countrycottageklutz, this is what I have been learning... Seal the stone- do your best to keep it out of the grout lines, I have read that a paint pad works well, Bill told me in a recent question of mine: As for the grout sticking, believe me-- I wouldn't worry about it. Take a piece of tile, seal it, and let it sit for a day and dry. Then put a smear of grout on the face of it, and let THAT dry for a day. Then see if you can remove the grout. The sealer only slows down the bond. It doesn't stop it completely. ( http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/bath/msg011135464004.html ) Follow the directions for your sealer, make sure it works with your grout! Most of the tile folks will tell you that you don't need to seal the grout.... need vs. can... such a fine line :-) I am sure someone in the know will show up soon. Have you done some good reading on the forum on John Bridge... see link: Here is a link that might be useful: John Bridge: Cleaning Restoring and Sealing

I've had both tile and hardwood in my kitchens. The tile was very easy to take care of, indestructible, and impervious to spills. However if you dropped a glass, or someone knocked a jelly jar off out of the fridge, smash! into a million pieces. It was hard on my feet and back, and cold in winter -- radiant heat would've fixed that, of course. Hardwood is more comfortable to walk on, warmer even without radiant heat, and more forgiving when you drop something on it. It isn't waterproof if you have a major flood, but a good finish will keep everyday drips from harming it. Sand and grit are the biggest enemies because they become like sandpaper ground in with every step. We have some scratches from the dog skidding around the corners but it's a distressed type of flooring so I don't mind so much. If you are doing radiant heat, what type of wood floor would you put down? Some floors move (expand and shrink) more than others, and radiant heat can make it worse. An engineered floor will move the least. Antique lumber moves some. New wood planks will move the most, QS less so than flat sawn. (These are generalities of course -- dryness of the wood and subfloor, species of wood, and board widths are huge factors as well.)

Thank you for those great resources, Amal. What really sparked this was I received my color samples from Villa Lagoon Tile, and I was less than overjoyed with the Maple Sugar. (However, the folks at VLT are *so nice* -- eight years ago when we used their patchwork quilt tiles for the floor of my son's personal care room Lundy, the now-retired owner, was just a dream to work with. I admit I have warm fuzzy feelings about wanting to work again with them.) Granada Tiles offer lots of yellow color choices (others as well, but I am after yellow), so I may purchase their sample kit. At play there is GT charges a 30% fee for custom colorways, and based on my loving-hands-at-home calculations, I'm looking at that 30% adding an additional >US$3,000. It may come down to my deciding that Yes, getting what I want is worth it or No, it's not. I'm not there yet. I suspect the other costs will ultimately also factor into my decision .... I did go ahead and order the Gold and White color samples from The Cement Tile Shop, so we'll see how they look in real life. We'll be gutting our master bath to accommodate a curbless (roll-in) shower so we (my children's father and I) can more safely bathe our youngest child, who is multiply and profoundly disabled and unable to assist / participate in his own ADLs (Activities of Daily Living, like bathing). As of now we lift him in and out of the tub, but sooner rather than later someone will get hurt, and that is just not a goal of ours! I found a reclining shower chair about which I am *very* excited -- not pretty but wow will it be functional. Thank you people who think of, design and produce these adaptive pieces! I want to also add the plumbing specialist with whom I've been working has been an absolute dream. She has steered me to Keuco for the shower rail because it is also a grab bar -- two in one -- as well as appropriate hand showers (big but not huge) with extra long and smooth hoses, so no hair or skin can get pinched in between the coils. The pretty will come in with the yellow + white tiles -- very chipper. I am anticipating a bright white space with the tiles on the floor and leading up at least one wall of the shower, maybe three if that won't prove overkill ... can't figure that bit out. My partner weighed in that he'd like it to have the flavor of an updated crumbly + ornamental Recoleta apartment, and I can definitely get behind that. Hello Round Top! Anyway, so it's fun planning, and I am enjoying being very thorough with the planning so we make the best, most Accessible, safest space for all of us. But of course most of all for our sweet son.

Monin Martin, it was either mapei maximizer or stonetech....I can't remember which one. This was used in placement of water and the grout in my shower has not had any mold/mildew issues. I do dry the shower down after each use as well. Of course, you won't have the moisture issue, but spills and such can be a problem in the kitchen. Whoever installs your tile should have knowledge of this. It is a bit pricey, but in my opinion, especially since I have white marble, I am limited on cleaning product options. I used Miracle Seal on my marble tile and that is a great product as well. They have different ones depending on the materials. Mine was for stone and was an "impregnator". I think the name had 511 in it. Good luck to you!