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Expert Answers
How should I seal my tile and what kind of sealer should I use?
QUESTION
How should I seal my tile and what kind of sealer should I use? We have installed a glass and stone back splash (sheets). We are ready to grout but we are confused about the necessity of sealing the stone sections to prevent the grout from filling in the stone face. Also, it seems that if you seal the stone then there is the possibility that the grout won't stick inside the spaces. If you do use a sealer, what kind of sealer and are we just to be careful not to get it in the grout lines? Please help, no one seems to address this issue.ANSWER
ANSWER - Sealers are normally bond breakers, so you do not want to get the sealer along the edges of the tile before you grout.If you have a travertine stone with voids you can either leave them that way or fill them with the grout. Note that the appearance of the stone will look entirely different depending on what color grout you use to fill the voids.
If you want to fill the voids with grout then grout first and then seal after it has been cleaned up and cured. Take an uninstalled tile sheet and grout it to make sure it will turn out to your satisfaction before doing the actual installation.
If you don't want to fill the voids with grout then seal the tile surface first with a penetrating type of sealer e.g. Miracle 511 Impregnator, Aqua Mix Sealers Choice. Use sponge or lint free cloth to wet it and ring it out so it is damp and not wet and apply over the surface, without getting into joints. You will have to scrub to get the grout out of the voids but it will be easier than if you don't seal first. Good Luck.
