Grout Sealing

DO YOU NEED CLEANING OF CARPETS, AREA RUGS, UPHOLSTERY, TILE AND GROUT, OR AIR DUCTS NOW?

Fill up the form to request for a quote or schedule for a free appointment. We’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

Properly Sealing Grout Will Keep It From Becoming Dirty And Stained

Grout is a very porous material that may harbor dirt, mold, mildew and bacteria.

Sealing your grout will protect it from those contaminates and keep it from getting dirty and stained over time.

You should seal your grout 72 hours after it has been installed and you should also re-seal your grout at least once per year especially in showers and high traffic areas like tile floors.

You should only seal cement based grout.

Epoxy, urethane and other types of synthetic grouts do not have to be sealed. Sealing these types of synthetic grouts can do more damage than good for protecting them.

Additionally you ought not seal your grout when it has been re-colored, dyed or sealed with an epoxy based grout colorant. Grout colorants will place a topical layer of sealer on top of the grout which also serves to seal the grout. Sealing grout which has had a grout colorant implemented can do more damage than good for protecting the grout.

There are two basic types of grout sealer applicators.

The brush tipped applicator is suitable for sealing little grout joints and for sealing vertical grout joints located in showers and backsplashes.

The roller wheel type applicator works best for sealing wider grout lines on horizontal surfaces like tile floors.

You must always reseal your grout it's been deep cleaned.

You must always reseal your grout it has been deep cleaned. Deep cleaning grout with strong alkaline and acidic cleansers can break down the sealers in grout.

Grout sealers will also break down over time, so you should seal your grout at least every 3-5 years. You should always thoroughly clean your grout before sealing it.

You do not want to seal in any dirt and contaminates causing permanent hard to remove stains in the grout.

Shower grout gets a lot of abuse so you should seal your bathtub grout at least once a year.

The wet grout in showers is a perfect spot for dangerous toxic mold to breed and live.

Sealing the grout will help prevent water from being absorbed by the grout. Wet shower grout is a perfect place for mold to bread and live so sealing the grout is the best way to keep mold and mildew from growing in the grout.

Apply a liberal amount of sealer to the grout joints and ensure that the grout is thoroughly saturated with sealer.

Once your tile is cleaned, dried and sealed, it is important to follow a few simple steps so your floor keeps its glow and glow:

Don’t worry if some of the sealer gets on the surface of the tiles. The excess sealer on the tile’s surface will be wiped away later.

Work only in small sections at a time and keep the grout joints saturated with grout sealer for 5-10 minutes.

If you understand that the sealer is getting absorbed by the grout and starting to dry then apply more sealer to the grout to keep it thoroughly saturated with the grout sealer.

When an area of sealer starts to dry on the tile surface, then add more sealer to keep that region saturated with the grout sealer.

You should first seal the vertical tile surfaces like backsplashes and shower walls.

Trying to keep these vertical grout joints saturated with sealer for 5-10 minutes can be a challenge that’s not always achievable.

Try to get as much bleach to the vertical grout joints as possible without letting the sealer to dry on the surface of the tiles.

Gently applying sealant to the vertical grout lines while continually wiping the excess sealer off the tile surfaces is the best way of sealing grout on vertical tile surfaces.

You should seal your grout when it is not too hot and you do not want to seal the grout in direct sunlight.

It’s important that the sealer doesn’t dry on the tile surface as you’re sealing the grout. If it is a hot summer day, try to seal the grout in the morning or evening when it is the coolest.

You also do not want to seal grout in freezing cold temperatures. You should read the grout sealer manufactures instructions for the proper conditions and temperatures recommended for utilizing their grout sealer.

It is important to only use a top quality professional grade sealer.

Low grade sealers from local home improvement stores will not offer much protection for your grout and they will allow your grout to readily become stained.

Also these low grade sealers will not last long and they will break down readily with normal everyday cleaning solutions. Stonetech Bulletproof performed as one of the best sealers for protecting grout in our grout sealer review. The 1 quart container of grout sealer will seal approximately 200 sq/ft of grout with 12 inch tiles and 1/8 inch grout lines.

After sealing the vertical tile surfaces then you may use the roller wheel applicator to seal the grout on the horizontal tile surfaces.

It is significantly easier to keep the grout saturated with sealer on the horizontal tile surfaces like tile countertops and tile floors.

These horizontal surfaces may also get dirty more quickly so it is more important to thoroughly seal these surfaces to protect the grout from getting dirty and stained.

After the grout has been saturated with sealer for 5-10 minutes then you need to wipe off the excess sealer from the tile and grout surfaces.

The simplest way to wipe off the excess grout sealer is to just use ordinary paper towels.

Roll up about 10 sheets of paper towels and use them to wipe down the tile and grout surfaces.

When your sheets of paper towels become saturated with sealer then simply throw them away and find a fresh wad of paper towels and continue cleaning up the excess grout sealer.

Remove all of the sealer off of the tile and grout surfaces and ensure that there are no puddles of sealer left in the grout lines.

