Care for Gloss Tiles

Glossy tiles can add glamour and beauty to a room. However there are some extra care needed to be taken to keep the beauty last. Ceramic tiles with high glossy finishes are vulnerable to visible scratches. In tile industry, it is generally accepted that tiles with glossy finish has lower scratch resistance.

Why glossy tiles prone to scratch?

In MOHS scale, high gloss tiles usually rated having hardness of 3 (calcite) while sand (silica) is around 7. Hence, sand or even other substances with lower MOHS rating can easily scratch the surface of high gloss tiles.

How to avoid scratches?
Care for glossy tiles starts from the very beginning, the unboxing. When removing tiles from boxes, avoid pulling the tiles out individually as the dragging of the tile may scratch the surface of the next piece that is still in the box. It is best to remove the whole stack from the box and lift each piece individually.

If further work on the project still needs to be done after tiling, make sure the part of the glossy floor surface which will be walked on is protected by suitable covering. A clean tarpaulin or an old quilt will do the job.

For regular maintenance, sweep floor to clean abrasive dirt such as sand before mopping. Mopping with dirt on just means moving the sand around and will cause scratch marks all over the gloss surface.

Do not drag or pull anything across a glossy tiled surface. For example when moving furniture, it is best to lift the furniture up and reposition it where needed by setting it down.

Place a good doormat to trap dirt at the door step. This is especially important when the glossy area is close to an external door.