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Once you’ve installed your new tiles and your kitchen, bathroom or flooring area looks clean and fresh; you may be wondering what to do next.
Should you use grout sealer to prepare your surfaces? If so, which is the best grout sealer to use?
Most tillers will not steal your newly tiled surfaces when freshly installed. This is because the grout will need time to properly dry out or cure. However, once your grout has dried sufficiently, using a sealer will keep it looking clean and fresh.
If you are unfamiliar with tiling, you may even wonder “What is grout sealer, and why is it important?”Using a grout sealer will assist you to take care of the tiles in your home.
However, with so many different grout sealers on the market, you make wonder what is the best tile sealer to use? We’re here to assist, sharing a grout sealer review of some of the best products out there.
This way, you’ll be able to find the product that meets your needs. This will keep your home looking clean and fresh while you go about your everyday life.
First though, before sharing our product choices with you, let’s answer some basic questions, so that you can understand why you would need to use grout sealer, and how this will help you to care for your home.
What is grout sealer?
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After you’ve had your tiles installed, you’ll want to protect the areas in between. This porous surface area is known as grout.
Grout sealer protects this area from becoming damaged or discoloured. Grout is porous, and over time it can absorb particles of dirt or other materials. To protect grout from becoming discoloured, it helps to seal the grout.
Using grout sealer is about cosmetics. Your grout surface will rarely be at risk of damage from acids or other corrosive substances. However, cosmetic reasons alone are often a great motivation to seal your grout.
You have probably been into an old house or public facility where the areas between the tiles have become yellow and discoloured, or worse, stained with mildew. This discoloration occurs because the grout has not been sealed.
When should you use grout sealer?
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If you’ve just had an area of your home retiled, you can apply grout sealer once your grout has completely dried. This will help you to keep your grout looking fresh and clean.
If you have applied grout sealer in the past, but it is beginning to wear off, you can reseal it so that your tiles stay clean.
Grout sealer is most important in areas which are moist or damp. These areas can often accumulate mildew. Bathroom and kitchen floors are other important areas where grout sealer could be applied. These areas look best when clean and fresh, but often yellow over time.
Using grout sealer from the start will cut down on your maintenance work. Without using sealer, it can be hard work to clean the areas between your tiles.
This can be done, but often requires the use of a scrubbing brush and harsh chemicals. Once you’ve sealed your tiles, you’ll simply be able to wipe over them with a cloth. This will help you to keep your newly laid tiles looking fresh from the very beginning.
If you’ve used an epoxy based grout, you won’t need to seal your grouted areas, however. Epoxy based grout naturally resists liquids.
However, it is usually only commercial tillers who use epoxy based grout, and usually for spaces where there is high traffic or harsh cleaning chemicals. Most tillers won’t use epoxy based grout in your home, but you could always check.
What types of grout sealers are available on the market?
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There are two different types of grout sealers available on the market. Once you know the difference, you shouldn’t have much difficulty finding the best grout sealer for your needs.
A penetrating grout sealer gets into the porous spaces within the grout, sealing them off. This will prevent mildew or other fungus from getting into the surface of your grout. When you use a penetrating sealer, it will darken your grout.
You will often only have to apply a penetrating sealer to your grout once in a very long time. Penetrating sealers last up to 15 years before your grout will need to be resealed.
However, once your sealant has lost its effect, you will have to strip it in order to reseal your grout. Grout sealers cannot simply be reapplied by painting over the old product.
Non penetrating sealers are simply painted over the grout. They don’t penetrate the surface, but lie on top of it, forming a waterproof surface.
This will protect your grout. Over time, they may discolour as well as chip or wear away, which will leave your grout vulnerable. As a result, they need to be checked regularly, and particularly when used as a shower sealer.
Non penetrating grout sealer needs to be replaced every 3 to 5 years. You can simply strip off the old grout sealer and replace. It may take time, but will once again offer up protection for years to come.
In between non-penetrating and penetrating grout sealers, there is a middle ground. Acrylic grout sealers are non-penetrating and are painted onto the surface of your grout. However, they are much stronger. They are, however, harder to remove when needing to be replaced.
The best tile grout sealer for your home will depend on your needs. If you are undecided, however, and have tiled your floors or showers, we recommend using a penetrating grout sealer.
This is the best grout sealer if you would like to create an excellent long term barrier against mould, mildew, dirt and fungus.
Let’s look at some grout sealing products well worth exploring
Aqua Mix Sealer’s Choice Gold Quart
Aqua Mix Sealer’s Choice gold reviews share that this is the best grout sealer to use when working with porous stone surfaces. You can use this stone and grout sealer over large surfaces. You will end up with a mat look which keeps both stone and grout clean and protected.
