We love them for their look, their convenience and their durability, but tiles also come with an inherent risk: when wet, they can be slippery. So, how do we take advantage of all the good stuff without putting our loved ones or clients at risk? With the right anti-slip tile treatment.

The Benefits of Tiles Can Also Be Their Weakness

Let’s take a brief look at why tiles are such a popular flooring option for both homes and businesses.

• Aesthetic appeal. No other flooring option comes with more variety regarding its look.
• Durability. Being naturally non-porous and impervious to water means tiles are extremely durable when compared to timber or carpet.
• Maintenance. Spills and dirt simply sit on the surface of a tile without being absorbed, waiting to be mopped or swept up. No stains, no wear.

The problem is that what makes tiles so good is also their weakness; their non-porous nature makes them durable and easy to look after, but it also means water simply sits on the surface, compromising its grip.

When we walk on wet tiles, the liquid prevents our feet from making secure contact with the tile and we slip. It’s all about the aquaplane theory, similar with cars and wet roads. To nullify that risk, we drive on tyres that have pronounced tread to funnel water away.

But what can we do when it comes to tiles?

Overcome That Weakness With the Right Anti-slip Tile Treatment

Sticking with the tyre analogy, the trick to making tiles non-slip is to introduce channels into the surface which drain the water away. All anti-slip tile treatments try and do this, to varying degrees of success. Here they are:

• Non slip tiles
• Sealers
• Tile Safe’s own anti-slip tile treatment

Let’s take a look at each one, and the factors that we think make our solution the best.

Tile Safe’s Anti-slip Tile Treatment

Our own non-slip treatment, which we researched and developed over a number of years, uses particular chemicals to introduce microscopic pores into the tile’s surface. These pores act as channels to carry any liquid away, allowing good contact between your feet and the tile.

Here’s a quick look at the application process:

1. Measure the current slip resistance of the tiles.
2. Give them a thorough clean.
3. Apply the chemical treatment.
4. Use a different chemical to neutralise the surface.
5. Take a new slip-resistance measurement. If the desired non-slip level (according to Australian safety requirements) hasn’t been achieved, we then repeat the process until it has been.

The benefits of our anti-slip tile treatment are numerous:

• You can walk on the tiles as soon as we’ve finished; there’s no drying time.
• It’s a far more durable treatment than the alternatives. In homes, we hardly ever have to reapply.
• There is hardly any visible alteration to the tile, so you can keep the look you want and have the safety.
• Doesn’t make the tile any harder to clean.

The Alternative Non-slip Tile Treatments Non-slip Tiles

These tiles come with grooves already etched into their surface. While they are good at funnelling water away, they do come with significant downsides, such as:

• The grooves are quite pronounced, making the surface harder to clean.
• The grooves can actually make the tile uncomfortable to walk on, particularly for the elderly (non-slip tiles are used a lot in aged care facilities).
• The grooves are so pronounced that, ironically, there is less contact between your foot and the tile than many other treatments, giving non-slip tiles less traction.

Sealers

A sealer is a liquid solution applied to the surface of the tile. These sealers add a coarse layer to the tile, usually made of nylon or sand, which helps to funnel water away. However:

• The gritty top layer is so abrasive that it can rip mops apart, making tiles that have been treated with sealers very hard to clean.
• Being a liquid application, there is a drying time, which can be a problem for businesses such as pubs and hotels.
• The layer it applies wears down quite quickly, demanding constant reapplication.

Get in Touch With Tile Safe Today

The right anti-slip tile treatment means that you can take advantage of all the good things tiles have to offer while nullifying their weakness. Stop worrying about your loved ones, your patrons or yourself; get in touch with the team at Tile Safe and we’ll employ our unique, industry-leading treatment to make your tiles fit for purpose. We know our clients’ concerns and we know how to address them, so don’t hesitate to pick up the phone.