Browse Forums Bathrooms and Laundry 1 Jul 12, 2009 5:07 pm Hi guys We still haven't moved into our new house but I had a question re: our grout. When the tiler was doing our tiling we paid him $800 cash to seal all the grout for the wall and floor tiles in our wet areas (bathroom, ensuite, showers, bath, powder room, toilets and laundry) Anyway I never actually saw him do it because I wasn't on site, but from when he was there to when he left I didn't notice any difference in the appearance of the grout after sealing. Now the tiles in our laundry were quite dirty due to someone spilling something or other on them, I went and cleaned it up today and notice that the brownish colour had gotten into our tile grout (which is white or an off white colour) I mopped the tiles and they came up like new but the discolouration of the gout remained I would have thought with grout sealing it would clean off easily. Note I didn't get down on my hands and knees and scrub it, but didn't think I should have to if it were in fact sealed. I'm now worried the tiler didn't even do it like he said! How can I know for sure? The grout feels chalky when I rub it, I would have thought it would be smooth if it had been sealed?? Any other ideas? My karma ran over your dogma Re: Grout Sealing 2Jul 12, 2009 6:36 pm Well it does sound like he didn't do it and $800 is a huge amount to pay when you can buy a litre of sealer from a tile shop for $50 and do it yourself Can you get in contact with him to find out? Oh and use a little bit of Jiff on a toothbrush and that will get the grout back to new. Blog: http://bluemistkids.blogspot.com "Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark, and professionals built the Titanic." Re: Grout Sealing 3Jul 12, 2009 7:30 pm bel, here's a shot of our tiles. I sealed teh grout only & as you can see, I wasn't very accurate so got some of it on the tiles. I've sprayed water onto the grout - see how the water beads above the line of sealer. UNfortunately, I tried the touch test on the grout itself & couldn't tell if it had been sealed. Until I sprayed the tile also & saw the visual proof of the water beading. Maybe your guy was inaccurate also & you might see the same thing on your tiles. Does any of that make sense ? Built the Eden Brae Cambridge 34 Family with Boston Corner Facade Re: Grout Sealing 4Jul 12, 2009 7:43 pm Thanks guys Yep I heard about the water beading test, I tried just by putting a big splash of water on the floor tiles it seemed to sit on top of the grout for a few seconds or so and then just soaked in I wish I had of done the DIY job - I still can I guess, but it annoys the hell out of me that I paid someone to do a job and I don't think they have done it. I can't really prove anything either can I? I was trying to think of a nice way to ask him....I was going to say "Remember how I paid you cash to seal the grout? Well it seems the floor tile grout in the laundry is already a bit dirty and not coming off easily like you said it would. Why would that be?" Or something along those lines..... With this DIY grout sealing....does it take long? Is it a spray bottle? Or a brush? My karma ran over your dogma Re: Grout Sealing 5Jul 12, 2009 7:49 pm DIY with a small paint brush Just tell him that since he hasn't done the sealing yet, you want your money back, because now you are going to do it. Since he didn't get time obviously... the laundry and all Looks like they have used a siloxane seatant. This is a penetrant sealer and not seen or felt on the surface of the grout. Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: Grout Sealing 6Jul 12, 2009 7:54 pm Is this the only section of tiles were it seems to 'absorb'? Could he have missed a bit? Sorry to hijack If you were doing a section of floor or a wall, could you roll it on with a paint roller or something!? Im thinking it would take quite a bit of time if you had a lot of tiled areas! Also, any particular grout sealer recs? Custom European Cabinets - Melbourne Kitchen Specialist PM for business details as website currently being updated! Our Crazy Owner Builder Journey! Re: Grout Sealing 7Jul 12, 2009 8:00 pm I'm thinking it is just best for me to go over it again with the DIY stuff So annoying!!! We don't have alot of tiles, just the wet areas but still!! I tested a few areas with the water and it all seems to absorb, I really don't think he did it My karma ran over your dogma Re: Grout Sealing 8Jul 12, 2009 8:01 pm I would ring him before starting it yourself - see what he has to say for himself Custom