Sealing Grout

The Basics of Sealing Grout

Newly installed grout will need about 72 hours to completely cure before applying a sealer.  On freshly cleaned floors, make sure grout is completely dry.  You can use air movers to quickly dry floors after cleaning.

Application:
Apply grout sealer using either a grout applicator or grout sponge.  Completely saturate grout lines with sealer to insure a thorough seal.  Try to stay within the grout lines, but do not  be too concerned about getting sealer on tile.

On small one inch tiles, it may be easier spraying the sealer on the tile and grout and using a squeegee to work sealer off the tile and into the grout lines as applying it directly to the grout lines would be very tedious.

Dwell:
Allow sealer to soak into grout lines for 15-20 minutes making sure grout does not dry on tile.

Wipe Excess:
After allowing sealer to soak into grout lines, you can now wipe off excess sealer from the grout and tile using a dry white terry cloth towels or by using a dry bonnet and floor machine if the area is very large.

Once you start the removal process you will want to place an air mover across the floor to dry up any haze left from the wiping.

If you find that some sealer has dried on the tile, you can reactivate it by applying more sealer to the area or onto a towel and going back over it, then wiping it with a clean, dry towel.

Repeat:
On certain grouts, it may be necessary to apply a second coat of sealer if the grout was very porous.  You will need to test the area to see if it is necessary.  If so, repeat the process above.  The second application will require less sealer than the first.

Dry:
Allow sealer to completely dry 2-4 hours before light foot traffic.  Allow 24 hours to completely cure before getting wet.

Maintenance:
Strong cleaners such as bleach, ammonia and vinegar will break down sealer.  Sell the homeowner a neutral stone cleaner to only be used for daily cleaning.

Sealing Stone:
Test first to see if stone needs to be sealed.  If it does, spray surface of stone with sealer, spreading it around with a fine bristled broom and follow above instructions.  Most stone will require more than one or two coats.