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Porcelain tile stains(?)

1K views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  Bud Cline 
#1 ·
I recently bought about 10 sq. yds of porcelain wall tiles 12" x 12" square from a local tile outlet. I started to lay them last weekend, and when I got half way through the bunch, I noticed that a great number of the remaining ones have what appears to be a deep-seated water stain in them. The tiles have a satin finish (semi-gloss). They were on special, and unfortunately the store won't exchange or refund on specials, so I'm stuck with them.
Does anyone out there have any recommendations as to ...
a) Determine exactly what type of stain it is (just in case it's not water), and
b) How to remove it?
Note: The stain is not really a color variation, but rather a dullness on what otherwise would be a semi-shiny surface.
Thanks in advance.
 
#2 ·
It sounds extremely unlikely to me that they are water stains. By definition, porcelain means that it soak up virtually no water. They are about as close to non-porous as you can get. This is why toilets and sinks can be made of porcelain. Only if water is sitting on it literally for years can the water start to get in, and so sometimes you will see some rust stains in a porcelain toilet.

Are these solid color tiles? Because if they were made to be a subtle marble pattern or something, it might just be part of the pattern, even if you don't like the inconsistency of the pattern.

If it's some kind of stain, you might try a pumice scouring stick, or ZUD.
 
#3 ·
They were on special, and unfortunately the store won't exchange or refund on specials, so I'm stuck with them.
Well.....of course. If they took back the bad ones the ones you'd have wouldn't be seconds anymore. Then none of the returns would be sellable at any price. You bought them as is and were happy to do so.

Use them, heck you probably saved a buck or so per tile. We can't tell what it is without a good description and a few pics. If it was something that could be easily fixed, it would have been already. Doesn't sound like a stain to me though.

Jaz
 
#4 ·
The tiles weren't seconds ... they were regular "off the shelf" tiles that were on special. Seconds, by law, have to be marked "seconds", and these tiles weren't. Anyway, moving on ...
The tiles are 3/8'' thick with a pillow (non-rectified) edge. They are white in color, and by the look of them, the color goes right through. They have a satin finish to them, i.e. low-sheen, and can be used as either floor or wall tiles. In fact I have exactly the same brand and type on the floor, although a different color there of course.
The stain was said to be a water stain (by the guy at the store where I bought them), but that's why I said I couldn't guarantee that it is a water stain. The tiles have no pattern to them at all, and on the "perfect" ones in the batch I bought, the color is consistent right across the face of the tile. The so-called stain isn't a color distortion or a pattern by any stretch of the imagination. The stain appears simply as a "dullness" in random areas on the face of the tile. I can confirm that they are not scratch marks and not areas of the tile where the sheen has been rubbed off.
One of the attached files shows a sample tile from front-on. The other image shows the same tile at a different angle, and an example of the "stained" area in one of the corners. Note ... this is one of the better ones. Many of the other ones have the stain all over.
The store where I bought them, after they claimed it was a water mark, suggested I try to rub a diluted solution of white vinegar into the tile and then buff it up. Well, I must confess that it did make a slight difference, but not a lot. IF vinegar was the answer, I'd probably need and 4 or 5 applications before the stain is removed completely. That's why I thought it may not be a water stain at all.
Rectangle Ceiling Square Paper Tile

Wall Ceiling Material property Floor Flooring
 
#6 ·
Stonacrows said:
The tiles weren't seconds ... they were regular "off the shelf" tiles that were on special. Seconds, by law, have to be marked "seconds", and these tiles weren't. Anyway, moving on ...
I don't know about the law where you are but..... I've seen plenty of "off-goods" that weren't marked as such. They use words like; "specials" "over-runs" "closeout" and any number of other terms. You will generally know they're seconds when: they are in stock on the floor & the price is less than half of what standard quality would be.

I wasn't gonna comment again, but after you said "by law" I felt I had to at least warn others. Also remember that one manufacturers seconds could be better than another's standard grade. Lots of cheapo 3rd world materials out there.

Those marks could be wax residue. Sometimes light solid colored tiles have dots of wax on the corners to cushion for the long trip to your home. Try the acetone or some other solvent. Try a single edge razor first too, if you can feel anything.

Jaz
 
#7 ·
Now that jazman mentions it, they could also be glue marks from the cardboard boxes they were shipped in. I'm not sure how - if it melts in high heat, or rubs on, or what - but sometimes the adhesive they use to secure the tile containers gets on the tiles.
 
#8 · (Edited)
The one tile looks like a "travel abrasion" to me. Can't see anything on the other tile. I have handled tens-of-thousands of porcelain tiles and have seen a lot of "travel abrasions". We use them for cuts and throw away the damaged parts.

Have you considered the tiles may have been discounted because they were imperfections and you got suckered into buying them with some BS about a water stain.

When you bought them were they in their proper original box?

By the way...Porcelain tile has an absorbency rate of one half of one percent. It's doubtful they are water stained. It just doesn't happen.
 
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