Sealing the Grout without sealing the problem

[rshanna]

I have a couple questions about sealing the groat while still working on problem tile.
1. First of all, I have read conflicting info about when to seal. Do I seal immediately after cleaning or do I wait a couple days to let the freshly cleaned grout dry completely?
2. In all but my bathrooms and kitchen, I have a serious tile problem, as you might have been reading in the Thread called, "Surfactants". Anyway, we want to at least clean the grout before moving in so don't we need to be very careful not to get sealant on the problematic tile? Won't sealant, seal in the problem, making it more difficult to correct? We are going to have a company come in (we live in Latin America, not the US) and clean all the groat and I am fearful that they will just squeegie sealant on. I want to be prepared to head them off, if this is the wrong thing to do. So please help me be well informed in order not to make our problem worse.

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[GeorgeT]

It is always best to let the freshly washed masonry dry before sealing. Moisture can prevent even penetration of sealing products which in turn can compromise their effectiveness.
Sometimes it is difficult to tell how the cleaning has been done until everything is dry also.
There is little reason to seal until all issues with cleaning grout and tile are resolved; many products that are used for cleaning tough problems will remove any sealers that are applied. Wait to seal untill you can do everything at the same time.