How To Know When You Should Seal Tiles On Your Floor

The Importance Of Sealing Your Tile Floors To Keep Them In Good Condition

If you have tiles on your bathroom or kitchen floor, they are probably made of a special stone. These tiles can look great and feel amazing to stand. But over time, with the excess humidity from baths, showers, and the steam from cooking, the grout between the tiles will become dirty and stained. That’s when sealing becomes an excellent option.

Tile floors are beautiful, but they can be difficult to keep up with. Most people recommend sealing your tile floors to keep them in good shape for a long time, but what’s the proper way to take care of them? How can we know when it’s the best time?

A Anthem tile floor cleaning company explains below basic signs to notice the best time to seal your tiles and make them look beautiful again!

Is It Better To Seal The Tile Or The Grout?

It’s crucial to understand that a tile floor is made up of two components: the tile and the grout. Although most of the floor is made up of the actual tiles, the grout is just as important. Many people often overlook this material, but it’s an essential part of your floor and it needs sealing.

It is porous by nature, so it will easily stain. Most tile floor installers do not seal them because grout must cure first. It’s something you should do to keep your grout in good condition. As a bonus, sealed grout is much easier to clean.

When Should You Seal Your Tiles?

Sealing is necessary to make tile and grout more resistant to stains, spills, and grout erosion, but not all tile requires sealing.

Ceramic and porcelain tiles usually don’t require sealing. However, there are some exceptions, so double-check with your manufacturer. If your tile is made of stone (slate, marble, granite, travertine, etc.), it must be sealed. Stone is naturally porous, so it absorbs spills and stains quite fast.

A Avondale tile floor cleaning company can instruct you about the best time to seal your tiles.

Keep in mind that natural stone should be sealed with a penetrating sealer. This sealer should penetrate the tile to repel moisture, preventing staining while still allowing vapor to escape. It will not affect the appearance of the tile.

As we mentioned before, most ceramic tiles do not require sealing because they are not porous, but the grout between the tiles is porous and will stain. If you are tiling with ceramic in a high-traffic area, consider sealing the grout with a penetrating sealer to protect the grout and help resist stains while remaining non-sticky to the tile.

Why Do I Need to Seal My Tile?

Sealing tile helps to keep dirt, spills, and even the grout used to fill in joints from staining it. Natural stone tile is not cheap, nor is the labor required to install it, so safeguarding your investment is prudent.

Once the stain becomes embedded in the tile, it will be almost impossible to remove.

Should I Apply Tile Sealant Before Installing The Tiles?

Yes! porous tiles should be sealed before grouting (ideally before installation), then again after the grout has fully cured, and reapplied as needed.

Your Buckeye tile floor cleaning company may recommend you avoid this method if the project is too big. In that case, it’s ok to carefully set the tile first. However, porous tiles must be sealed before grouting. Grout can and will stain many tiles, so protecting them is essential.

The second coat of sealer is necessary once the grout has fully cured, which should take about 3 days. This will seal the grout and re-seal any areas where the sealer has worn away during the grouting process.

How Frequently Should I Reapply Tile Sealant?

You must reapply the tile sealant as necessary. Put some water on it and see what happens. You will know the surface is completely sealed if the water forms a droplet and rolls around. If it absorbs, you know it’s time to seal. The general rule is every year, but this varies depending on the surface.

Higher traffic areas, such as floors, may require sealing sooner, whereas a tiled wall may only require sealing every other year. The water test is the best way to find out.

Contact The Experts

By looking at your floor, you may realize if it needs special attention or not. Sealing your tiles is necessary once in a while. Ask your trusted Gilbert tile floor cleaning company for more info, or contact them to schedule an appointment and see what they can do to your floor.

At Desert Tile & Grout Care, we can guarantee a high-quality service thanks to our expertise and knowledge. Contact us now to request a quote and restore your tile floors to make it look clean and new again!