Definitely seal it. It won't wear off since it is absorbed into the grout. All the reasons you stated are reasons you should seal it. It's inexpensive and you or someone sighted should have no trouble applying it, by following the directions on the bottle. You can buy it at Lowes or Home Depot.
Hope this helps. Tom From: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com [mailto:blindhandy...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of lvmumford Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 2010 5:06 PM To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Subject: [BlindHandyMan] new tile floor- should I seal? Hello everyone, I am new to this list and I have a question for the group. Hubby and I are blind and we are having our home remodeled with new tile floors put in our kitchen, dining room, sunroom, and utility room. The grout color will be a medium shade of bone with the grout lines 1/16 inch wide (the tiles themselves are large-- sorry I can't remember their exact dimensions). Anyway, I am getting conflicting advice as to whether or not to have the grout sealed. Some say sealing it is a waste because the grout line is so thin, the sealant will wear off, and you need to reseal every year. Others say that sealing the grout will help prevent the grout from absorbing food spills and stains (I have a guide dog with a very sensitive stomach), and becoming discolored. What is your advice? Much thanks, Linda [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]