Continue wiping the tile until all traces of this grout sealer are gone and there’s absolutely no grout sealer haze left on the tile surfaces.

It’s important to not leave any traces of sealer residue on the tile surfaces. Examine the tiles from different angles to ensure that there isn’t any sealer residue or sealer haze left on the tile surfaces.

After you are done sealing the entire area then do a final inspection to check for grout sealer haze or sealer residue left on the tile surfaces.

If you find a grout sealer haze on the tiles then you can apply some more sealer to the regions of sealer haze.

This will reactivate the grout sealer so the grout sealer haze can be removed. After the grout sealer haze has been reactivated it is possible to wipe up the grout sealer haze with paper towels.

You should let the sealer dry for about 3 hours before walking on the tile floor or using any of the tile surfaces.

Also try to reduce spilling any liquids or getting any dirt or contaminates on the grout lines to get a full 24 hours after sealing them.

You ought to see the grout lines to lighten up and go back to their original color as the grout sealer dries in the grout lines.

The grout locking your floor tiles into place and providing everything a finished look isn’t usually at the front of your mind; the tiles are what capture people’s eyes normally.

That changes when grout stains, cracks, and crumbles, detracting from the room’s look and letting tiles fall loose. Ensure that your floor remains stable, attractive, and easy to clean with regular grout sealing services from Continental Carpet Cleaning in New Jersey.

Why Grout Sealing is Important

Though tile floors are often easier to maintain than others, they do still need regular attention beyond mopping and sweeping. Much of this has to do with grout.

Commonly, grout contains cement mixed with water, sand, and polymer additives which cures into a hardy, ceramic-like substance.

Grout is often quite porous, however, and vulnerable to liquids and dirt seeping into it. This can’t just stain and discolor the grout but also damage it and foster the growth of mold.

However, sealing grout shortly after it heals and heals the sealer at least once a year can avoid staining and damage, in addition to reducing the normal cleaning needed.

In this video you’re going to learn everything you need to know about how to seal grout in a shower, from the best sealers to choose to the fastest ways to apply the grout sealer.

Why should you seal your grout? Cement grout is porous and will absorb any liquid that gets on it which could include soap scum, oils, juices, or just dirty water.

Then it will stain, grow mold, and even start to stink. Nobody likes smelly grout. By sealing the grout you fill the pores of the grout so that other stuff can’t get in and stain it. Basically, sealing your grout keeps it looking new for longer.

However, not all grout needs to be sealed. If you have epoxy grout, you should not seal it because it won’t accept a sealer anyway. How can you tell if you have epoxy grout? Easy, does it look and/or feel like plastic? If so, then it is epoxy grout.

Next, I talk about how which sealers are best to use and why. Basically, any high quality penetrating sealer with flourochemicals is best. That way there are different sized particles that can fill in the gaps on the grout.

Finally, I’ll share three ways to apply the grout sealer to the grout. I mention a method to apply sealer to floor tile grout, shower tile, and even natural stone tile. Just make sure to clean your grout well before sealing, otherwise you will seal in stains!

How much grout sealer do you need? Not much, I would recommend buying the smallest amount you can unless you are planning to seal a large amount of floor tile. You can usually seal an entire shower at least 3 times with just one pint of sealer.

And finally, I give you some tips for sealing your grout like how to remove grout sealer that has dried.

How Grout Sealing Works

Before resealing, the grout and surrounding tiles should undergo deep cleaning to remove any existing dirt and grime, then allowed to wash again; this is provided as part of the grout sealing service. Following this, one of two types of sealer is applied:
Penetrating sealer, which uses a water base to carry latex and silicone particles into the grout; those particles fill in pores and openings to prevent any other substances from penetrating. This is the ideal choice for normal areas of a home or business.
Solvent-based sealer, which creates a durable, waterproof barrier over the surface of the grout to block moisture. This works best on resisting water in showers and moist regions of concern; it may also color the grout, but this may be an upside if you are opting for a particular look.

Cleaning and Reapplying Grout

Sometimes, grout is too far gone. Mold, bacteria, and mildew that are entrenched in grout long enough can be extremely difficult to remove with cleaning, and if the grout is already damaged, then cleaning is of little assistance.

While regular sealing may prevent grout from reaching this point, grout removal and re-application may also help renew tiling which has seen better days.

Have Your Grout Sealed By The Experts at Continental Carpet Cleaning

If your tiled floors or walls need some service or you’re looking for grout cleaning, sealing, and color sealing in New Jersey, Continental Carpet Cleaning Is equipped and prepared for commercial and residential jobs, whether you have got ceramic, porcelain, or wax-coated tiles. Call or contact us now and get a free consultation and quote.

Here are the areas we service

North Princeton, Princeton North, Penns Neck, Cedar Grove, Coxs Corner, Princeton Junction, Kingston, Plainsboro, Sherbrook Estates, Port Mercer, Rosedale, Grovers Mill, Schalks, Plainsboro Center, Old Mill Farms, Rocky Hill, Clarksville, West Windsor, Rockingham, Princeton Estates

+1(609)806-5222