Slate and granite tile for countertop

1) Too late to change, I have Home Depot slate tiles in a protected (roof over it) outdoor entryway! I should NOT seal it correct? Do you recommend one of your products as a color enhancer? 2) I want to do Madera Gold granite tiles for the kitchen counter. Can you recommend a reputable distributer? Do granite tiles need sealing like slabs do? Thanks!

 

Dear Cynthia:

 

1)     I would go with a color enhancer like MB-6.

2)     Granite tiles or slabs are coming from the same quarry, and therefore their maintenance requirements are the same. However, most slabs are resined by the factory nowadays – which makes it for a permanent sealer – while tiles are typically not resined. That would create a situation where a slab of the same material would not take any impregnator (what you may call sealer) in, while its tile counterpart would. What also has to be mentioned is that many mercantile granites do not need to be sealed. Better said, they're so dense that they can't be technically sealed and are already naturally stain-resistant. All that said, Madura Gold is, alas, a “sponge” and it would certainly not find its way in my own kitchen, considering that both my wife and I cook like maniacs every day! No matter how well you will seal it, no impregnator will offer complete protection and will last very long.

 

I don't know of any distributor, even if I knew where you live. J

 

Now remember, it's never too early to think about the proper maintenance of your stone. The issue of what you'll be doing day in and day out to your stone is – as it should be intuitive – vastly more important than its sealing (if and when possible and/or advisable) and it's all too often neglected. As you can tell by reading many of this site's postings, you're not likely to get good information about routine care from your dealer or installer. Don't become another statistic! By logging into the Helpful Hints section of our website at:   http://www.mbstone.com/HH_promo/helpful_hints.htm , you will be able to get the short version of our maintenance guidelines at no charge. The full version of it – a 10-page document considered by many as an industry benchmark – is available in pay-per-download format in our Educational Literature section at:   http://www.mbstone.com/literature/literature.htm .   Among a well of valuable information, in there you will also find priceless tips on how to properly install stone in a bathroom.

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Ciao and good luck,

Mauri zio Bertoli

 

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