Does Porcelain Floor Tile Need To Be Sealed

You do not need to seal the surfaces of most ceramic and porcelain.
Does porcelain floor tile need to be sealed. Most polished porcelain needs sealing. Even though the porcelain tile is technically impervious at 0 5 absorption or less it can be beneficial to seal it and the cementitious grouts. Some do require a light application of a penetrating sealer to fill the micro pores on the surface of the tile. If your tile is ceramic or porcelain it probably won t need to be sealed.
Do porcelain floor tiles really need to be sealed. Certain types of tile surfaces such as non porcelain ceramic tiles do not need to be sealed. Seal all unglazed tiles including dense porcelains prior to grouting. If you re buying highly glazed shiny porcelain tiles then you know they ve been sealed but a flat matte style may or may not have been.
When to seal tiles. For example most ceramic tiles are finished with a durable glaze that can help protect the surface from stains so adding a sealer will not be necessary. But is this strictly true. Tile contractors and their customers need to understand whether porcelain tile needs to be sealed and if so why when and with what type of sealer.
Some tiles are sealed as part of the manufacturing process whilst others are left unfinished. Textured tiles can prove difficult to keep clean as they have high low surfaces. This makes the surface more susceptible to staining. When you consider that fact it s easy to see how porcelain can absorb water and stains.
Some polished porcelains are sealed as part of the manufacturing process to protect them during installation but a further seal after a thorough builders clean is recommended to offer. However during the polishing process micro pores are opened up. A mop won t dig out the dirt and often. However since porcelain tiles are not coated with a protective glaze these surfaces should be.
I believe that the fusion grout is a premixed urethane grout so you will have to verify whether it can still be sealed or not. Porcelain is basically clay dust that s been pressed into forms. Even if you can find a sealer to adhere to the surface it will most likely peel or wear very quickly usually in 2 12 months. Many consumers believe that a polished porcelain floor tile doesn t need sealing.
For these reasons porcelain tile is used in entryways kitchens food courts showrooms hallways walls bathrooms and certainly hotel lobbies. Sealing is done to strengthen tile or grout s defenses against dirt spills and erosion of grout but not all tile needs to be sealed. You can carry out a simple test on a spare tile off cut by marking it with black pen. There s an argument to say that you d only seal a polished porcelain tile and would leave a textured or matt surface well alone.
There are some exceptions to this so check with your manufacturer to be sure.