I have a question along these same lines. My shower walls have porcelain tile. However the grout is not sealed. Since grout is porous, why wouldn't water get through to the drywall?

Because for the most part, it sheds right off. There IS, however, supposed to be a vapor barrier behind the cement board, so that moisture can't get back into the wall cavity.

As for sealing, it's not meant to make the grout waterproof. It's meant to make it stain resisitant. The better sealers (and Tile Lab is NOT one of them) will be solvent based, and breathable, meaning it allows for the transmission of water vapor back and forth. It also means water won't bead up on the grout joints.

Personally, I think grout sealers are a waste of time and money, but I'm in the minority.

Our tile guy said to not use anything but water to clean the tiled areas until the grout was sealed, because chemicals in various cleaners can permanently discolor the grout. Is there any truth to this?

Does tumbled marble tile need to be sealed? We have tumbled marble 3x6 subways for a border and accent tiles in the master shower and tub deck, and 1x2 mesh on the shower floor. Our kitchen backsplash is also tumbled marble. If we should seal that, what is a good brand and what method is best to apply it?

Thank you so much for your help. I truly appreciate it!

I just had my new bathroom tiled and my contractor (NYC area) did not recommend it. His bathroom and kitchen are not sealed. I think (but am not positive) that he also said that sealing was another way to make money and that once sealing is done it has to be done again in the future.

Our tile guy said to not use anything but water to clean the tiled areas until the grout was sealed, because chemicals in various cleaners can permanently discolor the grout. Is there any truth to this?

I'd swear I answered this, but I guess not! It sucks getting old! Your installer is right in that many CAN hurt the grout color. He's also right in that water should be all you NEED to clean it. But if you DO need something more than water, mix up some Oxyclean. It'll do just as good a job as chlorine bleach without hurting the grout the way bleach will.

Does tumbled marble tile need to be sealed? We have tumbled marble 3x6 subways for a border and accent tiles in the master shower and tub deck, and 1x2 mesh on the shower floor. Our kitchen backsplash is also tumbled marble. If we should seal that, what is a good brand and what method is best to apply it?

Although I don't believe in sealing grout, I DO believe in sealing stone. Two good recommendations would be Miracle 511 Impregnator, and Stone Tech Impregnator Pro. Both would be applied in the same manor-- take an old terrycloth towel, and rip it in half. Use one as the applicator, and the other, to wipe off the excess. Take the applicator, and wipe a liberal amount of sealer on, let it set for about 5 minutes or so, and then take the dry half and buff off the excess. Done.

I just had my new bathroom tiled and my contractor (NYC area) did not recommend it. His bathroom and kitchen are not sealed. I think (but am not positive) that he also said that sealing was another way to make money and that once sealing is done it has to be done again in the future.

With respect to sealing the grout, I agree with him 100%, including the part about it being a racket.

bill, so should we be careful and not get any of the Miracle 511 or Stone Tech on the grout?

Thank you!

and Bill, how do you know when it is time to seal your travertine? (I hope these are questions others are needing answers to, or I should have started a new question.)

Thank you!

Trudymom-- You don't have to watch out for the grout. I do not advocate sealing JUST the grout. That's not to say you CAN'T seal it if you're sealing stone.

how do you know when it is time to seal your travertine?

I'd make sure it gets sealed atleast once a year, just to be safe.

as always, Bill, you are the best!!!

Thank you!!!

Bill, where can one buy the Miracle 511 Impregnator or Stone Tech Impregnator Pro? I've been chasing my tail, it seems, for other items for our big project, and having a place to start would help me. Thanks! :-)

Check one of your local tile showrooms. If you don't have any local to you, you can get the Stone Tech on line at John Bridge's site store.

Here is a link that might be useful: TYW Online Store

My bathroom floor is honed Carerra Mosaic, and I used bright white Laticrete Spectra Lock Grout. My Walls are cermaic white subway tile.

What sealer should I use? Will this change the look of my marble floor?

Same sealers as I stated above, and no, it won't change the look of your floor.

If you also used Spectralock on the wall tile, then the walls should NOT be sealed at all. Spectralock can NOT be sealed. In fact, when you seal the floor, you'll be wiping the sealer back off of the grout joints.

Hi Bill, I asked my contractor to have his tile guys seal my grout. He said you don’t have to anymore because you can get grout with sealer in it. Is that so? Please explain in detail. Thank you!