Should Porcelain be sealed

[len]

I HAVE NEVER SEALED PORCELAIN. My supplier says that there is no point in sealing Porcelain and yet he stocks a Porcelain sealer. I have read contradictory comments on web sites on the subject. If sealant should be applied to certain Porcelains what is the criteria. Come on you experts,lets hear the definitive explanation

[charlie1]

yea mate, the majority of porcelain does not need sealing however you do need to seal polished porcelain as the polishing process can open up some of the pores in the tile.

hope this helps.

[Dave]

hi len mate....
Porcelain's that will benefit from sealing are the unglazed type..these tiles are subject to staining through the production process where the tiles surface has open pores..( micro pores)these pores therefore can retain everyday dirt etc . thus making them harder to clean and maintain.... use a good penetrating sealer..thats all there is to it mate..

plus have a read of this ... http://www.tilersforums.co.uk/tiling...ou-should.html


hope this helps len mate........

[len]

please excuse my ignorance... am still trying to find out the difference between unglazed and polished porcelain(or is it glazed) All the stuff that i have laid has had a matt finish.

Considering the claimed empervious nature of this material how can a penetrating sealer work. Is a surface sealer not an option?

[Dave]

a glazed porcelain tile is just that.. a porcelain bodied tile with a glazed finish..be it travertine look or slate..where as a non glazed is a mat finished tile the same colour from the face of the tile through to the back or it can be polished to a shine....

[tiler-101]

Porcelain is a natural product comes out of the ground

Polished porcelain is the above natural product but has been polished. The polishing has put a shine on the surface of the natural porcelain, nothing else ! As a natural product it will not resist staining from grouts etc so should be sealed.

Glazed porcelain is the above natural porcelain which has had a glaze applied to it just like any other tile. This glaze covers the surface and acts as the protection...... No sealing required


tiler

Sorry fgot - polished porcelain will nearly always be colour through

[len]

porcelain is a natural product....???????????

Over to you dh !

[Dave]

have a look at this...it should clear things up..then again maybe not. lol lol lol..

What is the difference between standard “ceramic” tiles and porcelain tiles?

[len]

Porcelain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[GazTech]

Porcelain tile is a tile that is generally made by the dust pressed method from porcelain clays which result in a tile that is dense, impervious, fine grained and smooth, with a sharply formed face. Porcelain tiles usually have a much lower water absorption rate (less than 0.5%) than non-porcelain tiles making them frost resistant or frost-proof. Glazed porcelain tiles are much harder and more wear and damage resistant than non-porcelain ceramic tiles, making them suitable for any application from light traffic to the heaviest residential and light commercial traffic. Full body porcelain tiles carry the color and pattern through the entire thickness of the tile making them virtually impervious to wear and are suitable for any application from residential to the highest traffic commercial or industrial applications. Porcelain tiles are available in matte, unglazed or a high polished finish.....it can be interpreted that by using porcelain clay(kaolinite) to make them then yes len it is natural ...at least to start with....Gaz

[len]

well spoken that man....... what a diplomat

[GazTech]

well spoken that man....... what a diplomat

Henry Kissenger I'm not...but I do try ....lmao....Gaz

[tiler-101]

Hi

As was said porcelain is made with porcelain clays which comes out of the ground. You cant make porcelain which is a product without these clays which are natural.

I apologise if I missled you Len

tiler

[len]

thanks 101 .... you didnt mislead me, just a slight confusion................................. I'm easily confused , especially with porcelain

[tiler-101]

Its cool

Regardless of my terminology if you treat polished porcelain as you would polished marble you will be correct

tiler

[len]

interesting conversation at my local supplier today in the presence of three professional tilers and the retailer. None of them were aware that polished porcelain should be treated with a penetrating sealer.

The product is available off their shelf!!

[len]

interesting conversation at my local supplier today in the presence of three professional tilers and the retailer. None of them were aware that polished porcelain should be treated with a penetrating sealer.

The product is available off their shelf!!

Just approached two more retailers,one particularly big on porcelain. Surprise,surprise.. yet again neither were aware that a penetrating sealer was available and reccommended for polished porcelain. One salesman continued to rubbish the idea even when i pulled the product off his own shelf to show him !

over to you dh

[Dave]

at the end of the day len..they are just sales men...

[len]

dare i take this one step further.

Just how many of the registered tilers on this forum ever sealed porcelain