Use of TileLab Grout Sealers With Marble

Cleaning the Stone

• The cleanliness of the marble is vital to the proper application of TileLab sealer. Polished marbles are easy to clean as they have a slick, polished surface that makes adherence difficult for dirt and grime, but tumbled marbles with their rugged, craggy surfaces are more difficult to clean. Grout cleaners and scrub brushes need to be used beforehand to properly clean the marble.

Application Methods

• Proper application of the TileLab sealer is key to protecting the stone and ensuring that the marble is guarded against moisture and stains. Paintbrushes can be used for single grout lines, or you can buy a sealer kit with a grout joint applicator. You also can use a spray-on bottle for areas like countertops. Large areas, such as marble floors, can be sprayed using a garden sprayer with the sealer inside.

How Much Is Too Much

• Excess sealer isn’t an issue with marble stone. While polished marble will have a difficult time soaking up the sealer because the surface of the stone is polished and nearly nonporous, tumbled marbles will soak up as much sealer as you can put on the stone, only rejecting excess sealer when the stone has been completely saturated by the sealer. Too much is never a bad thing as it helps protect against water.

Checking the Coat

• The one drawback to TileLab sealers is that you may need to apply several coats to achieve your desired results. Grout lines and polished marble installations may only require a single coat, but tumbled marbles will need several coats before the tile is properly protected. Test a small, out-of-the-way area with a drop of water and, if it soaks in, you need another coat.