saltillo tile

[gay hennessy]

I am having someone do a saltillo tile deck in the front and rear of my house - I had thought i would put it on my kitchen floor but my floor guy thinks the saltillo won't be formal enough - does anyone have experience with the look and lasting look and maintenance of saltillo - both interior and exterior?

[Rich]

The problem with that type of tile is that they are pretty porous and therefore stain very easily. You have to seal the dickens out of them and maintain it constantly. I would put at least 5 coats of heavy sealer on them to start. The problem with that is they tend to lose the qualities that make them nice to begin with - the terra cotta feel goes to more of a plastic smooth look.