Porcelain Tile Sealers

[Rajanpad]

Hi Folks,

I tiled (grouted) my kitchen and living room with unglazed porcelain tiles and am now ready to seal.

My question is, should I just seal the grout or do I have to seal the porcelain tiles as well? I've read conflicting info on this. Some say you HAVE to seal porcelain tiles while others say sealing grout lines is good enough. (I've also read that you can't seal porcelain tiles.)

I was also told it's not advisable to seal tiles on high traffic area such as kitchen because of wear and tire. Supposedly all the walking would leave scuff marks on tiles and make it look 'old'. I kinda don't buy I don't think penetrating sealers could be 'scuffed' off by foot traffic. I thought the whole point of sealing is to keep out dirt and grime - expecially on high traffic area!

How often should I repeat the sealant in the kitchen? Once a year? Twice a year? Is there any sealant that would last a long time? Say....10 or 15 years?

I'd appreciate any input.

Raj

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[GeorgeT]

Hi Raj -
There are a couple of ideas about unglazed porcelain tiles and sealers. If your tile changes color when it gets water on it, there is enough absorption to consider a sealer. A penetrating sealer will help prevent staining from liquids that fall on the floor and will also help keep other soiling agents from getting too deeply soaked into the surface. The tile will still get dirty, but with a sealer it will be easier to clean than without.
A penetrating sealer will not leave a protective film or coating on the tile. If the unglazed tile has the slightest texture it could show scuff marks from shoes and boots.
Because an unglazed porcelain is still fairly non-absorbent I think you will be reapplying more often, but it is difficult to speculate on longevity...

[dpeder]

Hi Raj,
I'm with George, the porcelian tile will not absorb much of the sealer leaving a residue on the face of the tiles. My bet is you will regret ever using it because of the high maint. in your high traffic areas. you will always notice the trails and the only way to get rid of them will be to completly strip off all the sealer and redue the intire floor and with the porcelian tiles I'll bet it will have to be done quite frequently. I would just do the grout and pass on doing the face of the tile.

[jadnashua]

The only porcelain tile that benefits from sealing is a polished one - the polishing process opens up pores. The pressure and heat used in the mold to produce porcelain make it essentially moisture proof. Don't bother trying to seal it. You WILL want to seal the grout unless you chose an epoxy version, though. Wipe the excess you get on the tile off before it dries, or you'll end up with streaks that are a pain to get off.

[harmerd]

What if his tile is a matte-finish porcelain? When he grouted it should he have used a grout release or just grout it from the box?

Does the water test apply here?

Curious.

Don H.

[jadnashua]

If you clean the porcelain well, no grout release is required. It might be harder to clean up, but from the limited work I've done...with porcelain, it wouldn't make any difference.

[Rajanpad]

Hi Folks,

Thank you all for the advice. I'll seal just the grout as the tile doesn't change color (hence low absorbtion).

This forum has been and continues to be a great one for me.

Raj