There is no doubt that these cement encaustic ( Moroccan) style tiles are beautiful, but very sensitive to discolouration and staining!

They are very soft and extremely porous and the pigments used in the patterns are sensitive to most bathroom and shower products that will leave horrible marks and stains all over the tiles

What you are seeing in the above picture are cement encaustic tiles on a bathroom floor that were not sealed properly or maintained. Everyday products such as shampoo and bath soaps have therefore bleached and discoloured the dark coloured pigment.

These tiles need to be thoroughly sealed and looked after especially in bathrooms and kitchens. I aim to inform my clients properly on the job about cleaning and sealing these tiles for the future.

However (above pic) even in this worst case scenario I was still able to make it look reasonable after applying my treatments to these tiles. In this situation though its very unlikely you will get a perfect finish but it will be many times better than it was.

So how do I restore cement encaustic tiles?

Cleaning these tiles its always a bit different depending on the level of degradation of the tiles and the area they are situated in. One also has to take into account the colours in the designs and the clients finish requirements. However they will always involve mild chemical and sometimes steam cleaning ( after tests). I also make use of many different types of abrasives, including pastes and diamond stone polishing pads. 

After cleaning and restoration the tiles are deep sealed allot and properly buffed. Sealers can sometimes be used to mask discolouration as well.

Although I work allot in North London and West London cleaning these cement encaustic tiles I do also cover Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. I also go to some parts of Buckinghamshire such as Charlfont St Giles and Gerrards Cross.