sealing grout

[SteveNY]

recently redone bath; tile work completed about three months ago and I want to seal the grout in the shower/bath. The tiles used left very thin grout lines and the grout was put in somewhat thinner than I'm used to seeing-- I think because of the narrowness of the spaces (but could have been from the tiler's laziness, I suppose). The tiler filled the larger air bubble holes but there's some irregularity of the grout that I don't particularly like and I'd like to seal the grout anyway.
From what I've read, the kind of grout that is more permanent will discolor tile if not done exactly right and, with the narrowness of the grout spaces, I think it'd be tough to be neat enough even with the narrow wheel type applicators.

What I was thinking of doing was using color matching caulk, non-silicone, that is available from the tile store and apply a thin layer over the caulk as a seal. My painter actually did this in a couple of places where we both thought the grout was roughest (somewhat pitted). I don't think reapplying grout is required (or perhaps feasible) but that's another option, I suppose.

Any advice would be appreciated and particularly advice about using the caulk as a sealant.

Thanks

Steve

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[muskymike]

Hi Steve, you need to use a grout sealer not caulk. You can use a small paint brush to apply the sealer.

[SABoyt]

If you don't like the appearance of the grout, the roughness and pitting, you might consider using a grout colorant to seal the lines. They are thick and can conceal or fill some of those holes.

[SteveNY]

sorry, been away for a while.

thanks for the replies. what I'm concerned about is the water seal, not the looks. I've been reading what I can about grout sealants, both here and elsewhere online, and I'm still not sure what to do.

It seems that sealants don't really seal water out, or so threads here say, and I'm still wondering why I can't apply some same color caulk over the grout to keep water out. I'm sure there are good reasons not to do this but I haven't heard any yet. (unless they fall under the category of, "that's just really dumb, dude.") Can anyone finally get this idea out of my head.

It's a guest bath and I've only been using it recently because of problems with my own shower. The grout lines nearest the shower head (to the side) stay dark for at least a few hours after other lines have gone back to regular color. don't know yet if they will dry further over the next day or two. am concerned that water is getting behind the grout. there were no drain spaces in the tub top so I had the tile/tub junction caulked-- and had silicon put between the tile and the tub flange. so water getting behind the grout won't have anywhere to drain. the tiles were put up (unexpectedly and with mastic) without my being present so I didn't get a chance to use RedGard or Kerdi.

thanks,

Steve

[Davestone]

Caulk needs to be able to hold in a crevace it doesn't work well as a topical sealant, it will peel off,try it if you want to but the grout colorant is the way to go here.

[SteveNY]

>>it will peel off,try it if you want to but the grout colorant is the way to go here.<<

thanks. colorant rather than penetrating sealer?

[Davestone]

Colorant rather than caulk.

[SteveNY]

>Colorant rather than caulk.<

thanks. understand that I should use sealant rather than caulk. my question is, since I don't need/don't want to color the grout, whether penetrating colorless sealant wouldn't be more permanent than the colored sealers which, as I understand it, require more frequent application.

[GeorgeT]

Steve -

A penetrating sealer will help prevent moisture intrusion but will not hold water out for extended periods of time. Most sealers of this type are "stain repellents" and are not "waterproofing products".
Properly sealed your grout should not change color within the duration of your shower. The quality and longevity of the seal will depend on your application method and your maintenance methods.

[SteveNY]

>A penetrating sealer will help prevent moisture intrusion but will not hold water out for extended periods of time. Most sealers of this type are "stain repellents" and are not "waterproofing products".
Properly sealed your grout should not change color within the duration of your shower. The quality and longevity of the seal will depend on your application method and your maintenance methods.<

Thanks, George. Still a bit confused. When you say "properly sealed" you mean using a grout colorant? That is an acrylic, correct? And those must contain coloring? Any reason to have this done professionally, like with Sir Grout or similar company?

thanks again.

[GeorgeT]

Steve -

Little mix-up going on here.
Penetrating sealers are not coatings. They soak into the surface and are repellents from within. They make no change to the surface. They do not have pigments to add color to the surface.
My reference to sealers does not include colorants or grout sealants that are coatings.
Two different types of products....

[SteveNY]

OK. Thanks, George. Still getting my terminology down.

So, looking at the StoneTech site I see several "Sealers" and a couple of them are specifically called grout sealers. I am specifically interested in getting the most water resistance and the longest duration of that resistance I have no need for changing the color of the grout. Based on this, which product do you think best suits my needs?


>The quality and longevity of the seal will depend on your application method and your maintenance methods.<

Can you give a bit more info about what application method is best? Does "maintenance methods" refer to not using bleach, vinegar, etc. or to some other maintenance factors?

thanks again. I actually have done a search for this info on the site and didn't find exactly what I was looking for. sorry if much of this is repeat for you.

Steve

[GeorgeT]

Steve -

You mention "getting the most water resistance" in your last post. These types of penetrating sealers, when properly applied, should hold water out through the course of a couple showers each day. Their real aim is to repel stains from water or oil borne liquids....these sealers should not be used to make up for problems in construction....
Your right in that length of life refers to using the correct cleaners. The wrong cleaner will shorten the life span of your sealer. Bleach, vinegar and others do not immediately remove your sealer but do degrade it somewhat every time they are used... best to stick with neutral pH cleaners for most cleaning.... and a scrub and rinse type cleaning every 6 to 10 weeks will do a lot for the life of the appearance of the surfaces in your shower.
The key is saturating applications of sealer. The more sealer you can soak in your grout the better and longer the seal.
Choice of sealer depends a lot on the rest of the materials in the installation. If you have ceramic or porcelain tiles our 'Grout Sealer' will be a good choice. If you have stone or other masonry tiles perhaps 'Heavy Duty Sealer' or 'BulletProof' would be more appropriate.

[SteveNY]

Thanks, George. appreciate the help