Important Info For Home Owners
Top 10 Things Other Grout Companies Claim, But Aren’t True!
You CAN NOT grout over old grout.
Grout is not designed to adhere to other grout. Therefore the new grout floated or placed over the old grout will eventually flake or peel off.
You don’t need to seal grout.
Not true. The molecules that are in penetrating sealers soak into the pours of the grout and fill in the microscopic holes creating a barrier against oil & water based stains. Cleaning & resealing your grout should occur at least twice per year.
Most tile installers try to avoid sealing your grout because this means they need to come back one extra day just to seal it for you. It’s better for them to just tell you it’s not necessary, then to waste another day. Much like if a car dealer told you to never wax your vehicles finish. Inevitably, if you don’t wax the finish of your vehicle, the shine will go away. If you don’t seal your grout, the look will fade and it will become permanently stained and dirty.
You can buy stain proof grout.
There is nothing that will prevent grout from accumulating dirt and oil from the floor. Remember this is a joint that will collect anything that gets caught in it. The best defense against dirty grout is sealing or staining your grout and using proper cleaning products that break down the oils & dirt from your floor.
They can guarantee clean grout for 10 years.
This is probably one of the best ways to fool customers. There is NOTHING anyone can put on your grout that will keep it from getting dirty. This is simply a sales tactic to lure you in. Don’t get caught! The ONLY way to keep the grout clean is with proper maintenance. Trust me, if you call them in 10 years (if they’re even still open) they WILL NOT come back and reclean your grout.
You can use acrylic sealers on porcelain & ceramic tiled floors.
Using anything to coat over ceramic & porcelain tile should be avoided at all costs. Acrylic sealers are used for Mexican (Saltillo) or brick paver type of floor. These floors are a clay type of tile and can absorb the sealer. If you mop any acrylic sealer on your floor, eventually the sealer with begin to break down and flake off in the traffic areas. The sealer will also embed itself into your grout and it is almost impossible to remove it completely without regrouting the floor.
You always need to regrout.
This is only true when it comes to nonsanded grout for (1/8” or smaller joints) in a shower or tub stall. Otherwise, when dealing with sanded grout for (1/8 or larger joints) and when the grout is in a solid smooth condition, you can stain the grout to renew it to its original condition.
Regrouting sanded grout should always be your last option.
You can stain nonsanded grout.
Unfortunately, nonsanded grout can not be colored or stained. Some companies try to do this but it will end up being a mess. Nonsanded grout does not have pours, therefore the stain has nothing to soak into. The color will just leave a thick coating on your grout that will soon begin to peel away.
Steam cleaning your grout will no affect or damage the grout.
This is not the case. With most steam cleaning companies, carpet cleaning is likely their bread & butter. They have simply changed the nozzle on their hose and are offering grout & tile cleaning. The problem is, the heat & pressure that steam cleaning creates can be too extreme for grout. Grout is held together by bonding agents and using pressure & steam can cause the grout to become brittle and fall apart.
If you have a cracked or missing grout line, just fill in back in with new grout.
When your floor begins to show signs of missing or cracked grout lines, there is an underline problem. In some cases the house has settled and the foundation gave way to a sediment crack. With most cases it’s Hydrostatic pressure (water) being released from the foundation causing the tile to lift.
If regrouted, these cracks will occur again. The way to find out if it’s a hallow tile is to tap on the surface of the tile. If the sound is hallow and not solid, the only way to fix this problem is to remove the tile and reset or replace it.
Using bleach to clean grout is affective.
NO. Bleach is a whitening agent and will only mask the problem by lightening the grout for a short time. Using proper cleaning solutions designed for grout is the best was to clean grout.
If the grout is in a shower, the mold & mildew grow from the under-structure of the tile moving outward through the grout. So bleaching it will only lighten the grout for a short time, but the mold & mildew will return.
The only way to truly get rid of the mold & mildew in a shower is to remove the old grout & caulk, clean it, then regrout and recaulk.
BONUS: You can just use water & vinegar to clean you grout.
This is old logic. There are so many more effective cleaners out there that do a better job for cleaning your grout & tile.
People recommended water & vinegar because there wasn’t anything that wasn’t harsh to clean floors.
Today there are cleaners such as Neutral Floor cleaners. These cleaners are low on the PH scale and aren’t too acidic and won’t break down your sealers too quickly. They also contain degreasing agents and since dirt and grease are the main causes of grout discoloration, it makes sense to use a product that helps break those things down. The Grout BOSS can provide you with our specially formulated neutral cleaner and our shower cleaning kit. Using these products regularly to clean your grout and tile will keep it looking amazing for much, much longer.