Another sealer question - confused

[River525]

Hi, we have tiled our downstairs gameroom with porcelian tile and are now ready to seal the grout. Being that we are do it yourself folks I can't purchase what I think everyone recommends by Aqua Mix b/c it is only available for tile contractors at the tile stores around town :crap: so I went to Lowe's and found Tile Guard 10 year polymer sealer. Is this a good one? We really want water to just bead up on the grout b/c we have a dog :devil: that tends to pee when we leave him (aka separation anxiety) - so I really want something that is basically bullet proof. Any ideas on what to use?

thanks -- Melissa

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[Davestone]

I don't know about that sealer,but we have a (bulletproof) sealer right here on the site,at TYW store above.^

[Dog paws]

I'm not familiar with Tile Guard. I have used, with success, SurfaceGard which is also sold at Lowes. Apply the sealer you choose liberally, let it puddle for 5 to 10 minutes, reapply were it's penetrated, let puddle, then wipe up all extra.
Urine is tough on sealer and grout. You may need to reapply after each anxiety attack. :)

[doitright]

Hi Melissa :)

To clarify, there isn't a impregnating sealer out there that will provide protection against acidic attacks. It's best to use the highest quality sealer availabe, and wipe up the soiled areas as soon as possible. In combination, it's best to keep your floor and grout clean by frequent vacuuming and cleaning with a stone & tile specific neutral pH cleaner. When the wash water becomes cloudy, it is essential to change the water. Not changing the water frequently is about the biggest culprit for the grout joints darkening over time.

[DonB]

Hi Melissa,

Have you considered installing a doggie door so your critter can go outside to pee?

Don

[ashton makala]

The tileguard spray says it is good for up to 15 years.

I am in a similar situation. Installed porcelain on kitchen walls
and am having tough time deciding which sealer to use for
cement base grout.
So many different recommendations on this board.
Do I turn left or right? yes.
1st recommendation, use aqua mix ultra seal, then post to avoid it like death.
Others posts to use Sealers choice, but another posts says that if application is for sealing grout only, then company employee says use a grout specific sealer.
Have seen no references to tileguard at all anywhere other than it is sold at Lowes. In my situation I am in no hurry to seal tiles but like the idea of spraying a sealer onto my 2x2 grout lines.

[River525]

Yes a doggie door would do the trick......if the doggie would go out the doggie door, lol. We've tried this to no avail. Nothing like having to decorate a home around your pet but he's like a child to us and we do what we have to do.

I will definitely take all the suggestions and keep my fingers crossed that whatever we end up using will at least help stop the urine (and spills from my husbands Budweisers, lol) from sinking in the grout before I have a chance to clean it up.

love this forum as it has really helped us on decisions with our tiling jobs around the house.

thanks!!

[DonB]

Melissa, sorry to hear that's not a solution for you. We have one that our 3 dogs and 2 cats use. No conventional accidents and no litterbox required. The worst accident we've ever had was when a skunk decided to come in the house a few years ago. It wasn't pretty.

Ashton, Sealer's Choice is for any grout, stone or porous tile. AM will recommend Grout Sealer for grout because it leaves a film on the surface. I don't see any reason why you can't spray on Sealer's Choice. Just put it in a sprayer.

Don

[doitright]

Hi Don :)

Depends how large an area you want to spray, and what type of sprayer you want to use.

A pump up sprayer is best for large areas (provided it has suitable seals and tank for that particular type of sealer). Obviously the nozzle would need to be adjusted for stream. If using a typical bottle sprayer for a small area, be cautious of the atomizing that takes place. You may need to wear a respirator.

Ultimately, no matter what method you choose, you don't want to let any sealer dry on the surface of the tile.

However, at the show, I saw several sealers becoming popular in the aersol can (without buffing afterwards). I need to hear about some hands on experience before converting over to that type of system.

Hi Ashton, Welcome! :)

As far as the different sealers, and where to use them, take into consideration where the information is coming from. We allow typically anyone to post here with his or her experiences. We also allow brand names to be used. For the typical DIY'r, not all products are readily available through a local retailer. That's what makes my job difficult, as I typically use proffesional grade products. And yes, there is a difference. If you post your question in its own thread, we'll be sure to guide you in the right direction.

[ashton makala]

Called AM. Sure the pros know this, but they told me their best product for sealing grout is the AM Tasters( :yeah: ) Choice so I am going with that.
I plan on applying by brush or sponge. The AM Ultra Spray and Go as reported by Don, needs maintained once a week with their Ultra Clean product. Are they nuts? Who is going to clean every week?

[Viper]

Too late now but if you have to do something like this again.....use epoxy grout and you shouldn't have to worry about any stain ever.

[ashton makala]

Isn't Laticrete epoxy like sanded grout in appearance; with
large size particles? Is there a smooth version of the epoxy?

I have already use Mapei unsanded and am happy with it.

[DonB]

Ashton,

I was curious about this when I decided to use SpectraLock so I checked it out. The particulate size in the epoxy isn't too much smaller than that in Polyblend sanded, maybe by 5x on average, but the shape is vastly different. The silica filler in the epoxy is very smooth and globular and consistent in size while the other stuff looks like asteroid material. Very craggy and irregular in size and shape. I'm sure other more traditional epoxy products such as C-Cure Color Set 931 would have even smaller particulate size for filler but I can't verify that without a sample. Probably a pita to wash out for examination too since the silica is integral with the liquid resin.

In actual non-microscopic appearance of the installed product, SpectraLock is very much smoother than sanded grout. No good comparison there. Sandpaper vs. silk.

Don