What is a “sealer” ? Does Granite need to be sealed ? Does a sealer really help for grout ?
Many people do not understand what a “sealer” is. Most people even many in the construction business mistakenly think that a sealer is a coating designed to cover all natural stone like granite and marble.
The truth is coatings do exist like wax for vct flooring or polyurethane for wood flooring. However generally a seal for granite is a “penetrating seal” not a coating. It does not “cover” the surface rather it is designed to get absorbed in to the stone to prevent something else like spilled coffee from staining in to the surface. In fact many times granite & marble does not absorb so a seal is totally unnecessary (although there are exceptions and some stones are porous). Grout on the other hand is extremely absorbent. Many times I am called to seal a marble floor. I pour some water on the floor and demonstrate how the grout quickly darkens from the water while the marble does not. This clearly shows how really the grout is what really needs sealing not the marble. Many times people comment that they sealed their grout and it did not work. However there are many grades of quality of sealers as well as proper application methods. The way to know if grout or any surface is properly sealed is by testing it. Pour some water on it and after 15 minutes wipe it dry. Did it leave a dark spot where the water was ? If it did then it was not sealed properly.
Grout Works can be reached at (732) 994-9681
Grout Works Specializes in grout and natural stone sealing as well as cleaning, repairing, refinishing, restoring and resolving any issues related to tile, grout and natural stone.
Grout Works of Central NJ services most of NJ and parts of NY and PA.
