Our Marrakesh Tile installed in historic Hoboken residence, image courtesy of Hoboken Historical Museum

Marrakesh tile is hand-made cement tile. It is made from a mixture of sand, water and pigment and dried naturally by sunlight. Marrakesh Tile is not treated with a pre-sealant, it is an incredibly porous tile and must be treated with up to 5 coats of sealant prior to applying the grout. Do not use tinted grout.  If your contractor is installing Moroccan tile for the first time, please request a test sample board be created with the sealant and *grout before actual installation. {We recommend ordering 15% overage for installation method experimentation}.

* For best results use untinted regular white grout

{DO NOT USE TINTED GROUT}

INSTALLATION

1. Before installing the tiles, batch mix them from a few different boxes since nuanced color variations are inherent in the manufacturing of the tiles.

2. Work in small areas of just 3-4 feet at a time so that the tiles can be cleaned properly as they are installed.

3. It is essential that the surface that is to be tiles is level, clean, and perfectly dry.

4. Patterns look best with small grout joints (about 1 mm).

5. Submerge the tiles in clean water before they are laid to remove any dust from the back of the tile.

6. Cement tiles should be installed with thin-set mortar, using a double adhesive process, whereby the mortar is applied to a clean, level substrate and to the back of the tile using a trowel or wire brush.

7. If setting the tiles on a concrete slab on grade, provide a moisture barrier, and if not on grade, be certain the concrete substrate is fully cured to prevent white efflorescence spots from showing on the tile after installation.

8. Apply a sealant to the face of the tiles with a grout release product

such as Miracle Sealants’ 511 H2O+., or Tenax Proseal.

9. During installation, tiles should be gently pressed into place by hand; never strike the tiles with a hammer (even a rubber hammer) as this will cause cracking.

10. Tiles should be allowed to set for 24 hours and then grout is applied to the joints with a trowel or sponge or caulker

11. Care must be given to wipe down the surface of the tile immediately following placement to keep the mortar or grout from setting in the tiles porous surface,

12. If any cement residue remains on the face of the tile, a Scotch-Brite pad or fine-grained sandpaper can be used to gently remove the residue.

13. Once the tiles have dried, they should be washed with water and a mild soap to remove any chalky residue, which may appear as the tiles dry. Never use bleach or other acidic products on the tiles.

14. Leave the clean tiles to fully dry for about a week.

MAINTENANCE

Because cement tiles are porous, they must be sealed to keep them from being stained. Before any finish is applied, the tiles must be completely dry.

Recommended finishes include a traditional wax finish in which a pure, colorless wax coat is rubbed onto the tiles and polished for a lustrous patina, or chemical sealants such as Filafob (www.filachim.com), Miracle Sealant’s Concrete Surface Treatment (www.miraclesealants.com) or

TileLab’s SurfaceGard Penetrating Sealer product, according to manufacturer’s instructions, with a brush or sponge. The type of sealant as well as the number of coats will impact

the look of the tiles, which naturally have a matte finish. Once these sealants are dry, a coat of wax will further protect and enhance the floor. Depending upon the traffic on the tiles, the wax coat should be refreshed every few months for optimum effect.

PLEASE NOTE

We recommend the wax finish with caution as it may cause the tile to become slippery.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONSULT A PROFESSIONAL TILE INSTALLER

NOTE:  These installation instructions are offered as guidelines only. Imports from Marrkesh will not be held responsible for errors, issues or problems due to installation.

TRADTIONAL MOROCCAN INSTALLATION METHOD

1. Soak tiles in water, so they completely absorb water

2. Mix white cement with water like a soup. Work in small section and little by little run it on the tiles to seal the joints in small sections. Wipe each section immediately so it do doesn’t stick to the tiles. Do this fast to just seal the joints so that it doesn’t dry and mess tiles.

3. Let the tiles dry and apply sealer of choice

4. After tiles are set, wash very well with lots of water then apply grout in small area. Work methodically, grouting A small area at a time and wipe it it dry. Each small area should be grouted and wiped immediately before the next.

5. Traditionally Moroccans maintain the tile buffing it with black olive oil soap.