How To Seal Grout

You might have seen those cracks in the wall or splits in the tile, which endlessly bother you! Grout is a material that helps in connecting the two separated ends in this case. What makes grout an adhesive? The constituents are gravel, sand, cement and water that are mixed together to form a paste. Sealing the tiles with grout prevents moisture attacks and makes them mildew resistant. It also prevents the walls from yeast and toadstool formation and lastly, doesn’t allow the intrusion of dirt. People automatically assume that applying grout is a difficult and expensive task. This is not entirely true and even if it is, it is a long time investment as you may never have to replace the old tiles. Grout application and sealing means very less cleaning as no grime can accumulate. Make sure you go shopping before you begin and always remember that buying quality products is the key. Browse this article for some tips on sealing grout after the process of tile installation!

Tips On Sealing Grout

Pre-Sealing Instructions:

After installing the tiles and applying the grout, wait for it to dry for at least 48 hours before you begin another process. Setting of grout takes some time because it contains cement and water.
Grout application, either natural or coloured, is done by smearing the tile with this material and forcing it between the tile seams.
To protect the cement based grouted seams, grout sealer needs to be applied. Cement based grout is porous and tends to allow water to percolate inside. Sealing the grout means exactly this: applying the sealer and infiltrating the porous surface before the moisture enters!
There are typically 2 ways to seal the grout.

You Need:

A Small Paintbrush
Cleaning Brush
Grout Sealer
A Waste Cloth

Method 1:

Grouted tiles are usually mosaic or ceramic. If it is ceramic, then it must already be sealed. What you need to do is, get down on your knees and start work!
The grout sealer looks like a milky liquid and it needs to be applied along the lines of the tile with the help of the applicator and brush. Buying a silicone penetrator with an applicator top is the best.
Before it dries up, clean off all the excess sealer on the tiles and wipe it on the waste cloth.
Allow the sealer to dry for at least 1 hour before applying another coat and allow this to dry as well.
Test the grout sealer that you have applied by pouring some water. If the water beads like you’ve waxed the floor, your job is done. But if not, apply another layer of grout sealer.
If you are dissatisfied with the results, then don’t worry! There’s always a next time, because sealing has to be done regularly.

Method 2

This method involves spraying the entire glazed tile surface with sealing tile grout.
The concept is that the grout sealer penetrates the porous grout and stays on the top of the tile surface.
The sealer on the glazed tile, as the days go by, partially evaporates and gets worn off after usage.
There are mixed reactions to the second method as people believe it does not fully percolate the grout in the tiled surface and might sometimes damage the tile too.

Consider both the methods and choose the one best suited to your home and make your house appear beautifully re-done, all by yourself!

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