The type of stone, tile and grout that you have will determine if sealing is necessary. Glazed ceramic and porcelain tiles have almost no porosity and are highly resistant to staining; therefore, sealing is not required. However, it is beneficial to seal unglazed, polished porcelain floor tile. If either the tile or grout is considered porous, such as natural-stone tile, terra cotta, Saltillo, brick or cement-based grout, sealing is recommended.
It is best to seal all porous stone before grouting the floor, and again after the grout has fully cured.
The best time to apply a sealer to the grout is after the grout has cured a minimum of 24 to 72 hours, depending on the manufacturer's instructions.
Both sealers and grout releases protect the tile surface from staining that is caused by grouting. The difference is, a grout release, such as UltraCare Grout Release, is designed to be washed away during the grouting process, leaving no protection behind, while a sealer, such as UltraCare Penetrating Plus Stone, Tile & Grout Sealer or UltraCare Penetrating Plus SB Stone & Porcelain Tile Sealer, stays behind, providing continued protection after grouting. For more details, click here.
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