Seal polished honey onyx???

[tilenoobie]

I'm installing a mosaic polished honey onyx backsplash. I know this is a soft stone -- does it need to be sealed? If so, what would you guys recommend?

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[doitright]

Hi tilenoobie, Welcome! :)

The best test is to see if standing water will darken the surface of the onyx (after standing 5-10 minutes). If it darkens, it will need to be sealed. Stone Techs Impregnator Pro would be a good choice for this application.

[MasterGranite]

Onyx is a type of marble and you can seal it on a back splash before you grout. Also try this: hold the Onyx up to the light and you should see light passing thru the stone. You may want to go with a white setting material, test by laying the Onyx down of some white paper as a back drop and see if you like the look. There's thinset made specifically for glass tile (for the color behind the tile), which will be somewhat visible thru the onyx tiles so consider this when choosing your setting material.

[scitu8]

We just had our handyman install our backsplash and we incorporated gold onyx as a feature in the area above the stove. He used sanded grout, but it made the onyx change color (that seems to be the grout color). We will probably rip it out, get two new sheets and seal and try again... First, we are waiting a couple of days to see if the color gets better when the grout is dry. Wish we knew this ahead of time ;)

[doitright]

Hi scitu8, Welcome! :)

Please give us a first name (we won't bite!). :shades:

The first issue you have is that a sanded grout shouldn't have been used.

What was used for a setting adhesive? You could be dealing with several issues. I wouldn't be in a hurry to tear out, if the same mistakes are going to happen, or if the issue to resolve is correctable.

It would really help to have a picture to go by, but you'll need to post a few more times before our forum allows that.

[Rkeister]

Yes, sealing the tiles before installation would work as a grout release. White premium thinset is also recommended (Tec superflex) Polished stones should have an unsanded grout. On a side note, ALL stone must be sealed.

[GraniteGirl]

Just keep in mind the sealing will do nothing to protect the onyx against any acids (or alkaline substances for that matter) Onyx is very, very pH sensitive and will etch pretty much if you look at it. :think:

[Rkeister]

Adriana is right so no Alkaline Cleaners.