porcelain tile - enhancer

[cdharmon]

Can sealer/enhancer be used on porcelain tile? Will it enhance/darken/bring out the color in the porcelain/grout?

THANKS,
cathy

[cdharmon]

Seems from what I'm finding, a penetrating enhancer would not work. I'm beginning to think that the real problem is that I just picked a grout color that is too light!

Any thoughts on the best way to darken it up? Seeing as it was just grouted yesterday, could an enhancing sealer for the grout (without acid wash) be the easiest answer?

[jimbo]

Some sealers may alter the appearance of grout, although most are penetrating and do not leave any gloss or otherwise chance the appearance. Assuming you have glazed ceramic tiles, nothing will alter the surface of that. If it was a matt tile like a quarry tile, you can put a high gloss sealer on it. That is usually a floor tile.

There are stains you can use to change the color of grout. Go to a good tile supply house ( not the box stores )

[jadnashua]

The only time a sealer is typically used on porcelain tile is on the stuff that has been polished...this opens up micro bubbles. Normally, the manufacturing process, because of the high pressure, seals the outer layer and it will not absorb any sealer. The grout, on the other hand, will (unless you chose an epoxy grout). So, an enhancing sealer on the grout should darken it. How much, you'd have to try. A quick approximation would be to take a wet sponge and wet it. An enhancing sealer will be somewhere in between the dry color and the wet color.