JASON PETTINATO TILE HAS BEEN SELECTED AS A PARTICIPANT FOR UPDATING
THE:
2011 TILE (C54) CALIFORNIA STATE EXAM
Mexican Saltillo Pavers
Saltillo Pavers or mexican pavers bring an authentic look into your house. Satltillo's are usually used for floors with the most common size being 12x12. A traditional joint size can range from 1/2"-3/4" or even larger. Home improvement stores will sometimes offer a more refined saltillo that are close to the authentics. Generally the "knock offs" have a little different look as the color seems to be more of an orangish generic look. They are more like tiles which have a flatter bottom and closer to size with each other.
Ceramictilepro has installed both types and have noticed the differences as noted above. Keep in mind that if you want the real deal, plan on spending $4-5 per paver which includes sealer already applied. The "factory" sealer is generally of better quality and is highly recommended for a couple of reasons.
All pavers need to be pre-sealed before grouting. An unprotected paver will get "burned" when grout is applied, causing permanent damage. The grout literally dries instantly to the soft clay. The factory finish can usually offer the intial protection needed for grouting but also will need a final coat afterwards. Grouting tends to remove most of that original sealer so be sure to re-seal. One other note is that saltillo's should not be installed outside where it freezes because it is not a frost proof product. In other words, the pavers can fail and either crack or start popping off the substrate.
