lines--could it be Super Saltillo? Is all Super Saltillo factory made? In my research online this was the closest I could find to a similar looking tile.

We never wear shoes in the house so it's unlikely that the issues are due to pressure or heels. Some tiles sound hollow when I tap them, but it's very inconsistent and they are not the ones that are cracked or spotted. I do think they should be stripped and resealed as what was done does not seem like it was thorough or the right sealer or something. This house is only 2 years old. We pretty much just dust mop and damp mop them with water.

As far as the white spots go, is this what efflorescence looks like?

In regards to replacing individual tiles at some point, I do know that the radiant heat is hydronic in a concrete slab, so I'm wondering how this affects replacing one or many.

Thanks again! I appreciate your insight.

Leigh in NM

[cx]

Perhaps you were typing when Hector posted, Leigh. Although he is just a young sprout, the boy knows his Saltillo. :)

Likely only maybe two Home Depots in "Northern New Mexico," eh? Maybe go look at the tile selection at the one closest to you and see if you locate something that looks like what you've got. That would at least help you determine your options.As far as the white spots go, is this what efflorescence looks like?No, not in my experience, but I ain't one of the stone restoration guys, either.Replacing tiles on a concrete slab with hydonic heat embedded should be no different from the same work over an unheated slab.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[SABoyt]

As far as the white spots go, is this what efflorescence looks like?
Not exactly. But not out of the question. It looks a little more like a furry mold on the tiles most times. It worsens when it is wet and allowed to dry. Using a acidic product usually removes it(careful trying this yourself, you need to verify if the tile is acid sensitive first, since the question of what kind of tile is it, is still unanswered). If you can find an out of the way tile that has the white spots, try a little mixture of vinegar and water on it. Wipe it away and see if the spot is gone.

I have a great pic of efforescence from a job that i did a couple of weeks ago, but i can't seem to post the pic for some reason. Any chance you have a piece of that tile in the garage that you could look at the back of it?

Still looks like delamination to me. A complete restoration is not out of the question and is not a terribly difficult job for a professional.

[SABoyt]

ok, i found it. This is from a job i did a couple of weeks ago.

http://i447.photobucket.com/albums/qq200/hssflorida/P1100645-1.jpg

[tlaloc]

Hi everyone,

Thanks so much for all your advice. I did not see Hector's post until after I posted again, so I will go take a look at Home Depot and see if I find a match to these "Saltillo" tiles.

And thanks to SABoyt for the picture of efflorescence. At least now I know what these white spots are not. I will explore the delamination route. Guess I need to find out what these tiles were sealed with in the first place... What is normally used on Saltillo-like tiles?

Thanks again!
Leigh

[silvercitytile]

hey leigh. if u do a search on saltillo sealers. theres a lot of threads there with great info. i just did it and of info came up. the search engine is in the blue bar above. good luck :cool:

[doitright]

Hi Leigh :)

One of the most difficult parts of correcting a fault in a project is identifying what materials were used in the original application.

When we restore a floor such as yours and don't know what was used as a finish, we have to use our best judgement in the field and start TESTing various stripping products. It could be as simple as a high alkaline product, or as difficult as a stripping gel.

Replacing the tiles over hydronic heat in a concrete slab will be no issue (unless you plan on adhering them with tap-cons). :D

Even though the hollow tiles are not the cracked ones, they would certainly be a concern to me for potential issues in the future. When you choose to correct the cracked tiles, inspect the slab for cracks. Also check the tiles removed for proper bond. Both of these issues need to be addressed before replacement.