ALthough I'll agree with most of that post, there are a couple of things I don't. First, there IS a big difference between the "high dollar" sealers and Home Depot's Best (Tile Lab). The better sealers will last alot longer. Same thing with the difference between water based and solvent based. The solvent based sealers penetrate much deeper, and as such, last alot longer. One last question-- who makes an unsanded epoxy? Lastly, I don't know what you're calling "tile sealers". The only tile sealers I've ever seen ARE penetrating sealers, also used for sealing stone, and in fact ORIGINALLY meant for sealing stone.

Here is the tile.

Hi - thanks for responding! The Lansdale has a creamy, taupey tone which I think (hope!) sort of blends with the copper. Regular Carrara didn't because it is all gray and white, but Lansdale seemed to blend it all-- the brown tones bring out the copper, and then then the whiter tiles tile in with the cabinets, while ones that are grayer tie in with my stainless steel.. I know the galaxy has the sparkle/flecks, but in general I think of it more as a neutral since you pretty much just see black counters. I didn't want anything too sparkly/glass/iridescent even though I LOVED that at first, but it competed with the sparkle, whereas the Lansdale is muted while still being warm and bringing some interest. Thoughts? I can't think of anything that would incorporate copper as I don't want to do a dark backsplash, and don't want accents because it is a very small area. I wanted neutral, and soothing and something to warm up kitchen.. I saw a picture of something who used it on this forum and looked similar to mine. Granted she has very dark chocolate counters (not granite) but i was thinking of my copper like the brown.

Oh, that's pretty, and so is the faucet! myersamyl, you sound just as I did a few years ago. We bought a used, polished carrara mable-topped dining table, and my late husband modified the base to make an island/work table. I honed and hand polished the top to a silky, satiny sheen. It's never been sealed, and it has no stains. My grandson once spilled a tube of red drink powder on it, and even that didn't leave a stain. He's managed to get blue ink on it, which came off with a poultice, and IIRC, there was also an incident with a yellow marker. I took care of the stains right away, but there is a deep etch where he left his metal lunch box (vintage Ramones) setting on the counter overnight. Leaking fruit juice left a large etch, with a deep 'crease' where the rolled edge of the metal reacted with the acid in the juice. I polished out the etch, but the crease will be there forever--at a certain angle it just looks like a bad seam. I have a few star dings--one has my name on it, where I knocked a claw-hammer off a paint can on which I'd carelessly left it, and a few more where one of my DDs dropped a handful of hematite 'chatter stones' she was juggling, while she sat at the island. The first year or so, I polished out every little etch with a smooth sanding- sponge, but I've relaxed. I don't think I've done any maintenance since the fruit juice debacle. We've made a million pfefferneuse cookies on that slab, lots of arlettes, puff pastry, pie crust, bread, pizza dough, and noodles. Maybe some day I'll re-hone, but probably not. I still love the marble, and as you have heard, it has stories to tell of my loved ones--someday I hope I'll be able to show a great-grandchild where his dad left the leaky Ramones lunch box. :)