This is a penetrating grout sealer, which means it will give you extreme longevity. After applying a couple of coats, you will only need to reapply this product after 10 – 15 years.
As the product can be applied to many different types of stone, it will be great for maintaining your travertine floors, marble counters or other stone finished surfaces.
Aqua Mix is a great product for both interior and exterior use. This makes it a versatile product for maintaining and protecting stone or grouted surfaces in many different areas of your home.
This product is also hugely cost effective, which gives an added boost to customers.
StoneTech Heavy Duty Grout Sealer
This great product is great for porcelain tiled surfaces, and has been made specifically to penetrate grout. Although not applicable to stone surfaces, it remains an excellent quality product.
This is one of the best tile grout sealers on the market, and it is also extremely affordable, which gives an additional bonus to customers.
This product does require quite a few layers of Stonetech grout sealer in order to protect your grout. However, once the hard work has been done, you will have protection for years to come.
All in all, a great quality grout sealer which provides excellent value for money at the same time.
Aqua Mix Grout Sealer Dual Protection
This is a great product to use in both your kitchen and bathroom. Both oil and water repellent, this is the best tile grout sealer for all common kitchen or bathroom spills. A non-penetrative grout sealer, this is a great product for both interior and exteriors.
If you are looking for a great kitchen grout sealer, this product offers great value for money. It offers standard coverage as well.
However, if you wish to seal your bathroom tiles, you may prefer to look for a penetrating tile sealer. This is because a non penetrating sealer will often chip and crack, leaving your grout vulnerable to moulds and mildew.
Tuff Duck Granite, Grout and Marble Sealer
A great stone and grout sealer which is an excellent choice for both kitchens and bathrooms as it repels both oil and water. When applied to your tile or grout, it will provide a protective cover, protecting your porous surfaces from dirt or stains.
This product has been given great stone sealer reviews as the product is not acidic, and can therefore be used on marble as well as stone. You could therefore use it on your marble floors as well as on stone surfaces or as a shower floor sealer.
The only drawback for this product is its relatively short life. For a penetrative grout sealant, it lasts a relatively short period of time.
This means extra work when the product needs to be replaced. However, it is such a great option and works so well while it lasts, that it still makes an excellent choice of grout sealer.
Miracle Sealants 511 QT SG 511
This is great choice of penetrating grout sealant which is so popular that it is recommended by both contractors and novices alike.
This product is strong enough to seal any grouted surface, keeping it clean and new for long periods of time. Once you’ve applied this grout sealant, you will have no doubt that it is there. It will leave a protective texture on the surface of your grout.
Not everybody appreciates the protective textures created by this product, so if this is not for you, it is worth making a different purchase. It does work very effectively, however.
Once applied, the highly protective surface will keep your tiles looking as good as new. While applying, remember that this is an oil based product.
Keep some mineral spirits handy to ensure there is no mess. Allow each layer to dry completely before applying another one. When applied properly, this product will give you the ultimate protective finish. A great penetrating tile sealer.
Miracle Sealants GRT SLR
If you are looking for a great tile sealer which also offers great value for money, this is the choice for you. This oil based product does leave a texture upon the surface of your grout, however, so it’s helpful to ensure you are comfortable with this before purchasing the product.
As with any product, it is worth weighing up the pros and cons before finally settling on a purchase. So here you go:
The pros of purchasing this product:
- A great weather resistant product.
- Easy to apply as it comes in an applicator bottle.
- A safe product.
- Great for both interior and exterior use.
- Good coverage.
The cons associated with this product:
- Can be messy.
- You’ll need to apply two coats in order to ensure this product is water resistant.
- Some reviews share that the colour can become quite dark after a double coat is applied, changing the colour of the grout.
Black Diamond UGS PT Ultimate
When you are on a budget, you will still be looking for the best tile sealer you can afford. Some grout sealers are budget friendly but don’t completely protect your tiles from dirt or mildew.
Black Diamond UGS PT Ultimate is an excellent choice for those on a tight budget. It is both effective and budget friendly, eliminating dirt and mildew growth.
This product makes a great kitchen and bathroom grout sealer, repelling both oil and water and protecting your tiles from damage.
This product also repels food, grease and mildew. While using this product, your grout will be low maintenance, easy to clean, and protected with this mould resistant grout sealer.
Tuff Duck Granite, Grout and Marble
If you have a larger project, you will be looking at using large quantities of tile, stone and grout sealer. Tuff Duck sealer comes in gallon bottles which are perfect for large projects.
This enables you to achieve a quality coat over large areas, and will give you deep penetration. A gallon bottle is suitable for projects which cover up to 800 square feet, and you will still have enough left over to apply touch ups as needed later on.
