Should You Seal Marble Tile Before Installing

Tips for sealing marble shower tiles.

Should you seal marble tile before installing. The process for sealing a marble floor is relatively easy and should take less than an hour with each application. If your new tile is made from natural material it will need to be sealed. The grout i selected cured in 24 48 hours meaning it could be sealed in just 1 2 days. After putting each marble tile on the mortar place a 1 16 inch tile spacer between it and the next tile.

The same process used to seal marble floors can also be used to keep a marble countertop sealed against stains. Sealing in advance of installation is ok as long as you aren t sealing the backside of the tile. The real reason you might want to seal marble shower tiles prior to grouting is if the grout is a darker color than the marble. This will ensure that the finished project has an evenly spaced appearance.

Check with the tile manufacturer in this case. I have always sealed after but i have also done very little work with marble tiles esp dark colors esp on a floor. Sealing tiles before installation differs from grout sealing because the tiles and grout are 2 separate components. The marble tile should be sealed using a neutral ph breathable sealer after installation.

I am using a grout from a store i never used before and they told me to seal the marble before grouting because the grout might stain the tile. If you have honed marble tile in your shower which isn t recommended you should definitely keep it sealed. Remove any remaining drop cloths or tape image 2. Honed marble tile is more likely to absorb water than polished marble.

Unlike a ceramic or porcelain tile floor it s not just the grout lines where sealing is critical but the entire surface. Check manufacturer s instructions and after the recommended cure time seal tile and grout using a soft cotton cloth and the same stone sealer you used before grouting. When the mortar is dry seal the marble. I just installed marble tile in an entryway dark green with dark grout.

Polished marble shouldn t need sealing before you apply grout but tumbled marble does it s so absorbent that the grout itself will stain it during the installation process unless you seal it. Sealing marble tile or any stone tile prior to installation is sometimes recommended as a way to make clean up after grouting easier but this reason is very debatable.