Is It Necessary To Seal Marble Tile

Tile made from marble travertine granite terra cotta or slate looks beautiful but is susceptible to spills stains and chipping if it is not sealed.

Is it necessary to seal marble tile.

The process for sealing a marble floor is relatively easy and should take less than an hour with each application. As polished marble has very little chance of water absorbency there is a much less chance of staining and therefore sealing is not really necessary. The first instance is when you have put white marble in your shower. Polished marble shouldn t need sealing before you apply.

Shake a few drops of water on one of your tiles. Unlike a ceramic or porcelain tile floor it s not just the grout lines where sealing is critical but the entire surface. A major consideration when deciding whether or not to seal your marble shower is that hard water stains are a common theme in bathrooms specifically in showers and baths. Sealing prevents water absorption which can oxidize the iron deposits creating rust stains in the marble which are very hard and often impossible to remove.

Then grout using non sanded grout. White marble including carrara and calcutta marbles often contain small deposits of iron. As polished marble has very little chance of water absorbency there is a much less chance of staining and therefore sealing is not really necessary. Since it is carrara marble a white marble it can contain embedded iron deposits and you need to seal both the tile and the grout in the shower.

While not all marbles are delicate most are highly absorbent and thus easy to stain and etch. How to seal marble floors before grouting. In addition if the marble is not absorbent then it will not absorb the sealer and the sealer wont work. You can apply another coat of sealer on the tile too.

Many manufacturers do not seal the tile ahead of time so try this simple test. I would seal the tile before grouting. Marble sometimes gets circulary etches scrathed into its polished face with sanded grout. Sealing marble or any other kind of natural stone tile is a very important and step that is often done at the wrong time or omitted altogether.

The same process used to seal marble floors can also be used to keep a marble countertop sealed against stains.