Sorry about that, My attention has been on this whole granite thing. You think the HT forum gets testy, you ought to check out some of the threads in the Kitchens forum right now. As for what you're using, it's a topical sealer, as opposed to the penetrating sealers that most people use, and it'll work fine on the tile you have. I wouldn't worry about using sandpaper, but I'm curious why the sealer won't take in certain areas. I'm wondering if there might've been something on the face of the tile, or if possibly his strokes with the applicator weren't as even as he thought. Another possibility might be trying to go too far with the sealer on the applicator, and although there was enough to wet those areas, they didn't really get coated as well as the rest of the floor. I'd say just go ahead right over what you have with another coat, paying particular attention to those places that look bare now, and see what happens.

Okay. I think once I get back home, this is going to be another one that goes into the tile FAQ in the bathrooms gallery. Although there are others, for all intents and purposes, there are two kinds of grout-- portland cement based, and epoxy. The portland cement based grouts are the conventional grouts that have been around for millenniums. Although in the last few decades, they've been modified with latex and other polymers to make them stronger and more resistant to mold and mildew, they're basically the very same grouts that have been used since Greek and Roman days. There are two kinds of portland cement based grouts. One is sanded, and the other unsanded. The only difference between the two is, as their names imply, the sand. The ONLY thing that determines which grout should be used is the joint size. NOT the glaze, NOT aesthetics, NOT the material (ceramic vs. glass or polished marble), NONE of those. I'll repeat-- the ONLY thing that determines which is used, is the joint size. Anything under an 1/8" takes unsanded grout. Anything 1/8" or bigger, you use sanded grout. If you use unsanded grout in larger joints, the cement in the grout will shrink way too much as the water evaporates out of it, and the joints will end up shrinking and cracking bigtime. If you try using sanded grout in smaller joints, the grains of sand will literally clog the top of the joint, and not allow the grout to get down INTO the joint, and the grout will flake off in a matter of days. As for the Epoxy, most epoxy grouts use a much finer "sand", and therefore can be used in any size grout joint. Further, epoxy grouts are everything people say they are. They're much easier to clean, practically stainproof, and also extremely expensive. Most epoxies will cost atleast 4 times the cost of conventional grouts, and the installer will also usually charge a premium of between 1.50- 2.50 a foot for the use of epoxy grout. There are alot of poeple who will disagree with me, but my own opinion is that for most residential installations, epoxy grout is bigtime overkill. The ONLY times I'll recommend epoxy grout is first, if you're installing a tile countertop, and two, if you have animals in the house that either aren't housebroken, or are prone to accidents. In either of those cases, epoxy might be worth the money. For anything else, though, conventional grout is more than good enough.

Sue Ct - no the $50/sq ft is just the labor to install. The quote was actually $55/sq ft with $5 of it the allowance for tile. I know our tile will be more expensive - so I figured I will just buy it myself and pay only for installation. Now its just the issue of finding someone to install it at a reasonable price Kevin - thanks for the input. Yea, the granite pricing was the thing that really troubled me. As to all tile vs tile and 4" granite slab splash - I was like you - thinking all tile. But one of the KDs has convinced my spouse that it will be easier to clean and that there will be issues with tile to the counter and the grout cracking as the house settles / wall contracts / expands. I do know we have laminate in the kitchen now (no tile, just drywall behind the 4" splash) and there is a slight gap between the laminate splash and the drywall that changes size slightly with the season - so that is what my spouse is worried about. Is there a way to help prevent the grout cracking issue at the counter? Thanks

The tile is going over concrete. Yes, it is very smooth. It has a matte finish. I was just primarily worried that it might be more prone to cracking because it seems slightly thinner than others. I think the thickness is 8 mm and some of the Italian porcelains are 10 mm. It is manufactured in South America if that makes any difference - I don't know?