Archive for November 21st, 2008
Tile Grouting And Sealing
Once you have chosen the new tiles for a room, you have to choose the grout. This seems like an unimportant item, but the color of the grout you choose will make a difference in how the tile floor looks. Deciding upon the spacing will also be important to the look of the floor. Make sure you follow these five rules of tiling a floor and you won’t go wrong:
Rule #1. Pick the right grout color
Grout comes in very many colors, so you have a real choice about the look. The grout shows between the tiles, so if you pick a color that contrasts with your tiles, you can end up with an almost checkerboard pattern. If you want the look to be monochromatic, pick a grout closet to the color of the tile. Remember, however that light grout will show dirt easily, so if your tiles AR light, you may want to have a slightly darker grout.
Rule #2. Use the right tools and materials
Get good quality grout and sealer, use a palette knife to spread the grout thinly and evenly and have a sponge and bucket nearby to wipe up excess.
Rule #3. Decide on the spacing
Most tiles have a built in spacers so you may not have a choice unless you want to make the space between the tiles larger. You may want a wider look, and if so you will have to buy spacers at a home improvement store. When you are laying the tiles, it is very important to have all the spaces the same size and so you should lay out the tiles on the floor with the spacers before you apply grout. If you use spacers, the only reason you would have different grout widths is if the tiles are crooked, so laying the tiles out evenly and carefully gluing them down in place is essential.
Rule #4. Use a grout sealer
Make sure you protect the grout with a sealer that will protect the grout from stains and damage. This is a time consuming job since you have to carefully apply it to the grout without getting it on the tile, but it is well worth it because your grout will last longer and retain its color longer.
Rule #5. Maintain the grout
You are going to be cleaning your tiles, of course, but care must be taken to clean the grout properly as well. Grout will attract dirt more readily than tile because of its texture and it may be slightly lower than the tile, so the mop will not reach it as well. Therefore you should occasionally use a small sponge to clean the grout separately by hand. You should also reseal the grout after a while since the sealer may become worn down.
Silicone Grout Sealer
Try acrylic silicone and be among those few who have proven its worth. I’ve known about the effects of acrylic silicone grout sealer for a long time. With that said, it gives you a little idea of how great this really is. For me, it seems that I get a lot more for my money and the durability is definitely better. I also find it easy to apply to floors, with som help from the brush. Just think about the effects of epoxy paints. This is how I see silicone grout sealer and the protection it makes. Som would say that its the best thing since sliced bread.

Silicone grout sealer is a good way to deal with moisture and dirt.
Yes, it will protect your tile floors and will keep them look young for a long time. And the small cracks we can have here and there will also be sealed with it. I know that some of you may think that there is a better solution for this. The truth is, maybe there is, I wouldn’t know. Why? Because this was more then enough for me and for people who used it. If there are any disadvantages, I wouldn’t know about them. At least not yet. Silicone grout sealer is a must in my opinion and will contribute to the grout a lot.
![]()
Personally, I’ve mostly been happy with what epoxy can do for me. I’m not an expert, but I’ve used it more then a dozen times. So now I’m thinking outside the box and I’m going to do something completely different my grout. I’m gonna use some epoxy paint I had to cover all those small patches and spaces between the tiles. I know that I will have to prepare the surface seriously and that it will cost me time. But I think that this could be a great solution. Epoxy is resistant to everything. Why not use it as a grout sealer? Once you use the grout cleaner and get rid of the dirt, what is stopping you from trying it?
My blog is dedicated to something different than epoxy, but I want to write about it too, if it is useful and can be used for other purpose. This is a way to learn how to solve problems. You probably used different material instead the one that usually solves certain problem. Well, that is just thinking out of the box. I can think of many reasons for applying silicone grout sealer. And this is really important to me.
Few things are as special and satisfying as a good silicone grout sealer when it comes to tiles. I suggest you try it too. And be serious about this, do it all by the book. You may want to learn how to apply it properly, it is not too complicated.