Nicola’s advice: how to clean a Tuscan cotto effect porcelain tiles from encrustations?

Good afternoon,
I introduce myself, I am Nicola of Marbec and from today I want to enter your houses.
Yes, you got it right, from today I will knock on the door of your house. Hoping it will be appreciated,
if there is time I’ll also stop for a coffee, to share all my knowledge with you,
the great experience and the deep technical knowledge gained in the chemical sector for the treatment and
cleaning of floors, walls and all types of surfaces.
In short, I want to become your cleaning guru.

Joking aside, as you well know, for us of Marbec customer care is an essential point,
listening and answering promptly to the questions and requests we receive every day
is particularly important to us because it makes us feel close, as if we were there with you,
to study, understand, intervene in the best possible way on home problems.

In fact, through our assistance, we solve a lot of problems that compromise beauty and
the integrity of the surfaces and which, alas, are on the agenda.

But don’t  worry, from today in addition to answering to the many private requests,
thinking it could be very useful, I will share in this monthly column all “the tricks and secrets of the craft”,
more or less known, but always very useful for solving particular “cleaning cases”.
Secrets that most of the time save surfaces and above all the mood.
On the other hand, you know, house cleaning is an important and healthy habit for mind and body,
which allows us to live our home in serenity.

So, back to us, you won’t find me at the doorbell but, if you want,
you will find me here every month to explore and learn together many interesting cleaning and recovery methods,
different tips on the magical world of domestic cleaning.

Let’s not waste any more time … So let’s start the dances;
ready with notebook, pen and gloves, which can never be missing on these occasions and
today let’s find out how to eliminate encrustations, mold and algae stains on an external Tuscan cotto effect porcelain tiles.

Francesca and her damaged Tuscan cotto effect porcelain tiles

Today the writer is our friend Francesca and we rush to help her.
Francesca has big problems with the terrace floor, a Tuscan cotto effect porcelain tiles.
Francesca told me that in the moment of the fateful choice:
“What material do I cover the terrace with considering that outdoor everything gets damaged earlier?”,
rightly believing in greater resistance, he preferred porcelain tiles to cover the terrace to the detriment of cotto.
Even if porcelain tiles is a very resistant material, we must remember that it is neither eternal nor a super hero.
Especially if installed outdoors, it too can suffer, if not adequately protected,
the consequences of natural atmospheric deterioration.
Dampness, the appearance of mold, the encrustations of algae, all elements and stains that characterized Francesca’s porcelain tiles.
Let us remember that after installation it is also essential to carry out protective treatments that can help us fight these nasty surprises.

Looking at the photos it is possible to get an idea of ​​the disaster.

Fortunately, by intervening with the right advice, excellent products and a lot of elbow grease, the flooring has been back to shine.

Here is the treatment I recommend for a flooring
in Tuscan cotto effect porcelain tiles damaged by deep biological encrustations.

SGRISER + VIACEM + BROWN BUFFERS.

First, it is necessary to thoroughly wash the entire surface with
SGRISER: wax remover for removing old treatments,
this product cleans and degreases in depth, eliminating biological encrustations, oil and grease stains.
Ideal for a strong descaling degreasing cleaning and after laying of the delicate materials that are not resistant to acids,
SGRISER does not leave harmful residues on absorbent material and unpleasant odors during use and in environments.

Once the first step is finished, on such a compromised surface,
it is necessary to carry out a second wash with VIACEM: a strong descaling de-waxing detergent for the removal of cement slurry, efflorescence and limescale on cotto, terracotta, klinker and all materials resistant to strong acids.

We then spread the product on the surface, let it act for a few minutes and
then we “rub vigorously” the entire cotto effect porcelain tiles.

For best results, I recommend focusing on the stains and scrubbing them well with a lot of energy.
To facilitate this step I recommend the BROWN BUFFERS,
a polyester structure with a high density of resin and mineral.
Thanks to their high resistance to acid and alkaline substances, they are excellent for manual de-waxing and descaling washes.

Once the second intense wash is over, all the “effort” will be rewarded by the splendid result.