You bring up a good point about the reason behind sealing crackle tiles. Why do people seal crackle tile? Is it an attempt to prevent staining or absorption?

What about my concerns over the crazed tiles?

The other tiles arrived today and they also have some crazing, just not as much.

Do I need to seal them?

Advice is welcome and needed!

Yes, you must seal them before installation, and again afterward. "Crazing" refers to cracks in the glaze that develop, especially in handmade tiles, over time, whereas crackle tiles are glazed to develop those cracks on firing. If you don't seal the tile before you install it you risk getting grout in the cracks. Some crackle tiles come with a temporary sealant to protect the tile on installation (check with WZ) but most manufacturers recommend the tile be sealed to protect the clay body of the tile in the long run.

And let's be clear here, sealing tile takes about ten seconds per square foot. If you're going to seal your grout periodically, it takes no additional effort to also seal your tile.

As for sj's comment, that opinion isn't a well informed one. It's like saying seat belts aren't necessary because you never needed one. Check with your tile manufacturer for proper care and maintenance, or heck, I'll help you pick a new backsplash tile in a couple of years :)

Neither heath nor fireclay recommend sealing their crackle tile. I just checked their web pages. Heath recommends sealing their textured matte glazes and fireclay recommends sealing their white clay body tiles. Heath ceramics has been around since the 1950s, iirc, and fireclay since the mid-80s. So neither is exactly a fly by night company. I'm not all that familiar with other manufacturers and haven't checked their websites. I'd suggest checking with the maker of your particular tile.

crl is simply wrong, Per Fireclay:

"Crazing is beautiful, but don't forget glazes with cracks will require more maintenance. Our glazes with crazing can be difficult to keep clean, so make sure you seal your tile once installation is complete. Over time, these glazes will develop even more cracks, so you will need to re-seal your tile periodically to keep it looking its best"

Crazing

Again, check with your manufacturer.

So this is where I found the answer to the question, should I seal my tile on Fireclay's website:

Do I need to seal my tile?

This is a great question and we highly recommend talking with your installer, as generally where your tile is being installed (i.e. wet vs dry environment) has a large impact.

Our recycled clay body colors do not need to be sealed in any environment. We only suggest sealing for non-acid-resistant tile in an area such as a bathroom or pool to prevent a patina from forming on the tile.

Our white clay body colors are pre-sealed at the factory with a penetrating sealer. This protects them during installation and grouting. We recommend that a coat of penetrating sealer is wiped on these tiles after grouting and drying. We recommend sealing 1x per year thereafter. We suggest sealing for non-acid-resistant tile in an area such as a bathroom or pool to prevent a patina from forming on the tile.

It is always a good idea to seal your grout however, to ward off staining and discoloration from harsh cleaners and hard-water.

There is generally no benefit to sealing our glass tile. We only suggest sealing for non-acid-resistant tile in an area such as a bathroom or pool to prevent a patina from forming on the tile. It is always a good idea to seal your grout however, to ward off staining and discoloration from harsh cleaners and hard-water.

If they have different instructions elsewhere, I do apologize for posting something misleading.

Crl I know you feel bad, but posting more detailed misinformation doesn't really help. It's OK. We all make mistakes.

To put this to bed I checked out WZ for you. Here's what they say verbatim:

"CERAMIC TILE

In general, most ceramic tile does not require sealing. However, ceramic tile
with crackle glazes should be sealed prior to grouting to keep the grout from
staining the clay body. See usage guide for specific guidelines."

From the Usage Guide:

"General Note about Crackle Glazes and Crazing

Because they are prone to absorbing stains, crackle glaze tiles should not
be used as kitchen counter surfaces. Any installation of crackle glaze tiles
should be sealed with a penetrating sealer prior to grouting. In areas that
experience regular moisture, such as showers, resealing crackle glazes is a
necessary maintenance procedure.

Crazing defines the occurrence of crackle in the glaze surface of the tile
after installation. This usually occurs because of tensile stresses produced by
temperature fluctuation, causing expansion and contraction of the tile body
or setting bed. Crazing is a naturally reoccurring episode in some installation
environments and Walker Zanger cannot accept claims defining crazing
as a reason for product failure. "

Actually, based on their definition, crazing only happens on installation, so like it or not you have a crackle tile. Funny, no? I think your supplier should special order non-cracked or -crazed pieces for you. Or just return them and get pieces from another supplier. WZ sees this as a defect and won't cover any further crazing should it occur after installation.

Good luck.

Instead of using the special rail corner pieces, can you instead just use the rail molding and miter the outside corners?

Eam and crl, thanks for all of the educational posts. Things have become so complicated since I last looked at tiles (only 19 years ago). If I use the corner tiles, I will be sure to seal them.

Catbuilder, that's a great idea about mitering regular rail tiles. I will consider that!