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Questions about grout, sealer and tile enhancer

Maureen Petrilli

14 years ago

We're in the middle of a master bath renovation and this board has been helpful! A while back, we did a kitchen remodel that included a split face natural stone tile backsplash. Intent was to forgo grout to keep the look of the split face tile,but the tile guy didn't comprehend this due to a language barrier. By the time I got home, the tile was completed grouted-- not the look I wanted! I think we used a Stone tech product to seal the tile, and while I was told it would also enhance a bit, it really didn't change the tone at all.

I would like to get the order of enhancer, grout and seal right this time. Our field tile for the master bath is porcelain, same for the floor tile, but there will be a decorative border made from natural stone. I have yet to decide on a grout color, and may also decide to use an enhancer on the border (stone) tiles. When is the right time to enhance that border? It's being installed as I type, and I have a few days to decide on grout color. I was thinking I'd have to enhance now before they start grouting.

Also, is there a rule of thumb when it comes to choosing grout color? I had horrible white grout before, really bad wide grout lines, and I want to avoid that this time around.

I am sure I will have more questions

Thanks!

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Comments (3)

User
14 years ago
You didn't say what type of stone your border is, and I'm not sure if it's in the bath area or on the floor, so I'll just tell you what we did, and show you a picture. Hopefully that will help you. I had read from the pros in the forum, that Miracle 511 worked well, so that's what we used. I bought the enhancer/sealer as well as just the sealer impregnator. I called the Miracle 511 customer service and was told we could enhance and then seal, but not seal and then enhance. So before grouting, we applied a coat of the sealer/enhancer and then grouted. Our tile guy did NOT clean the tiles thoroughly enought and grout got caught in the clefts, which he cleaned off, then we applied a 2nd coat of enhancer sealer and 2 or 3 coats of sealer impregnator after that in the shower. You can also find alot of additional information about the process by doing a search or posting your question at johnbridges.com.

here is a picture of our enhanced stone:

{{gwi:1489925}}
pepperidge_farm
14 years ago
We used ceramic tile with a natural stone strip and chair in the design. We used pebbles on the shower floor.

We set all the materials, then sealed the stone avoiding getting too much sealer in the grout spaces, enhanced/sealed in one step the pebbles, then grouted, then sealed or enhanced/sealed again.

The sealer and enhancer by Miracle 511 that we used acted as a grout release which helps a lot when wiping down the grout and protects the porous materials.

You do not need to seal or enhance the porcelain, though.
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Question 1: So, I believe I have read on here that all the corners should be caulked. Does the caulk go over the grout or is there no grout in the corners? There should be no grout in the joint. Caulking needs a place to anchor itself. If you just apply caulking over a grouted joint, it'll peel back off in no time. Make sure the joint is empty, fill it, tool it with your finger, and (in the case of siliconized latex) wipe it with a wet sponge. Question 2: Does it matter what kind of grout sealer I get? Is there one that has an easier application? (porcelain tile) It should be a penetrating sealer, preferrably one that's solvent based. As for applicatioin, it's pretty easy-- wipe on to the point where you see the joints darken, and wipe off the excess on the face of the tile (don't let it dry on the tile or you'll see a nice white haze appear that's tough to get rid of).
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cheri-- it depends. For installing terracotta tile (which is what you're talking about), you actually use TWO different sealers. The first is a grout release, which should be a water based penetrating sealer, such as Aquamix's Sealers Choice. The second is a top coat sealer, unless you want it to have the raw look to it, in which case, you'd just seal the whole thing after it's grouted with the same water based penetrating sealer. If the grout gets dirty before I seal it, do I have a problem? Or can I clean out the dirt before I seal or color it? OMG, yer gonna hafta rip it all out! (just kidding. :-) Did I get your heart racing?) Seriously-- if it gets dirty, hitting it with oxyclean and then rinsing it well will take care of it-- either way, for the colorant OR the sealer. Bill do you think it wasn't mixed correctly or used to much water when cleaning it? Or I heard tap water could make the grout lighter. Positano, there are more reasons for the grout to come out lighter than stars in the sky, starting with it being a chronic problem that grout charts are sometimes printed more "vividly" than the actual colors. Without analysing a piece of the grout, it would be impossible to say for sure, although your assertions are all possibilities.
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Re grout: I would think a darker option would end up looking much like the bottom portion of the picture you posted ... in other words, awesome! I think it would emphasize the pattern, which would be my preference, too. As far as sealer, I've had good and bad experiences with natural stone. Best thing I can tell you is to take a little scrap piece and slap some sealer on it. If you like the various subtle color variations here, though, I'll bet you'd be happy w/any changes sealer might effect. And I think sealer is always a good idea for natural stone in the kitchen.
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loves2read
14 years ago
actually it is more correct I think to say you CAN'T seal or enhance the porcelain tiles because they are not porous--they can't absorb the enhancer or sealer like a natural product such as tumbled marble can

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