Sealing porcelain tile floor

15 years ago

My tile store wants to use a dry sealer to seal a porcelain tile floor. The cost is about 1400.00 so I want to make sure it is necessary before okaying it. Any thoughts? They don't tell me what is is just a dry sealer.

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Comments (9)

PoorOwner
15 years ago
Porcelain generally do not need sealing unless it is a polished one in which case it is more porous.

That's a big cost for sealing. I can't imagine paying that much unless it's like thousands of square feet!

Something does not sound right here. Reminds me on the stain guard treatment they try to sell you when you buy a car. What kind of tile do you have?
plllog
15 years ago
Sometimes matte or crackled glazes also need sealing.
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lebwhite
Original Author
15 years ago
It's just a regular porcelain tile around 2.50 a square foot, the grout is a medium shade. It is 760 square feet, roughly there are cabinets etc that eat some of that up. My husband thinks it is not necessary.
PoorOwner
15 years ago
I would just buy a bottle of Aquamix sealer choice gold and apply to the grout and wipe it off, should cost less than $50.
bill_vincent
15 years ago
I agree. Someone saw you coming.
Buehl
15 years ago
From the Tiling FAQs (linked below):
Most glazed tiles, as well as porcelains, will not allow the sealer to absorb into the surface, and as a result, it dries on the surface as a white haze, which is a BEAR to remove. The only tiles which should be sealed are most natural stone tiles, quarry tile, or terra cotta.

Our floors are a glazed porcelain tile with a no-seal grout. Neither should be sealed yet our contractor tried to charge us for 2 coats of tile sealing and one of grout.

For 358 ft2 (about half of your area)....
- $895 for grout sealing (1 application)
- $1,253 for tile sealing (2 applications)
First, our tile guy (not the one charging us, it was the contractor) told us there was no need to seal the grout

Second, I had already learned (from our own Bill!) that you do not seal glazed ceramic tile.

When I objected to it they tried to tell me that the cost of the no-seal grout was so much more than regular grout that in the end it would cost the same. Well, I looked it up and retail it was nowhere near $2148! (I knew it wouldn't be, I wanted proof.)

I had just about had it w/our contractor at that point so I was NOT backing down...they eventually admitted that the original estimate was in case I got a tile & grout that had to be sealed. When I asked why, when they found out what I had chosen didn't need sealing, they didn't credit it back...they had no answer. Even our KD, who usually backed them (at least initially), was not pleased to hear this. BTW...100% of it was credited back to us.

So, take a lesson from my experience and force the issue! If your tile does not need sealing, and I don't think it does, do NOT let them bully you into paying for it!

Here is a link that might be useful: Tile FAQs
remodelfla
15 years ago
leb... porcelain does not need to be sealed. There's no excuse for them being misleading.
lebwhite
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for the responses. I kinda knew it was BS and I knew that I would be steered in the right direction here. These are the same people doing my granite so maybe they thought money was no object!
bill_vincent
15 years ago
so maybe they thought money was no object!

I've been doing high end residential work now for about 15 years, and if I've learned anything during that time, it's that even when money is no object, IT IS. People don't become wealthy by being stupid.

usually. :-)