Tuff Duck granite, grout and marble sealer will give you great results for your grout and tiled surfaces. The product is non acidic, so can be used on natural stone to protect from damage.
It is a penetrating grout sealer, and will seep into the grout, filling up porous spaces to protect from damage.
Black Diamond Next-Gen
If you are working on a project with multiple surfaces, it is worth considering a multipurpose sealer. Some products make a good grout sealer but cannot seal tiles or concrete effectively.
Black Diamond Next-Gen is a multipurpose product sealant which you can use as both an easy grout sealer as well as a sealer for other surfaces such as granite, tiles or concrete.
This tile, stone and grout sealer is water based, has an easy to use spray applicator, and is food repellent, making it suitable as a kitchen grout sealer or granite counter top protection. Simply spray this product onto your kitchen surfaces and wipe off any excess products.
AfmSafecoat
This top rated grout and tile sealer will penetrate into your grout, becoming a part of it. This will protect your grout from water and oil penetration, as well as keep your surfaces low maintenance and easy to clean.
This product is non toxic, free of strong odour, and contains no formaldehyde, easy to use and budget friendly. This product dries clear and will not discolour your grout or tiles, making it an excellent sealers choice.
Things you should know
Colour sealing
Most products offer clear grout sealer. However, some products will add colour to your grout. Coloured grout sealer reviews state that this product is very effective for adding atmosphere to a room.
However, this product would only be suitable if you were using a non-penetrating grout. If you are looking for a penetrating grout sealer, it is often better not to sacrifice durability for colour and atmosphere. Always go for the best quality product you can afford.
Is grout sealer easy to apply?
Image source: Sullivan Building & Design Group
If you have chosen to use a grout waterproofer, you may be wondering how easy it is to apply. Let it be known that applying grout sealer is a tedious job.
The smaller your tiles, the more time consuming it will be. If you have installed large tiles, however, your grout water sealer will be easy to apply.
Spray sealant is often an easier choice if you have a great many small tiles. If you have installed a wall of mosaics in your shower floor, for example, and fear that it will take a whole weekend to seal your grout, you could always use a spray on shower floor sealant.
This easy grout sealer will save you a great deal of time and effort when compared to using a brush.
How long should you wait before using a grout sealer?
After your tiles have been installed, you will need to wait for your grout to dry completely before using grout sealer.
Moisture within your grout will prevent the sealant from soaking in. Keep your room warm and dry to aid curing. Then use a good grout sealer once your grout has completely dried.
Factors to take into consideration before purchasing your grout sealer
Function
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There are different types of grout sealer. Before you make a purchase, you’ll need to know not only why you’ve chosen the sealer you have, but any other functions your sealer could fulfill.
You could use your grout sealing products for other surfaces as well, such as stone or marble countertops.
By buying a product which will serve multiple different purposes, you could seal a variety of areas around your home.
In addition, an interior – exterior grout sealer would be useful for projects in your home and garden. With an outdoor grout sealer, you could seal water features, patio tiles or even use it in your garage.
Effectiveness
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When looking for a shower floor tile sealer or stone and grout sealer, you want your product to work. In other words, you are looking to purchase the best sealer for grout that you can find.
This article aims to show you some very effective grout sealing products which have excellent reviews. However, when you purchase a product, you’ll need to apply it correctly, as well as ensure that it is a right match for your surfaces in order to ensure best results.
An extra tip: follow instructions carefully when applying a product or sealer. When it comes to the number of coats you’ll need to apply, you’ll need to take your surfaces into consideration, as well as drying time between coats. This will help you to get the very best results.
Longevity
When selecting a product, take longevity into account. You’ll want your sealer to last at least 3 – 5 years. Grout sealer takes a lot of effort to apply, and anything less than this will be a waste of both money and effort.
Usage
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When it comes to selecting your grout sealer, take into consideration where you will use your product and the surfaces you will apply it to. Sealing shower grout may require a different product to the best grout sealer for floors.
A bathroom tile grout sealer may require a mold resistant grout sealer while the best grout sealers for a high traffic floor area may have different requirements. Each of these factors will play a role in the brand you eventually choose.
Waterproofing
If you are looking for tile and grout sealer for the shower, or a bathroom tile grout sealer, you’ll need to search for a product which is waterproof.
Some products will be better than others, so it is worth paying careful attention before making a purchase, or applying a product to our bathroom area.
In conclusion
There are a range of different grout sealers. When choosing the best grout sealant for your home, take into account your needs. Are you looking for the best ceramic tile sealer, a kitchen grout sealer or an exterior grout sealer?
The information in this guide will assist you to take the guesswork out of your grout sealer selection, guiding you towards an informed choice.
Select the best quality product for your needs and you’ll end up with a purchase that gives you the results you were looking for. This will guarantee you get great value for money.