I have Sonoma tile for my backsplash. I forget if it's Stellar or Star, but it's the less expensive one. It's crackle so my understanding is that it should be sealed *before* grouting and that's what I told my tilesetter. They said they would, but I honestly don't know if they did or not. In any event, no grout (mid-light gray) seeped into any of the crackling on the cream colored tiles. I sealed the grout myself.

Hi,

FWIW, I have Sonoma arch herringbone, from the Stellar collection. I had to waste $3,000+ of tile because my guy sealed it before setting. Not after setting and before grouting, but before setting. Following the instructions, he soaked the tiles in a very heavy duty sealer (admittedly, the sealer was actually meant for stone and not ceramic or porcelain), and it filled up all the pores, rendering the tiles slippery and unable to adhere to the thinset. The tiles were literally falling off the walls.

The instructions do say to seal before laying the tile (or they did 6 months ago when my b-splash was done), but I had a few tile guys say they'd never do that in a million years.

I can't speak to sealing after setting and before grouting...I personally wouldn't, because I'd be afraid the grout would crumble off and not stick in the same way that the thinset didn't stick, but that may be me being paranoid after my experience.

My local store was able to get me replacement tile for cost, but it was still a huge loss.

Wow, Madeline, that's a horrible experience and waste of money and tile. At GW the advice is crackle tile must be sealed before grouting and logically it seems it would include the edges where the grout makes contact. In my tile store, a couple of salespeople weren't aware of this. I hated the color of the first grout and had them remove it within an hour. Even if they had sealed (again I asked them to but have no actual proof they did), perhaps the seal could have come off with the original grout. The grout didn't make any visible inroads into the crackle.

On the other hand, my tiles aren't perfectly flat and I have lippage. Fortunately it's only visible if I turn on the UCL, so guess who doesn't use the UCL? Bummer. It's a beautiful tile, but I wouldn't get this line again.

Thanks for the info, the instructions say to seal after installation, but the tile people said only the crackle tile needed to be sealed, but to seal the edge of any cut edges of tile. The grout has sealer in it already. I think that your story of sealing and then the tiles not adhering has convinced me that the salespeople are correct. Thanks!

I finally decided on Sonoma Stellar Matte 3 x 6 tile backsplash in Prairie Sand. In checking details for install of this tile I came across this thread. I was wondering if anyone had any more details? Bluetea did you complete your install?

Linelle, what does this mean? my tiles aren't perfectly flat and I have lippage? Is this due to the install or the way the tile is made?

If anyone else has installed Sonoma Stellar tile, I would be interested in how you like it.

If you are using cementitous grout (e.g. non-epoxy grout), then you should seal again after grouting, because the grout also needs to be sealed.

If they say you don't need to seal the grout, then I would double-check against the actual grout product they are using. Sometimes contractors don't seal after grouting because it requires an extra visit to the house.

Raz, my tiles certainly look flat, but there are places, e.g., some of the corners, where it's slightly out of level. I didn't even notice it until my backsplash went in. In fact, I can't see it when the UCLs are off. My UCLs are at the back so the light is being cast down right on top of the tiles and any slight imperfection (lippage) casts a tiny shadow. I do think that a tile setter aware of this might be able to avoid this. Mine didn't and I can't blame them because I didn't either. It's really a lovely tile except for this. Perhaps if my UCLs were moved forward a bit, it would correct it.

Hi Raz and linelle,
We completed our install and we really love it! We installed the Sonoma stellar glossy subway in shearling, pencil liner in ginger twist and confetti liner in marigold. Our UCL's are in the front of the cabinet so the lippage that linelle described is only slightly noticeable, but this is a handmade tile and I think that the irregularities are part of the beauty.

Raz,

Are you using a crackle finish?

I have 1x2 arched herringbone. First install was a kitchen b-splash in Cirrus (a crackle finish). When that had to be ripped out and replaced to the tune of $3k, we used Blanco instead (same arched herringbone).

Remodelfla is correct, of course, in that a crackle finish has to be sealed, but if you're using a crackle finish, please read my experience before doing so.

The tile is beautiful, so although I took a huge loss, I'm happy.

If you are sealing the tile before grouting, take care not to let the sealer run and drip into the joints. You want to seal the surface of the tile, not the sides.

bluetea, I'm happy to hear that your lippage is not very noticeable with your UCL placement. I'm pretty sure that moving mine could be the solution I'm after. They really are lovely tile.

As for sealing. :) I told my tile guys to seal first, but I'm not convinced they did. Today I slathered an extra tile with ketchup, including on all four sides (ingress point for grout). After 4 hours I rinsed it off. I figure 4 hours is plenty of time to spot a red mess on a vertical surface. Nothing got in the cracks, nada. The tile seems to have a fired on clear glaze, sides too. I don't think sauce is going to get into these crackled tiles as long as the surface is not damaged.

Ketchup left on 4 hours:

After washing:

Bluetea thanks so much for the picture, looks lovely, I love the handcrafted look.
Linelle, thanks for your explanation of the lippage and the testing. I have a matte tile I will do the same test on.

Madeline, I will be using the Matte tile.

the tech sheet for Sonoma stellar matte says:
Before grouting, seal all the tile with a penetrating sealer after they have been set

Cut tile should be soaked in a penetrating sealer prior to
installation. Seal tile surfaces and edges prior to grouting. A

After reading what happened to Madeline, I won't be getting sealer on the backs of the tiles before setting

I'm not sure if I am allowed to resurrect such an old post, but we have to make a decision as to when to seal our crackle tile. According to Sonoma, we should dip it completely in sealer before it is installed. They told us to let it dry completely for 24 hours or it wouldn't stick to the wall. I wonder if Medeline616 would know how her tile was sealed and if it was allowed to dry before installation.

This thread is back. :)

I can't prove it, but I think my Sonoma crackle tile came already sealed (by the manufacturer) and not by the people who installed my backsplash. The face and four edges have a clear glaze that partially wraps around to the back of the tile. The sides are not that bisque-like finish. My tiles aren't falling off the wall either. They are lovely tiles.

I am looking at ashbury by sonoma it is cracle does anyone know if I need to seal

I just picked up my 2x6" Sonoma Stellar tile in the color Dulce de Leche. I am supposed to be DIYing the installation. I've read the threads about sealing and when to seal, and tiles not sticking on the wall, etc...I asked the saleslady at the tile store about it. She was appalled at sealing the tile before installing. She said absolutely not. She said to install it, then wipe the sealer on the tiles with a cloth and wipe off excess. Then grout. I asked about sealing the grout and she said you could seal it again after grouting. I guess that is what I will do an since I am doing it myself, I will let sit a few days before I grout to make sure everything is dry. She ordered the grout & sealer for me. I'm a little nervous about installing, but I think if I take my time it should be OK. My sister in law is going to help me get started since she has a few tile projects under her belt. We have a wet saw.