Will sealer change color of grout?

[Pirate]

Will a sealer change the color of grout? What I mean is, do you have to take this into consideration when choosing a grout color? I know when you apply a clear coat to stained wood, it will darken some.

[MudMaker]

Generally not.. an enhancing sealer will.. Test a small inconspicuous area first if you are concerned..

[sandbagger]

there have been some reports of some sealers leaving what appears to be a residue on darker grouts. I saw a little bit of that with Bulletproof on my Custom light smoke grout. I think some of that can be avoided with the right application technique.

[doitright]

Hi Randy, Welcome!

As a rule of thumb, quality non enhancing impregnators will not change the grout color. Stay away from topical sealers and finishes. To avoid clouding as Art mentioned, use a solvent based sealer. Dupont Stone Tech Impregnator Pro and Surface Treatment Technologies SB have both proven to be excellent stable impregnators for me. There will be an initial color change on application that will dry out after the carriers have evaporated.

Are you only doing the grout? Sanded or unsanded? Floor or walls?

[Pirate]

I tiled my floor and was planning to grout tomorrow. The grout I got is Laticrete Permacolor Smoke Grey. I mixed a small sample of the grout and it is a little lighter in color than I would like. It's so hard to tell what the true color is going to be, based on a small swatch you see on a computer screen. For a sealer, I was planning on the 511 Miracle Seal and Enhance, and from what I just read here, it sounds like the "Enhancing" changes the color some.

So...I can buy some of the 511 sealer at HD (except I guess the HD version doesn't have "511" in it's title) and try it on my grout sample, or buy another different color of Permacolor and see how that looks.

[doitright]

Hi Randy

You're taking the correct steps.

We always promote TEST first!