Oh shoot, I was going to install the Alex Hamilton crackle also...and thought sealing would be sufficient. If this is the case, then I may just do a marble backsplash and deal with etching rather than stains in the crackle, bummer.

Yeah, bummer, but I am hoping the experience of the poster was with cheaper, lesser quality tiles. Fingers crossed we will hear some positive reviews.

I have only seen it installed once and my clients were ripping it out she said it always looked dirty .

Jewel, I also posted this question in the kitchen forum also and received an answer from someone who used a Fireclay crackle tile and it hasn't stained.

my crackle is 15 months old, i have no staining. i was taken aback when it was first installed...the crackle lines were very dark. but the installer assured me it was just water incursion and when it dried out it would be fine.

all that said....i have an island cooktop, so my backsplash is not being bombarded with grease and cooking splatters. i guess i wouldnt have chosen crackle for behind a cook top. it stands up fine for behind the sink and mixer.

Hi---

I think the crackle tile is a fabulous choice and from my experience, have never had a complaint about staining from any of my clients.

As for sealing ceramic tile--I've never heard of such a thing. Only the grout needs to be sealed.

Hope this is helpful. Good Luck with your project!

Natalie, thanks for your input! I know, it is weird that ceramic tile needs to be sealed, but I think it's the cracks in the crackle glaze that can be porous from what I have read. Perhaps the better quality tiles from the companies I mentioned have another glaze over the crackle finish. I may contact them to ask.

Yes, I think it best to contact the companies and see what they recommend. :))

CheerS!

you can test a sample tile... just put a drop of water on it. it will either immediately sink in, and the lines will darken...or it wont.

Diana, thanks for your input! Gramercy Park is the WZ i am considering. I would love to see a picture of your kitchen :).

We have the WZ Gramercy Park in the Pipe Smoke color too on our kitchen backsplash. Had it professionally sealed after moving in June of 2014 (about 20 months ago).

Haven't noticed any issues on ours and the backsplash is installed right behind our cooktop, too.

I will check a little more closely today. Hubby does all the cooking....so haven't really been paying as much attention to that area.... :-(

Here's my kitchen and Walker-Zanger backsplash in Gramercy Park (Pipe Smoke) with a black liner.

Usually it's recommended to seal it before & after grout is applied.

Our two year old crackle finish tile was sealed after installation and has absolutely no staining issues.

Thank you Diana! Beautiful!

curlycook, from your picture its actually hard to tell. Was your tile pretty rustic to begin with including the darker spots and chips? Or were you being sarcastic? Sorry, it's just hard to tell from your post.

Heres some pics of the WZ Gramercy by our cooktop area.

pics not great (upper hood is casting shadows)....but hope it helps.

Yes, it's very rustic and looks the same as when it was installed. We have had no porosity or staining issues, and I cook a lot!

I have high end crackle tile and I have mid grade crackle tile in 3 places in my house. I am addicted to crackle!
Once the tiles are set, but before grout, the tiles need to be sealed no matter what the manufacturer says.
After grout, you can seal again if you like. But you want to be sure to seal crackle tile before grouting!! That should be your rule of thumb to follow.

We have no stains on our crackle tile. We get wild in the kitchen with grease and colorful foods and not one stain. They are still beautiful tiles.

Curlycook and avery2pto, thanks so much!

And Dawn!! Thanks!

Natalie I couldn't have agreed more to your comment in regards to sealing ceramic tile. I may even go a step further and say that sealing grout may not serve as the protection most of us think it may. I often ask my customers why they feel that sealing grout is needed and the most common answer is that they feel it serves as water resistance or worse yet, water proof protection layer at their shower. My reply is to take a minute and read front/rear labels on grout sealers to see if they can find documentation to support this thought.

Dawn, Avery, and Diana, if you have an exposed ending or top edge of the WZ Gramercy tiles, how did you finish the edge?

I am really liking the Pipe Smoke! So glad you all shared pictures!

I heard back from Fireclay about sealing their ceramic crackle tiles. This is the answer I was given: "Hello. Both the white and recycled tile can be used as a backsplash. The white clay tile comes sealed by our factory, but we always recommend sealing before installing in general."

Not necessarily a straight answer about the crackle finish, but enough of an answer for me to know I need to seal them.

Xty G (z3), all my top edges die into the upper cabinets. For the side edges I used a quarter round that my installer sliced in half lengthwise.

When I used Fireclay less than one year ago, their instructions stated that no sealing was necessary for their crackle tile prior to grout. I used another crackle tile in the same job that did require sealing prior to grout. So to avoid confusion for the contractors and to be extra safe, I sealed it all prior to grout.

@dianabier Can you look at my profile and see my backsplash options please?? I would appreciate it :)

I received tile instructions for a 'non-crackle' tile and it also stated to "seal" before installation. The fabricator said he never heard of doing such a thing and sealing it afterwards would be sufficient.

By the way, I never sealed the crackle backsplash tile in my kitchen, and it is just fine. In my experience, a backsplash doesn't really need it. Now using a crackle in a shower is a different story, and I've been cautioned against it. But if you did use it in a shower, then sealing it would be warranted.

I have installed the cracked tile in the shower when I make my cuts I rinsed off the cut and install the tile as it dried my red slurry penetrated the crackles any suggestions that would remove it before I sealed it and grouted it