All types of natural stone and porous man made tiles should definitely be sealed. . . Dirt, stains, spills and other contaminates can easily penetrate unsealed tiles and permanently damage and stain them.
All natural stone and porous man made tiles should be sealed with some type of sealer. It is always a good idea to protect porous tiles from all types of dirt, contaminates and chemicals. Sealing tiles will also protect them from harmful chemicals that can permanently etch and discolor the tiles.
There are various sealing options available for all different types of tiles depending on the type of tile you are sealing. The desired look of the tile after it has been sealed must also be considered when deciding on how to seal your tiles.
No sealer will ever be able to totally protect the look and finish of any type of tile. It is still always best to protect the tiles finish as much as possible and sealing the tiles is the best way to protect them. A sealer is designed to not allow dirt and contaminates to immediately be absorbed by the tiles so that the dirt, spills and contaminates can be cleaned up before they are absorbed by the tiles. Sealers will also provide protection from harmful chemicals to protect delicate stone tiles from becoming etched from acidic and other harmful chemical products.
Impregnating sealers are the most common type of sealer that is used for sealing tile. Impregnating sealers can also be used for sealing grout but impregnating sealers that are only designed for sealing grout should not be used for sealing tiles. Only quality types of impregnating sealers that are designed for sealing stone tiles should be used for sealing natural stone tiles. Stone specific impregnating sealers will have a much smaller molecular structure that can penetrate deep into porous tiles and provide the maximum protections for stone and other porous man made tiles. Impregnating sealers designed for sealing tile will also provide maximum protection for the more porous grout so you can use the same stone sealer for sealing both the tiles and grout. Sealing tile with an impregnating sealer is not too difficult and is the easiest way to seal any type of porous tile. You can read about how to apply an impregnating sealer at our how to seal a travertine tile floor page.
Impregnating sealers will not alter or effect any aspect of the look, sheen, color or shine of the tiles after they have been sealed. When applied correctly you should not see any difference in the appearance of the tiles after they have been sealed. There should also not be any different feel or texture to the surface of the tiles when an impregnating sealer has been applied correctly. If there is a haze, sticky feel, streaks, spots or other irregularities on the surface of the tiles after they have been sealed then the impregnating sealer was not applied correctly. The only noticeable effect of sealing tiles with an impregnating sealer is you should see water bead on the surface of the tiles after they have been sealed.
Many times dense stone tiles such as granite may seem to be extremely non porous and not require being sealed. Often there can be porous areas of even the most non porous stone tiles such as granite. It is definitely a good practice to spend the time and money to seal granite countertops and other types of non porous stone tile installations. If the sealer is not absorbed by the tiles then it will be wiped off the surface of the tiles during the normal tile sealing process. Any of the porous areas will be sealed and protected from stains spills and contaminates.
A variation of an impregnating sealers is an enhancing impregnating sealer for natural stone tiles. Enhancing impregnating sealers will enhance the color and look of the tiles to enhance the colors of natural stone and porous man made tiles. Many porous tiles such as slate, limestone, quarry, saltillo and terracotta tiles can look dull, chalky and lifeless in their natural state. An enhancing impregnating sealer will make the tile colors look more vibrant than they looked in their natural state. Enhancing impregnating sealers will not effect the sheen or shine of the tiles but they may slightly darken the tiles after they have been sealed. It is always a good idea to test any type of enhancing sealer on a spare out of the way tile first before committing to applying an enhancing impregnating sealer to the entire tile installation.
Another type of tile sealer is a topical tile sealer. Topical sealers are different from impregnating sealers in that topical sealers will sit on the top of the tile surface and alter the sheen of the tiles. Most topical sealers will also enhance the colors and look of the tiles as well. Topical sealers are best used on extremely porous tiles such as slate, saltillo, terracotta, quarry and other types of extremely porous stone tiles. These types of tiles often look dull and lifeless and they will benefit from the increased glossiness and color enhancing capabilities of a topical sealer. These types of extremely porous tiles are also not effectively sealed with impregnating sealers due to their extremely porous nature. Topical sealers come in various sheens from matte to extremely glossy. Sealing tiles with a topical sealer can be somewhat more difficult and time consuming than sealing tile with an impregnating sealer. You can read more here about sealing slate tiles and the different types of slate tile sealers.
Other types of stone tiles such as travertine, limestone, marble and granite should not be sealed with a topical sealer. These types of stone tiles need to "breath" where air and water vapors are absorbed and evaporated from the tiles. Impregnating sealers will allow these types of stone tiles to breath while topical sealers will not permit the natural "breathing" characteristics of these stone tiles. Tiles that are required to "breath" that are sealed with a topical sealer can become damaged over time.
Topical sealers will never last forever and eventually will need to be stripped and reapplied. Over time the finish of a topical sealer will become scratched, dull and lifeless. Dirt and grime can also get embedded in the topical sealer making the tiles look dirty and dingy. Eventually the topical sealer will need to be stripped away and reapplied. Stripping a topical sealer off of tiles can be a time consuming and costly project so it should be something to consider before applying a topical sealer.
Topical sealers will come in either a water based or solvent based formulas. Solvent based sealers will often be harder and more durable than water based topical sealers. Solvent based topical sealers will have much higher VOC levels than water based topical sealers and respirators must be used when applying them. Also while solvent based topical sealers are more durable than water based topical sealers they will eventually need to be stripped and reapplied. Stripping a solvent based topical sealer is much more difficult and much harsher stripping chemicals will be required for stripping them.
Non porous ceramic and porcelain tiles do not need to be sealed since these types of tiles will not absorb dirt, grease and other chemical substances. The surfaces of these non porous man made tiles is extremely easy to clean and maintain. Impregnating types of sealers will not be absorbed by these types of tiles so sealing them with an impregnating sealer is a waste of time and money. You can typically tell whether a tile is porous and needs to be sealed by simply placing a small amount of water on the tile for approximately 10 minutes. Then you should wipe the the water off the face of the tiles and see if the tile has soaked up any water and darkened in color. If the tile has darkened then it is porous and should be sealed. If on the other hand there is no change in color where the water has been then the tile is non porous and does not need to be sealed.
Sometimes a topical sealer is applied to non porous ceramic or porcelain tiles. Topical sealers are not designed for sealing ceramic tiles or any other types of non porous tiles. Sealing ceramic tiles with a topical sealer is often done to give the tiles a shiny looking appearance. Also many times commercial floors with ceramic or porcelain tiles are sealed to make them look shiny and to provide an extremely non porous, easy to clean surface. Sealing non porous tiles can be a risky process because the sealer may not properly adhere to the non porous tiles. Also the topical glossy sealer will eventually have to be stripped away and reapplied.
Sealing tiles can be a time consuming, costly and difficult job. It is important to use the correct tile sealing products and procedures when sealing any type of tile installation. Many times a perfectly good tile installation can become ruined when the tiles are improperly sealed. It can often be helpful to hire a tile and grout cleaning and restoration contractor to seal the tiles for you.
You can read some valuable information and tips on how to hire a tile, grout and stone cleaning and restoration contractor at our contractor information page here. . . Tile Cleaning and Restoration Contractor.