PAVERS

General Information
Unglazed clay floor tiles are often called pavers. Pavers are normally between ½" and 1" thick. Each type of paver is unique due to the local clay from which it is made. Some pavers are mass-produced in large factories and others are made entirely by hand using traditional methods that are centuries old.

Because of the use of unprocessed clays iron spotting and lime popping will occur. ?Lime popping? is very common in both Saltillo and Super Saltillo pavers. It even exists in high fire tile like the Gladding Mcbean pavers made in California. Particles of lime found in the clay continue expanding, eventually working their way to the surface and pushing through the top layer of clay. This eruption creates a divot or crater in the surface of the tile which can be as large as 2? in a Saltillo tile. Generally these holes are less than a 1/16? of an inch in tiles with more finely processed clay. It is recommended that these craters be filled in with grout when they occur.

The truly handmade rustic pavers have variations in color and texture, which cannot be duplicated by modern production methods. Each rustic paver is unique in size, texture and color. When choosing pavers you must look at many samples so that you understand the variability of color, size, shape and texture. Some pavers like the regular Saltillo come with rough and chipped surfaces and edges. You must expect Saltillos to have chipped corners or edges on 50% of the tiles. Occasionally animal foot prints are found in Saltillos. These are not as common as they were 15 to 20 years ago.

Consider the overall flatness of the paver. Some pavers are cupped. The edges are curved down and the center is humped up slightly. The Super Saltillo is a good example of a cupped tile. A wavy cobblestone look is achieved with the use of these pavers. It is necessary to back butter them when installing them. If any hollow spots are left underneath the tile it may break or crack.

Pavers require a consistent maintenance schedule. We recommend you buy pre-sealed pavers. All pavers must be sealed prior to grouting. It is advantageous to have them sealed prior to installation so that thinset can be wiped off of them without staining. Sealer must be reapplied after installation. Please consult our paver maintenance instructions for more information.

Please come to our showroom to view samples of our current paver selection. We do not sell unglazed tiles to our dealers only from our showroom in San Jose.

Recommended Paver Maintenance
All unglazed tiles and pavers must be sealed prior to grouting The type of sealer used will depend on the use and desired appearance. Always test a tile or a small area before sealing multiple tiles. The sealer may darken or change the appearance of the tile.

Interior
After grouting allow 21-day cure time before resealing. Seal the grout with two coats of the same acrylic/urethane clear sealer used on the tiles. While sealing the grout seal the tile with at least one additional coat. It is always better to apply multiple thin coats of sealer than one thicker coat.

Use a soft brush to apply the sealer. Do not use a roller. Do not allow sealer to puddle on tiles or in grout areas. Tiles must be clean and thoroughly dried before sealing. Test one tile first before resealing the entire area. If the sealer fails to dry uniformly than the tiles are possibly not clean or dry enough. Retest one tile with sealer and wait to see that the sealer has dried evenly without leaving any spots or bubbles. After resealing apply a thin coat of top finish acrylic polish with a soft brush. Reapply when necessary. We recommend every 3 to 4 months in kitchen floor areas and every 6 months to a year in less trafficked areas.

If this top coat is not reapplied to protect the sealer coat, the sealer will wear off in traffic areas and the pavers will become dirty and stained. If the sealer wears the tiles may need to be stripped and resealed. The process of stripping is a terrible job and the cost of stripping and resealing maybe more than the cost of the original tile. That is why it is very important to maintain the finish of an unglazed tile.

Exterior
A high quality penetrating sealer must be used in all exterior applications. It keeps the paver from absorbing water without making them shiny or slippery. The penetrating sealer can be applied with a brush or garden sprayer. Only reapply sealer when the tiles are thoroughly dry. Wait 21 days after installation before sealing grout and tile. We recommend resealing tiles every 1 to 2 years. In installations near the moist ocean air, garden sprinklers, or other areas where there is water exposure, the pavers must be maintained and sealed so that they don?t absorb water. Constant presence of water may deteriorate the tile. It is important to keep the tiles sealed so that any water beads up on the surface and does not penetrate the tile. Underground water pressure may also deteriorate the tile. A waterproof membrane behind the tile will keep moisture from penetrating from the backside.