Sealing grout/tile

B

bikerack

< 25 Posts
The wife and I will be closing on our newly-built house in a couple of weeks and one of the first things I need to do is seal the ceramic tile and grout that is located in various places throughout the house. Note: there is no natural stone...just various ceramic tiles.

I would prefer to go with the kind that you just wipe over the entire surface (tile and grout) and let dry for a day or two. However, I want to steer clear of the ones that discolor the tile.

I have been looking online and it seems that Aqua Mix makes 2 or 3 sealers that would work for me, but there is a wide price range between them (from $8/Qt to $25/Qt) and I can't really figure out what makes them different from one another.

Also, are there any tricks for applying the sealer to shower walls/backsplashes so that it does not run down the wall and get on something it shouldn't touch?
 
the wife and I used the kind that only goes in the grout.. we didn't want to risk any discoloration or hazing of the tile.... just got the stuff from Home Depot and got one of those roller applicators... roll it on and wipe up any excess that gets on the tile... of course for what you are looking at doing I would think you could just sponge it one without a problem... this goes for the walls too... just put a little less on the sponge so it doesn't run..
 
yeah, i was planning on only sealing the grout, but our inspector recommended also sealing the tile b/c he said it will discolor in the high traffic/spill areas.
 
I've been in the tile business for over twenty years.
The Aqua Mix product is excellent but get the "Sealers Choice" if you don't want to seal every couple of years. I think it is a 10+ year product.
If you have a GLAZED TILE then you don't want to seal the tile as it won't absorb the sealer and will leave a film. If unglazed, then you could seal the whole floor.
ALWAYS do a test sample area before the whole floor.
Hope that helps.
 
Big Jake...
we're doing copper slate tiles in the shower and floor of a bathroom this month... the copper tiles are unpolished for the floors and both polished/un for the walls of the shower... what do you recommed for sealing these? same idea, do the tiles and grout?
 
Natural copper slate is VERY pourous and definitely needs a penetrating sealer.
Aquamix used to have a sealer (I've been out of the business for a while now) call "Stone Enhancer" that would be ideal for that application (slate AND grout joint). I've used it in my own home and have been pleased. It most likely won't be the right product for a POLISHED stone however.
Stone Enhancer (or equivalent), like Sealers Choice, are both EXPENSIVE products but in my opinion, worth the expense.
 
There is a big difference in "polished" natural stone and a "glazed" tile.
There are "polished" granites and marbles but I've never really seen a "polished" natural slate (has to do with the make-up of the slate).
It SOUNDS like you might have a "glazed" tile that LOOKS like natural slate.
GLAZED tile has a fired on glaze that WON'T accept ANY sealer as they are not pourous at all. Any sealer added to a glazed tile will simply remain on top of the tile and will eventuall peel off and make a mess. IF you have a glazed tile, simply seal the grout joint and wipe off any excess that gets on the tile.
 
BigJake...
the polished slate is indeed real stone... it's the difference of having a rough texture for the natural slate and being smooth and a bit more reflective for the polished finish... I think perhaps some places call it a "honed" finish??
 
You're correct, there IS a honed slate product.
I'm not sure as to how much sealer the honed slate will accept. Again, do a test area (or tile). Wipe off any excess sealer that doesn't absorb into the slate (either one) to keep from the above mentioned film.
 
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