Sealing Porcelain Ceramic Tile

Sealing is done to strengthen tile or grout s defenses against dirt spills and erosion of grout but not all tile needs to be sealed.

Sealing porcelain ceramic tile. These tiles are. There are however some forms of unsealed porcelain tiles that could benefit from a light coat of a tile sealer. Gloss finish ceramic and porcelain tile sealer. A sealer is a liquid coat applied to the porous surface of the tile or grout to protect them from oxidation natural deterioration and day to day wear.

While grout sealer doesn t prevent moisture from penetrating it does help block moisture. Typically unglazed porcelain tile comes in polished and unpolished formats. There are some exceptions to this so check with your manufacturer to be sure. Glazeguard gloss sealer is developed specifically for ceramic and porcelain tiles.

Take a look on google and you ll find a host of conflicting views. If your tile is ceramic or porcelain it probably won t need to be sealed. In terms of no water absorption porcelain tiles are the best. When to seal tiles.

Porcelain tiles do not require sealing as they come with a factory glaze that is 99 9 waterproof and do not allow water or anything to penetrate it. But is this strictly true. It s a question that we get asked on a regular basis. Ceramic tile sealers and porcelain tile sealers are used to protect unglazed tiles and grouts from absorbing stains.

There s an argument to say that you d only seal a polished porcelain tile and that matt or textured tiles should be left untreated. There s an argument to say that you d only seal a polished porcelain tile and would leave a textured or matt surface well alone. Man made tiles like porcelain or ceramic tiles won t experience this but pre sealing does help if they have little or no existing sealant on them. In closing as long as you seal and maintain your tiles alongside the grout you can enjoy them for a very long time to come.

The weak link in a porcelain floor or any tile floor for that matter is the grout between the tiles. The water absorption rating for porcelain tile according to ansi 137 1 and ptca porcelain tile certification agency is 5 or less. So porcelain clay doesn t readily stain. Porcelain is a type of ceramic tile that is impervious which means its absorption is of 1 percent or less.

Although some unglazed porcelain tiles can have microscopic out gassing voids that can possibly trap stains of certain products if they are not cleaned up readily or properly. A mop won t dig out the dirt and often. Textured tiles can prove difficult to keep clean as they have high low surfaces. Should a porcelain tile floor be sealed after installation.