 Protection Tile Stone Surfaces Tacoma Gig Harbor Puyallup
How do I protect my tile and stone surfaces?
You protect your tile and stone surfaces by sealing them. Sealing is the most important step to protect your investment and ensure that your tile or stone stays as beautiful as it was the day it was installed.
Whether your tile or stone surfaces were installed yesterday or 10 years ago, they should be sealed. We use the best quality sealers on the market. Below are a few of the choices we suggest for protecting your tile, stone or grout. Using the correct one for the application makes a difference in the appearance and durability of your tile or stone surface.
High quality impregnating sealers
These sealers are the best option for most customers. They absorb into the grout or stone surface and cure to form a barrier to soils and stains. These sealers don’t alter the appearance of the surface.
Enhancing sealers
These sealers function the same way as impregnating sealers, but alter the appearance of the stone to give it a permanently wet look. These sealers are very popular on slate and travertine to enhance and deepen the natural color of the stone. Enhancing sealers should be used only on natural stone surfaces.
Specialty coatings
Some types of tile such as Saltillo require a topical coating for protection. Some natural stones such as slate and flagstone can look very nice with a specialty coating as well.
Grout colorant
For sanded grout joints, an epoxy colorant can be a great way to protect, hide stains or alter the color of the grout if desired. It doubles as an effective sealer and often makes maintenance easier because it fills in some of the pores in the grout that trap soil.
 Specialty stone polishes
Certain stones such as marble, travertine, and limestone will be etched by any acidic substance and can benefit from extra protection. These specialty polishes can be used in addition to an impregnating sealer and form a micro thin coating that will prevent acids from etching your stone. They also add a great deal of repellency to all stone surfaces and are ideal for showers and slab countertops.
Questions and answers
Why should I pay to have my tile and stone sealed professionally?
There are several good reason:
- Product quality - Although there are hundreds of sealers and coatings available on the market, they are not all made equally. We use high-quality, professional grade sealers that are built to last 10+ years in most applications.
- Correct preparation - Sealers will not absorb properly if there are soil or contaminants on the surface. You don't want to seal in the contaminates. Our steam extraction system is perfect for removing soil before sealing.
- Correct application - The directions for sealing products are very general and not applicable to all surfaces. Our technicians have the experience and know exactly how to seal each type of tile and stone.
- More options - We have a variety of sealer choices that we can use to solve your problems including enhancing sealers, specialty coatings, waxes, and colorants.
- Peace of mind - When we seal your stone or grout surfaces, we don't stop there. We provide you with a detailed maintenance guide and the products to keep your surface looking beautiful for years to come.
What does sealer do?
Sealers absorb into the stone or grout and harden just below the surface. They prevent spills and soils from absorbing into the grout or stone and assure that the surface will continue to clean up well year after year.
Do I need to seal my ceramic or porcelain tile?
Ceramic tiles do not need sealing. They have their own protective glaze that prevents anything from absorbing into them (including sealers). But the grout around them does need sealing. On the other hand, honed or unfinished porcelain can be very absorbent and should be sealed. But many porcelain tiles come with a glazed or polished finish and do not need to be sealed.
How do I know if my tile or grout needs to be sealed?
A simple test is to drop a couple beads of water on the surface and let it sit for 20-30 minutes then blot up the water. If it doesn't bead up and leaves a dark area on the surface, then it's time to seal.
How often should I seal my tile and stone surfaces? It depends. Please see our Maintenance of your tile, stone, and hard surfaces page for a complete list of situations.
Do you have a question we have not addressed here?
Contact us and we will be happy to help you.
  
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