Tile Grout And Natural Stone, To Seal Or Not Seal

So, either you just got tile installed or maybe you just got it cleaned and you're interested in keeping your floor looking bright and clean. Unfortunately there is so much mixed information out there homeowners frequently don't know who to trust and believe so they frequently do nothing.

I have been in the floor care industry for 5 years now. I'm IICRC Certified in many different specialties. When I owned my floor care business in Florida, about 65% of our work was tile cleaning. I always educated my clients on proper care and maintenance of their tile floors.

First I'm going to start with sealing your stone tile or grout.

Yes, all stone and grout should be sealed. There are several types of sealers available so I'm going to cover the most popular and effective.

Grout is natural. It's cement, which is sand. Natural Stone Tiles and grout are both very pourous. This means that there are lots of tiny crevices for debris and spills to settle into. This is exactly why you should seal your grout lines and natural stone tiles.

The first question I'm going to tackle is weather to use a water based or solvent based sealer.

To be honest, the base is simply the transporter, so to speak. The base transports the actual sealing components into the stone or grout, then evaporates. The main difference between solvent and water based sealers is that solvent based sealers dry much faster. As for quality and protection, they can be comparable. What's really important to note is that you want the sealer you choose to resist both water and oil based stains.

Also keep in mind that you get what you pay for. If you goto a local hardware or floor store, you're going to find a lot of sealers to choose from. Unfortunately they will not compare to the stuff professionals have access to. So, I recommend you find someone who can get you access to commercial products.

Next I want to talk to you about Penetrating Sealers (also referred to as impregnators) vs. Topical Coatings.

Penetrating or impregnator sealers do just that, penetrate into the surface they're applied to. These sealers contain chemical and mineral agents that are absorbed into the pores of the stone or grout that will modify certain physical properties creating a protective barrier that helps to prevent discoloration and staining. In sealing natural stone or grout, you should stick with penetrating sealers.

Topical Coatings are just that. A coating that is formulated to form a protective film on the surface of the stone, tile or grout. There are professionals out there that will apply a topical coating to stone and grout. This is really not recommended. Typically the topical sealers are used on vinyl. Stick with the impregnators for your stone or grout.