Sealing tiles with wood stain and spar urethane.

[Outback Annie]

Has anyone ever sealed tiles with wood stain?

I tried this as an experiment on tiles which haven't been put on walls or floors yet. I hand painted (using a sponge brush) each tile separately and allowed at least 12 to 24 hours drying time between coats. My experiment seems to have worked beautifully and I want to use them for tiling a shower wall.

I used an oil based natural toned Varathane on very porous 4x4 soapstone tiles and allowed them to dry overnight. I then used an oil based clear satin spar urethane and allowed it to dry overnight. The tiles are sealed water tight and water beads off them beautifully. The oil didn't soak through to the back but did cover all edges and soak into the front of the tile. The Varathane brought out more natural colour in the tiles than any other colour enhancer I've seen in stores and the finish is durable and the finish is even. No shiny or dull patches. Just a nice even finish.

I did this as an experiment cause I had some left over tiles from another project and it worked like a charm.

Is there any reason I shouldn't use this wood finish on tiles for a sealer/colour enhancer?? I ask because I've never heard of anyone doing this before.

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[GraniteGirl]

Natural stone tiles need to be installed so they are able to "breathe". There is a certain amount of vapor transmission that occur naturally with any stone. By covering the top of the tile in a varnish, you have essentially cut off this route. Over time (and this will happen extensively just after installation) moisture will try to escape through the body of the tile and will get trapped under the shiny coating you have applied. This will cause a haziness under the coating and could cause the varnish to blister and flake. It could also, with the more porous stones like limestones or shales, cause the stone to "rot" or disintegrate due to excessive moisture not being able to escape naturally over time.

This problem will be more pronounced in a wet environment (like an outside installation or a shower)

Natural stone should be sealed with an impregnating sealer, and if a deeper color is desired, an enhancer should be used. Topical coatings are never really a great idea when it comes to natural stone.

[Outback Annie]

Thank you Adriana,

I had no idea about the need for the tile to breathe. I will rethink that entire process now.