European Cabinets - Melbourne Kitchen Specialist PM for business details as website currently being updated! Our Crazy Owner Builder Journey! Re: Grout Sealing 9Jul 12, 2009 8:26 pm Haywgl, I shake my head at the over over-simplification that is demonstrated in all this! Now tell me... you put 800 bucks into the hand of the tiler for WHAT EXACTLY??? You entered into a contract. Was it written or verbal? You pay him $800 and he does what? Did he offer different types of sealer, explain their performance characteristics? Give any sort of warranty? Here's the thing... most grout sealers are penetrating type sealers, and usually don't change the appearance of the grout. So how do you KNOW it's sealed? Well this depends on a number of factors. The big problem I see is (as you seem to be demonstrating in this thread) most people think that it is simply sealed or not sealed, and that sealing is ABSOLUTE. Its like a light switch mentality.... ON or OFF! And the assumption is that all sealers are alike. WRONG!!!!! Let me say that there are many sealers on the market, and they will all have different performance characteristics. They generally offer REACTION TIME to limit the time it takes for a substance to enter and stain the grout. In most cases, they are NOT designed to be a continuous waterproof membrane that stops everything from penetrating the grout. It reamains that having a good quality sealer will provide far better service to the grout than if it was unsealed. So, what I'm saying is... before you part with you cash, get a bit of sound info of what you are buying, so you have realistic expectations of what to expect for your $. Here's a bit of reading that will give you some understanding. http://www.aquamix.com.au/pdf/newslette ... y%2006.pdf Ash. Re: Grout Sealing 10Jul 12, 2009 8:35 pm Thanks Ash, and yes I agree what you are saying foresight would have been a great thing Unfortunately I trusted the tile to do what he said he would do. He did explain to me that he would be using a grout sealer - he mentioned the name but stupidly I didn't take it in at the time and said it would prevent mould etc from building up on the grout and that it would be as simple as wiping it with water/cloth and it should clean up really well. He then went on to warn me against using bleach and other chemicals on the grout and seemed to know what he was talking about.... I guess I have learnt a valuable and expensive lesson.....thanks for the reading too My karma ran over your dogma Re: Grout Sealing 11Jul 12, 2009 8:54 pm onc_artisan DIY with a small paint brush Just tell him that since he hasn't done the sealing yet, you want your money back, because now you are going to do it. Since he didn't get time obviously... the laundry and all Looks like they have used a siloxane type seatant. This is a penetrant sealer and not seen or felt on the surface of the grout. I have done many shower bases with a long narrow brush it takes but a few minutes. onc Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: Grout Sealing 12Jul 12, 2009 11:55 pm I'd suggest you contact the tiler. Ask what type of sealer he used, and how he applied it. Then contact the manufacturer and see if he has applied it correctly. Also, ask about the expected performance of the product, and how to test for its application. If it all points to him having applied an appropriate product as per instructions, and as per contract, well you've got what you paid for. If it has been applied, and you don't think its effective, seek some compensation from the tiler. Again, this all comes down to the terms of what you agreed on. If you feel inclined to seal the grout after his application, be VERY SURE to follow instructions, as applying one sealer over another may not be compatible. Good luck with it! Ash. Re: Grout Sealing 13Jul 16, 2009 12:59 pm Sealing anyhting..that includes grout is a level of protection - not an absolute. It will protect and reduce possible staining etc - but its no guarantee... Hi, planning on using the attached stone pieces in my bathroom. I want to remove stains and gloss seal. Can I get some advice on best way to remove stains and best… 0 6711 DIY, Home Maintenance & Repair Hi everyone Question about Brevis gas heating undergound - was recently installed by previous owners (<1 year old) but live in a relatively large house - 4 bdr - and only… 0 1961 Thanks splashers, that makes sense. The waterproofing guy used this Davco product, I will raise the issue with builder and hopefully get resolved with him - if not… 2 12894 |