What Is The Best Sealer To Seal My Porcelain Floor Tiles?
By Michael Ross on Apr 18, 2008 in Porcelain, Problem Solving, Sealing
What is the best sealer to seal my porcelain floor tiles is one of the most frequently asked questions I hear. For those in a hurry, I’ll give you my suggestion right away - Ultra Solv. For those with time (and the desire) to find out why, read on.The answer can depend on the finish of the porcelain; for example, it could be a standard, smooth finish, it could be slightly textured (like a faux slate) or heavily textured, perhaps for anti-slip purposes. However, by far the most common question I receive is in relation to ‘polished’ porcelain.
There are still some high-quality porcelain tiles out there that do not require sealing. If you are lucky enough to have one of those then you are not going to need to do too much to keep it clean and looking good. Unfortunately, more and more of the porcelain sold here is of a somewhat more unpredictable quality, at least in terms of porosity and susceptibility to sub-surface staining. If you suspect that your porcelain might need sealing there are couple of ways you can check:
1. Do a water drop test - put some water on the tile and leave it for about 20 minutes then wipe off. If there is any darkening of the surface, showing that some water has penetrated the tile, then it will benefit from being sealed.
2. You can do the same thing with oils (warm engine oil off your car’s dipstick, cooking oil etc)
3. Or, for the ultimate test, use a highly penetrative chemical like a solvent; a permanent ink marker pen is perfect - needles to say, do this test on a spare off-cut, not on your floor!
Having determined that your porcelain needs sealing, which sealer should you use? First of all, the ‘type’ of sealer you will need is known as an ‘impregnating sealer’, as the name implies, it is a sealer that penetrates the tile and lies just below the surface, acting like a safety net to contain contaminants and keep them at the surface until they can be cleaned.
There are many impregnators out there and the old adage of “you get what you pay for” is certainly applicable here. Next question is what is best, solvent-based or water-based? Well this is one of the very few situations nowadays where I would still favour a solvent based one, not because water based is not up to the job, quite the contrary, but some modern water-based sealers can out-perform the best solvents, but simply because porcelain has a very dense surface and a solvent-based impregnator will penetrate it more easily.
So, having decided that a solvent based sealer is required, ideally we are looking for a high performance one that is as kind to the user and the environment as a solvent sealer can be. Hence my suggestion of Ultra Solv; this is a premium quality sealer, designed for high performance and longevity, with excellent resistance to oil based, water based and acidic contaminants, it is a fantastic sealer to use for pre-grout sealing. Unlike most other solvent based sealers though, it uses the latest, ‘safer’ solvent as a carrier, so it has much lower VOC’s and a greatly reduced odour, it is technically non-flammable, with a flash point of 150dgs C (meaning the fumes won’t ignite, unless you heat it to a high temperature). Consequently, it is a much nicer product to use than traditional solvent sealers whilst compromising nothing in terms of quality.
What if I want to use a water-based sealer? - No problem, you can, go for Sealer’s Choice Gold; just adapt the application a little: allow a liberal quantity of the sealer to dwell on the surface for a little longer. Then rub in the sealer with absorbent cotton or paper towels, leaving the surface of the tiles dry and free of sealer residue as per normal.
I will come back to this topic later and discuss how to pre-seal a textured porcelain to aid the grouting process.
DISCLAIMER - Any advice or recommendations given on this site are given on the strict understanding that neither the Tile and Stone Blog or it's authors can accept any responsibility for damage or loss arising out of the use or misuse of such advice or recommendations. These recommendations are intended as general guidelines for the product/situation covered. Always Read Product Labels Entirely Before Use. Always Conduct a Small Test To Determine Desired Results.
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