Saltillo Tile will definitely add to the southwestern flavor of a Tucson home. Saltillo Tile is a soft tile often made in Mexico. It is made from native clays and formed into tile then backed in the hot sun. Finally it is fired to make it hard. It is during the sun drying stage of the process that birds, coyotes and other desert dwellers will leave their foot prints in the drying tile.
It is considered good luck to have tile with these footprints in your home.
Because Saltillo tile is a soft tile unlike ceramic or porcelain tile it is quite porous and has to be sealed regularly. It is usually laid with a large joint between tile and mortar is often used instead of grout.
Quite often great discoveries are made by accident. Future on Saltillo tile is just such a case.
A friend of mine had a home with Saltillo tile. She knew how hard they are to keep clean and shining. One day a friend of hers called to say she had just dropped a bottle of Future on her Saltillo tile floor and it cracked (plastic bottle) and Future was going everywhere.
There wasn’t any way she could get it up so she just got out a mop and spread it on. She was amazed when it dried. It brought out the deep rich tones of the tile and it had a shine as if she had worked for hours on her hands and knees.
My friend went out and got a couple of bottles. She first mopped her floor with white vinegar in water. About a half cup to a gallon of hot water. This cleaned the floor and got up the dirt. It also really dulls saltillo tile. Once that had dried she squirted on the Future and mopped it on. It looked better than it ever had before.
I commented on her floor being the nicest looking saltillo tile I had ever seen and she told me the story.
Not long after this we took a listing with Saltillo tile floors. The home was built in the 50′s and the tile really looked dull. I went to Wal-Mart (free plug here since that is the only store I found it at in all of Tucson) and bought all they had. Okay, so they only had three bottles. We put on two bottle after mopping with white vinegar and hot water. We couldn’t believe the difference it made on that floor. The third bottle for those counting I used for this picture and it is still on the counter in our garage.
Now I pass along to you the story and tip:
- Clean Saltillo tile with white vinegar and water
- Allow the floor to dry
- Apply Future with a mop for a deep luster and great shine
- Repeat the Process every 6 to 8 weeks depending on traffic
Future for Tucson Saltillo Tile Floors. Is it in your future?
Does the Future take care of sealing the tile? Or is sealing the tile a separate job/issue?
Marcie,
Yes the Future seals both the tile and the grout when applied. It should probably be done every 3 to 6 months depending on the traffic on the floor.
I love this idea , but my saltillo floor is unsealed. Can I still use it or does it have to be a sealed floor?
Lena,
I think the lady that used this process of stripping the tile and then applying Future used it on unsealed tile.
I have used it on unsealed tile with good results.
The key here is to be sure to strip the floor between each application with the white vinegar and water. Don’t try and just keep adding layers of Future. You will end up with a mess.
Is Future an acrylic sealer?
Hector,
It took me a couple of day to check this out. Yes, Future is an acrylic sealer.
Can i use future on saltillo floor on my porch outside?
Patty,
There’s nothing stopping you from using it, however, it depends on the amount of sun, and more significantly the amount of moisture that is on the patio. If there is a lot of water on the tile (pet watering bowls, hoses, etc. ) it can fog the tile. It isn’t permanent, you have to strip it and reapply. So it depends.
Dave
Is the grout in the tile suppose to look dirty?
Gina,
Grout looks dirty because it has never been sealed. Grout is porous, if you don’t seal it, dirt loves it.
Dave