You’ve browsed our Stone Tile Company website. You’ve found your ideal tile and pictured it in your home looking fantastic. You’ve bought your chosen tiles and we’ve delivered them to you. Now it’s just a case of getting your tiles in place in that perfect way, allowing you to enjoy their aesthetic quality and embrace this beautiful new feature in your home.
When installing tiles, you may well choose to bring a professional in. But we know there are plenty of you out there that love a DIY project and want to save money and install your tiles yourself.
To do this, you need to know a few things – one of which is how to seal tiles properly. And anybody with tiles in their home should be aware of the best way to maintain tiles too.
So in our latest blog, we’ve looked to answer some FAQs we hear about sealing tiles and maintaining tiles. We want to help you not only acquire beautiful tiles of the highest quality, but also make the most of your investment over many years. So read on and find out all you need to know!
What does sealing tiles involve?
Sealing your tiles involves the application of a special tile sealant that helps reduce the porosity of the tile. Sealing assists the stones resistance to dirt, spills, staining and general wear and tear, upmost protects the structural integrity of the tile over time.
What does sealing tiles do?
Sealing tiles reduces their porosity (basically a fancy term for not letting water in just in case you weren’t sure). This helps to protect your tiles and prevents any water damage, ensuring that they will resist stains . Sealing tiles also protects them dirt, and reduces unsightly wear and tear.
Do you have to seal all tiles?
No. But there are definitely tiles that should be sealed. These include any natural stone tiles, which can be porous without sealing. These include popular tile choices like slate, quartzite, limestone, marble and granite.
Many ceramic and porcelain tiles don’t need to be sealed, however some that have micro pores which are created when polishing the surface will benefit from a light sealing.
Some porcelain tiles will have a factory sealer called a Nano sealer, this will provide protection when fitting your tiles, however sealer will need to be re-applied after general wear & tear.
When using dark coloured grouts its always recommended to seal the surface of a polished porcelain tile to protect it from possible staining form the grout..
When do you seal tiles?
Most tiles can be fitted and grouted, cleaned down and then the recommended sealer is applied to the surface of the tile. Some pale marble, travertine and limestone tiles may require a coat of sealer to the surface prior to fitting to protect the surface from possible staining from adhesive and grout. We would recommend you ask your tile supplier when selecting your tiles if they require sealing prior to installation.
What is the grouting process?
Grouting is an important part of any tile project. Grout fills gaps between tiles and ensure they stabilise and don’t crack or chip.
How can I maintain my tiles?
The good news straight off the bat is that sealing and grouting your tiles will make it much easier to maintain your tiles.
Then general maintenance of your tiles is fairly close to what you’d expect. Regular vacuuming and mopping are good ideas for floor tiles, keeping the visual quality of your tiles tip top.
Wiping down tiles after they have been sealed and grouted is another good move. And door mats and bath mats can help to soak up moisture and dirt too, meaning less damage to your tiles. It’s amazing how much dirt people can bring in with them!
We sell a range of tile cleaners that can really help shift and dirt and grime that might build up.
Also try to keep an eye on your grouting, and if you see any areas of concern, look to address them as soon as you can.
Shop with Stone Tile Company
We hope you’ve found this guide useful! We have a dedicated tiles accessories section of our website, which contains adhesive and grout items, as well as sealers and cleaners.
And of course, we have a magnificent selection of tiles for you to pick from too.
Be sure to browse through our range and find your perfect tile buy today. You can browse our delivery information here, and if you have any questions, simply get in touch.
