Is It Necessary To Seal Marble Tile

How to seal marble floors before grouting.

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. I would seal the tile before grouting. 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. 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.

Shake a few drops of water on one of your tiles. Many manufacturers do not seal the tile ahead of time so try this simple test. 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. When should you seal marble shower tiles.

Then wait 3 days minimum after grouting giving time for grout to cure and then seal the grout. 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. The first instance is when you have put white marble in your shower. 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.

In addition if the marble is not absorbent then it will not absorb the sealer and the sealer wont work. Then grout using non sanded grout. You can apply another coat of sealer on the tile too. Unlike a ceramic or porcelain tile floor it s not just the grout lines where sealing is critical but the entire surface.

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. Marble sometimes gets circulary etches scrathed into its polished face with sanded grout. White marble including carrara and calcutta marbles often contain small deposits of iron. While not all marbles are delicate most are highly absorbent and thus easy to stain and etch.

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.