How-To Maintain... March 04 2016
Metal tiles are fast becoming a popular choice for accent tile in many rooms today. They are easy to put up and can be put up by anyone with DIY skills. Metal tiles are also easy to maintain. This doesn’t mean that they are completely maintenance free. Just like many other things in your home metal tiles will eventually need to be cleaned to keep looking as good as they did the first day you installed them. The method of care and maintenance your tile requires depends on the type of metal tiles you have.
Copper for example will change its patina when it is exposed to air and moisture. Some people prefer the aging look that copper will develop over time. Other types of metal tiles will develop rust in the aging process when it is exposed to moisture. Some people prefer this method of aging metal tiles. Others prefer for their tile to stay looking as bright and shiny as the day they were installed. The only way to prevent the aging process of metal is to clean and seal the metal tiles. We will take a short look at how metal tiles can be cleaned and sealed.
Sealing the Tile.
Only two types of metal tiles need to be sealed. It is not mandatory that these types of tiles need to be sealed. This is strictly dependent on the type of look you want the tile to develop over time. Sealing helps to protect the original finish keeping it from oxidizing. This will happen overtime when the surface interacts with the moisture in the air. In the case of copper tiles this would mean that it would turn darker developing a patina. In an iron type of tile this reaction of aging would develop rust. A good solvent-based sealer will stop this from happening. It can be sprayed or brushed on over the tiles to form a barrier to stop moisture from penetrating into the tile. Be sure to treat the entire tile. If any spot on the tile is not sealed it will continue to develop a patina at that particular spot.
Cleaning the Tiles.
Most of the metal tiles can be cleaned by using warm water and either soap or a dishwashing detergent. Use a micro fiber cloth to wash down the tile and then rinse thoroughly. Keep in mind if you are using a stainless steel tile that you also have the option to use a cleaner that is designed to be used on stainless steel. Stainless tile will also scratch easily so you want to use a cloth and cleaner that does not have any abrasive. With a cooper finish there are a couple of choices. Soap and water are the most used combination when cleaning copper. A copper cleaner is also available to brighten up the copper tiles.
The most common way to clean any type of metal tile is using warm water, a non-abrasive soap solution and micro fiber cloths. Be sure to clean and dry the tiles completely to prevent streaking in the tiles.
