Slate tile-should I seal before grouting?

Question

I plan to seal after grouting. There are prices for sealer ranging from 25.00 to 125.00 Is there a difference?
Thank you.

Answer 1

every answer you had to this question is blatently WRONG!
using a sealer prior to grouting is crucial with slate.
1. it acts as agreat release making sponging and clean-up five times easier,slate tile is a natural stone,very porous will absorb all the moisture in grout.
2. their are several varieties of sealer to choose from depending on the look and preformance,cheaper sealers will only last short period of time,especially in traffic areas.
you should be spending around 145.00 a gallon for quallity sealer
you have the option of a natural or wet,gloosy look.i prefer wet glossy ,it brings out color in tile.
3.apply one coat pryor to grouting and two coats after grout has cured for 2 weeks covering grout and tile on second coats

Answer 2

Yikes! If you seal the tile before you grout, you will have bonding problems, grout to tile.

You must change the texture of the surface of the grout to be effective. The invisible, penetrating sealers will not smooth out the grout surface, which is a prerequisite for keeping it clean. Make sure you have a sufficiant coat to be effective. As far as the brand goes, ask your tile supplier who lays the most tile in the area. That installer will give you the best tip on your grout sealer.

Answer 3

Never seal the tile before grouting...grout, then seal. The least expensive sealer is ok,,,and the most expensive is mostly brand name markup...get a good middle priced sealer and dont forget the sealer needs to be double coated for best performance. sincerely. Tile Layer.

Answer 4

while im certainly no expert i believe that using a shallow pan with sealer to cover front face of tile only while tedious is best majority of edges are still porous and bond to grout and cleanup of surface is easier as to what type of sealer it is usually best to gasp read directions before you buy some are material specific

Answer 5

I would seal it last as that is the last step before being able to walk on it.