Should I seal my natural stone surfaces in my new bathroom?

Q. I'm totally confused and need help. I'm looking to redo my bathroom and getting different answers on the use of stone tiles for the bathroom and shower. I have been told everything from it is very easy to seal and should only to be done every couple of years to it should be done every 6 months. Some say the process is very easy and others say it requires a lot of work. Any help you can provide me is appreciated. Thank-you..

A.  There is a simple test you can perform on the stone itself to determine how absorbent it is or if it needs to be sealed (or re-sealed) at all. Place a few drops of water on it and allow it to sit for 30 minutes, then wipe away the water. If the stone is darker where the water was, which indicates that the water penetrated the surface, then it needs to be sealed. 

If you follow the application instructions printed on the label, you should have no problems performing the task yourself. However, you can always have a professional stone maintenance / restoration contractor do it for you. If you do not already have a professional stone and tile restoration contractor, contact us . 

How often you need to seal is determined by many factors including, but not limited to the actual stone that's going to be used and how consistent you are with routine maintenance and care. I personally sealed a very absorbent limestone shower enclosure for a client 3.5 years ago that is still holding up very well.

A highly polished marble or granite will usually not absorb anything and the use of a sealer could be a waste of time and money. However, the grout lines themselves should be sealed. Be sure to buff off any sealer from the surface of the stone. More information can be found in our Stone and Tile Care Guide . 

Giovanni Lagana
Lagana Tile
www.laganatile.com
Natural Stone, Tile & Grout
Installation, Restoration & Maintenance