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Sealer or Enhancer or Impregnator, help!!

15 years ago

The shower and vanity are completed. I can't even begin to express how much we love them both. And how helpful you all have been. But...........the next step in sealing. I've used crema marfil marble and also 6x6 and 4x4 tumbled in the shower. Along with another decoration but its marble also. The question being what to do to seal. I like the look now with the tumbled being dull and marble shiny so which sealer is that? Of course then I wet a towel and put it on the tumbled and boy did it pop? What sealer is that? The tile man said he uses the same sealer as grout manufacturer - I believe thats Custom Build possibly.

Thoughts or ideas here. I'm going to try to get pix's of this to post.

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Comments (3)

bill_vincent
15 years ago
He's talking about Tile Lab. Not really a good product. I'd be curious to know for sure, though. Enhancers are a kind of penetrating sealer that will bring out the veining and colors from the tumbled stone. The normal penetrating sealers would be what you want for the rest of it. I'd strongly recommend using both products from the same company, but rathyer than using Tile Lab, look into either Aquamix, Miracle, or Stone Tech.
eagle100
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks Bill. The next question is in the shower where the crema marfil 12 x 12 tiles are (ceiling and walls) does this need to be sealed? The border in the shower has the 6 x6 tumbled which I know has to be sealed as does the tumbled 4x4 floor. Which bring us to the vanity top. I have purchased Stonetech BulletProof to use on the entire vanity. That is what they suggested at the tile store. (And no the tile store doesn't carry it! I had to go to another store.)

I guess I worried about so much of the other details I forgot about sealing!!! I had planned on doing the vanity myself. However the tile man thinks he should do the entire thing. I need to decide to seal or enhance the tumbled marble before anyone can do a thing. Do you seal ceiling of crema marfil? Again thanks.
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Of course, so does Miracle, and Aquamix, for that matter, and any one of the three would work well. You can go either way. You can use the enhancer straight through, or use the enhancer and then the impregnator, or the combination product. While all are actually considered impregnating sealers, the enhancer will bring out the colors and grain of the stone. The impregnator will leave the stone looking pretty much as it does naturally dry.
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Nicole, I'm no expert, but since no one has replied, I'll tell you what worked for me. I looked up tile distributors (the distributors who supply the tradesman, not the retail stores) in my area, then visited two of them. I asked to speak to the guy who knew the most about these things, then explained that "if money was no object, which would you go with and why". I received very similar information from both people, and went with a product that most closely delivered on the important points. I also have travertine floors, btw. They're pretty good providing you don't have a dog that likes to chase balls around, in which case they'll show scratches :-).
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Hello I'm a fabricator in Connecticut area. For the carrara marble i would not recommend enhancing it because it will give a yellowish look to the stone (makes its look wet) not the right look for carrara. Bullet proof is what I use and its the best. I suggest once a year using the bullet proof. Also watch out for etch marks any thing acidic will etch your stone. So keep a 400 grit sand paper around to buff out marks and then apply sealer and you are all set. A lot people make a big deal about marble in the kitchen but as long as you know how to maintain it will be beautiful forever. I added a link with a picture of a kitchen we just finished that is calacatta gold but its the same idea.
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511 will not hurt your porcelain. It can asssit in final grout cleanup as well as help remove any previos 511 streaks from say pre sealing to assist in the grouting itself. many times we use it before and after grouting even on porcelain. bur it must be buffed off and not allowed to dry or it may leave streaks.. If you dont need a final grout surface clean it can be only applied to the proper type grouts.
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bill_vincent
15 years ago
Although the Bulletproof is overkill, even for the vanity (unless it's honed limestone or some other such "thirsty" stone), it'll work, even on the crema marfil. The only thing you'd want to hold of on with the Bulletproof is if you want to use an enhancer on some of the stone.

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