What type of grout/sealer would be best for me?

[RobinFL]

I stumbled upon this web site while searching for information on traffic master stain proof grout and am sure glad I did!

I'm physically disabled and use a power wheelchair for mobility and we have two dogs which track in dirt from the outside. A lot of floor covering in our home will be tile since the wheelchair is not carpet friendly. (This is new construction.) What would be the best grout and sealer so that when my wife mops the floor, the dirt does not darken the grout?

We are not sure what type of tile we will be purchasing. More than likely ceramic, or possibly porcelain in some areas depending on the cost.

I see some people talk about epoxy grout vs. the cement type... Is the epoxy stuff harder to apply? I'm basically looking for a good product which will make things easiest on my wife and last over time.

Any input will be greatly appreciated.

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[Jason_Butler]

Epoxy grout is a bullet-proof as it gets. It is more money ( material and labor) but is much less porous than a sanded portland based grout.

Sanded grout will still work fine though as long as a good sealer is applied. We like the Stonetech and Aquamix products here on the forum. Epoxy grout will not require a sealer

The Stonetech can be purchased through our online store. See link at the top


Jason

[Tom McNall]

While you can get stain proof grout, you cannot get dirty water build up proof grout. As long as the grout joints are recessed, dirt will find its way in there and party. The accumulation is usually accelerated by more mopping. Mopping wet just spreads dirt. If you have hard water, you will actually create a new crusty stone in the grout (kind of like stalagmites in a cave). You are best to clean (or your wife, because of the mobility issue. I am not sexist and do not need any females asking why I would suggest your wife) with a damp mop and periodically wet the floor with a hot nuetral cleaner and water mix and scrub with a brush and then remove the liquid with a good quality wet vac. Consider it like giving your tile a bath. You wouldn't just give the kids a towel bath everyday now would you? No, you would give them a bath. Are showers not better? After all, it rinses all of the soap and dirt away (gravity is a wonderful thing). For that reason, if you can afford it, have a contractor occaisionally come in to clean it with a "Hydrotech" type cleaner (hydrotechpower.us). This is like washing all of the contaminants that hide in the grout away.

Do I sound like I love clean grout? I do. It's a "thing" with me :crazy: .

[doitright]

Hi Robin, Welcome! :)

I've merged your threads regarding grout/sealer together in the restoration forum.

Epoxy grout is much more difficult to do.

A good maintenance schedule and procedure will be your best bet. If the dogs urinating on the tile/grout is a concern, go with epoxy.

[RobinFL]

Point well taken Tom! Thank you very much for your replies. What I've decided to do will be go with regular grout then seal it with a Stone Tech professional sealer as soon as possible after installation. In the house I have now, the floor covering is all tile, (approximately 2200 ft.²). We are going to try and do the warm water detergent/brush/wet vac procedure to see if that lightens up the grout in the high-traffic areas. The tile is glazed ceramic, but I don't think the grout was ever sealed. If that seems to work, I will inquire how much it would be to be professionally cleaned like that before we put the house on the market. Projected timeline on the new house is late July-August yet.

I've learned a lot reading posts from other people which leads me to another question. We are looking at a quartz product for the kitchen counters. I was told by the sales rep. how great and carefree it is over granite and that it never needs to be sealed. Is that true?

Thanks again for all your inputs.

[Tom McNall]

The quartz sales people have a lot of propaganda about real stone. Not one of those claims is true. I can refute every one through literature available on the MIA (Marble Institute of America) web site www.marble-institute.com. When you think about it, why do all of the engineered (fake) stone companies use the word stone (or marble, quartz) in their names? It is to deceive the consumer. If they start out telling lies, what do they have to offer you after the sale? There is no better surface than natural stone. And imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Would you rather have a fake or an original?