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Laying, cleaning & care

How are the joint widths and joint colours to be chosen?

The joint widths are generally derived from the difference between the nominal size and the work size, or are specified as recommendations in the tiling standards.

Recommended joint widths:

 

Side length: up to 150 mm : 2 mm

more than 150 mm : from 2 to 8 mm

 

There are no restrictions on the choice of joint colour for glazed vitreous tiles. Unglazed porcelain stoneware tiles should not be jointed with coloured jointing mortar, as its colour pigments, in particular jointing compounds containing carbon and graphite, could stain the surface. Residual films are to be removed with care while still fresh. Test jointing is essential; please observe the instructions of the jointing material manufacturer

Can tiles be laid on old tiles?

In principle, certainly!

We recommend the following procedure: 
the tile covering must first of all be tapped, loose tiles must be removed and the resultant gaps levelled out with mortar. After cleaning the covering of any soiling, a special primer coat is applied. The tile adhesive is then applied with a toothed trowel and the tiles subsequently attached. The instructions issued by Deutsche Bauchemie must be observed.

Can tiles, particularly rectified tiles, be laid seamlessly?

Within a ceramic covering, joints have to compensate for unavoidable material tolerances caused by the manufacturing process. Furthermore, these also dissipate tension from the substrate, particularly with heated floor structures. In addition to compensating for the above-mentioned tolerances, joints also have the advantage of preventing water and dirt from penetrating into the tile covering. A cement-based joint prevents the penetration of bacteria, mould, etc. The alkaline cement-based environment in the joint impedes the growth of such organisms. This is why we do not recommend laying tiles without grouting material in between.

What aspects are important when cutting and drilling a tile?

Cutting
 
Scoring must be carried out swiftly, applying even, gentle pressure, whereby only high-quality machines should be used for cutting purposes, in order to ensure the best possible results (both dry and wet cutting machines are available from retailers in various price categories). The wet cutting method is recommended for porcelain stoneware tiles.
 
Drilling
 
Due to the dense structure of the material, it is not possible to use conventional hard-metal drills on vitreous and porcelain stoneware tiles.
Drilled holes with smaller diameters, for example, for dowel fastenings, can only be drilled in a dry state using specially hardened carbide drills or with a glass ceramics drill. The tile must be placed on a non-elastic base without any cavities.
The most effective method is to cut exact drill holes on all substrates by wet drilling with a hollow drill with a diamond bit. As there is no brad point, these drills require a bore gauge.

Do tiles have to be subsequently treated or impregnated after laying?

Matt, non-polished vilbostone porcelain stoneware tiles do not have to be subsequently treated with an impregnating agent! The surface of matt vilbostone porcelain tiles features the vilbostoneplus ceramic surface finish, which greatly improves the tiles' resistance to staining and soiling.

 

After basic cleaning, polished porcelain stoneware tiles have to be subsequently sealed with a suitable stain preventer. We recommend use of the Carrogard stain preventer. Carrogard is an oil-, grease- and water-repellent stain preventer (containing solvents) that gives polished porcelain stoneware tiles lasting protection and that only has to be applied once.

Is it possible to create ceramic corners, for example, with facings?

Due to the full-body colouring of the mass of vilbostone porcelain stoneware tiles, corners can be created with ease.
In addition, with vitreous and glazed porcelain stoneware tiles, Villeroy & Boch is one of the few manufacturers to offer one or two glazed edges for the majority of ranges for formats 5x5cm and larger.
Furthermore, special colour-coordinated ceramic beading systems are available for various ranges; these can be used to create perfectly hygienic and aesthetically appealing corner and edge designs.

Is it technically possible to lay different sized tiles in a joint-coordinated tiling pattern?

Villeroy & Boch tile ranges are normally modular, i.e. tiles of different formats can be laid together in a modular format, if the nominal dimension is taken into account. Tiles of the same calibre can be laid with a uniform joint width.
Wall and floor tiles of different calibres can be laid in line with different joint widths if the nominal dimension is taken into account. Tiles of different thicknesses can normally be combined. We recommend that differences in tile thickness of more than 1 mm be compensated.

Should you fail to find the answer to your question here, please send an e-mail to: info(at)vb-fliesen.com