To seal, or not to seal?

[HelterSkelter7]

Hi Guys, I hope you can offer me a little assistance.

I have got multiple tiling jobs on the go around the house, some already completed, and other in progress at the moment. I am using seven different tiles in total, all different specs, and need to decide which, any or all, need sealant on them. Then, which sealants to choose.

Am getting a little punch drunk from reading the sealant websites, as so many claim to be the 'ideal' product.

I am using -
A) Polished unglazed porcelain
B) Semi-gloss textured unglazed porcelain
C) Semi-gloss textured glazed porcelain
D) Matt glazed ceramic
E) Semi-gloss glazed ceramic

Thank you for your time, and any advice that you can offer

Michael

 

[Ken Bruty]

Hi Guys, I hope you can offer me a little assistance.

I have got multiple tiling jobs on the go around the house, some already completed, and other in progress at the moment. I am using seven different tiles in total, all different specs, and need to decide which, any or all, need sealant on them. Then, which sealants to choose.

Am getting a little punch drunk from reading the sealant websites, as so many claim to be the 'ideal' product.

I am using -
A) Polished unglazed porcelain
B) Semi-gloss textured unglazed porcelain
C) Semi-gloss textured glazed porcelain
D) Matt glazed ceramic
E) Semi-gloss glazed ceramic

Thank you for your time, and any advice that you can offer

Michael

The only tiles that may need sealing within that list of yours, are the polished porcelain, but even then that's not always the case as some are pre-sealed, and, if you use a fine floor grout, sometimes they don't need re-sealing after grouting. I would check with your supplier to be 100% sure as some polished procelain tiles don't require sealing at all, and if you do attempt to seal porcelain that doesn't need it, the seal will bubble and blister off after a short time, which means hard work trying to remove it all again with special cleaner, not nice! Sometimes the info on the sealant sites may be relevant in most cases, but not always obvious, so to cover yourself, a call to the supplier shifts the responsibilty.

I hope that helps a little

Ken

 

[HelterSkelter7]

Hi Ken

Thank you for your reply. Very much appreciated, and yes, it is a massive help. Thank you for putting my mind at rest.

The polished porcelain tiles are the only ones that have already been completed. I fitted these last year, no sealant applied. Haven't had any issue with grout bleed. Have tried a water droplet test on them, and the water only gets absorbed after about an hour, so it would appear that they are not very pourous. I do get slight water rings on them, but they wipe off very easily. I think I will try some LTP MPG, if you think this is a good choice, but on a sample tile first.

One other quick question, is it correct that all grouts should be sealed?

Superb, thanks again Ken
Michael

 

[peckers]

No you dont have to seal grout, But imo if you want to keep your grout looking great like when you applied it then I would seal the grout. I offer this to my customers and explain why to seal is better, its then upto them if it is done or not, But if it is a heavy used floor traffic area or got animals or you are using a light coloured grout then i highly advise them to seal it. I also advise on a suitable tile cleaning product to add to the mop if you know what i mean.

 

[HelterSkelter7]

That all makes perfect sense. I will seal the grout in the vunerable areas, ie the floor tiles, and splashbacks.

Thank you for taking the time to reply, it has made my decisions much easier to make.

Kind Regards
Michael

 

[mikethetile]

Hi, you can hire some professional to make sure everything is done properly. If you feel like it, you can take a look at <link removed> Good luck! 🙂

sounds to me like helter skelters on top of the job, he only wants a bit of reasurance that hes getting things right

:welcome:to the forum helter skelter

 

[testarossa]

No you dont have to seal grout, But imo if you want to keep your grout looking great like when you applied it then I would seal the grout. I offer this to my customers and explain why to seal is better, its then upto them if it is done or not, But if it is a heavy used floor traffic area or got animals or you are using a light coloured grout then i highly advise them to seal it. I also advise on a suitable tile cleaning product to add to the mop if you know what i mean.

I agree, you don't have to seal it..

__________________
You bleed just to know you're alive...