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Do I have to reseal my tile and grout?
QUESTION
I have unglazed porcelain tile that flows from the inside of the home to a large patio outside, 18”X34” tiles. The installation is about 18 months old. The grout and tile was sealed after installation, inside and out. I had a small repair on the patio tile. The installer suggested I reseal the patio grout and tile. Do I need to do this? It was going to be several thousand dollars. If need I’d prefer to do it myselfANSWER
ANSWER - The unglazed porcelain tile should technically be impervious with an absorption of 0.5% or less. That doesn't mean it can't stain, when it can if something is left on it long enough and not cleaned up timely or properly.Sealers are not permanent. They do wear depending on what they have been subjected to in terms of the environment and how they have been used. Generally speaking you have to re-seal every year more or less. The rule of thumb is that it a drop of water doesn't bead up tightly then it needs to be resealed.
Before resealing the tile and grout have to be clean and dry. You should use a penetrating sealer on a porcelain tile. Apply the sealer with a hand spray bottle and rub in with a lint-free cloth. Then immediately buff dry the tile surface with a dry lint free cloth. If you leave excess sealer on the surface it will get sticky and create a cleaning problem.
2 thoughts on “Do I have to reseal my tile and grout?”
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I have a client which I used a piece of stone from the manufacturer’s bone yard. I was told it was a quartz and it is honed.
This stone water marks every time the client uses the sink.
The fabricator has sealed it 2 x’s and it still water marks, badly. he used a water based sealer.
Should I try an oil based sealer like Miracles 511 Seal and Enhance? This is what I use on my granite Kitchen counters.
All stones can develop water marks if the surface isn’t wiped up timely.
I assume you have a quartzite natural stone. Depending on the degree of the honed surface it may have a greater or less propensity to leave water marks that stand out.
Miracle 511 Impregnator sealer is a penetrating sealer that might help your situation. If in fact you do have a true quartzite stone it will not absorb much as it is very dense.
If you already have a sealer on the stone then technically you should remove it. If you don’t then you need to verify the compatibility of the old sealer with the 511 Impregnator. You will have to test it on an out of the way area. Because the stone will not absorb much of the sealer, you need to wipe it down with a dry lint free cloth to remove any excess sealer or that can lead to a maintenance problem leaving a sticky surface.