When comparing normal cement based grout to an epoxy grout one realizes the distinctive benefits of the latter. It’s in your interest to go for epoxy grout that offers much advantage over normal grout. The most important benefit of epoxy grout is that it’s far easier to maintain and clean. Epoxy grout can easily be cleaned using any normal alkaline based grout cleaning agent that dissolves all the dirt and grime present in grout lines. Normal grout being highly porous in nature absorbs all the dirt, grease and grime it comes in contact with. Epoxy grout, on the other hand, is non-porous and wouldn’t absorb any contaminant or stains. So cleaning of epoxy grout just needs dissolving and subsequent removing of grime and dirt that gets collected atop epoxy grout.

Another distinct advantage of epoxy grout is that unlike any normal grout it needs no sealing.

Because epoxy grout is not porous like normal cement based grout, it need not be sealed at all. Trying sealing epoxy grout is sheer waste of time, effort and money as it won’t absorb any sealer. On the contrary, sealing epoxy grout just encourages accumulation of dirt and grime on top layer of the dried sealant.
The main drawback of epoxy grout is that it’s more expensive. Moreover, its application is also quite typical.

Installation of epoxy grout needs extra care and thoroughness. It may require quite a bit of practice. Improper application can cause serious problems. If vapors of epoxy grout get dried on the surface of tiles, it’s very challenging to get rid of that, whereas you can get rid of vapors of normal grout using vinegar and water with a bit of elbow grease if needed.

Epoxy grout haze that get deposited on tiles, if not removed in time, necessitates the use of powerful stripping compounds for it removal. At times, the floor stripper could damage the correctly installed grout in grout lines. Sometimes getting rid of epoxy grout vapors becomes so difficult that it’s worthwhile to retile the surface completely.

It’s recommended to use epoxy grout on non porous surfaces like those of porcelain or ceramics. Epoxy grout will surely ruin any kind of stone or porous tiles. It’s imperative to check beforehand that the surface you intend treating with epoxy grout will not absorb the grout. It’s nearly impossible to reinstate the finish of any porous material after it has been treated with epoxy grout and absorbed by the surface.

Despite the limitations posed and enhanced risk of installing epoxy grout, you should till consider it for installing your tiles next time! Its unique and better properties coupled with convenience of cleaning and negligible maintenance expense make epoxy grout a better option that normal grout.

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Ceramic tiles give a neat and colorful look to the kitchen and may last as long as the structure. However, an improperly or an inaccurately laid tile arrangement or too much of grout between the tiles can mar the beauty and style to become an eyesore.

Having prepared the surface and fixed the tiles with an appropriate adhesive nearly completes the job of tiling the floor. After the tile is set and dried in place, you need to fill the spaces with grout. Depending on the size of the spaces between the tiles, one may use grouts with a sand content or those with latex for improved performance. Grout is available in different colors but white or off-white seems to be more popular a color. If the grout has not been spread out evenly in the gaps, it makes the whole floor look untidy and a blot on the floor. Improper sealing also adds to that look. Good news is that this problem can be sorted out by do-it-yourself fixes over the weekend.

There are two ways of fixing this snag in the floor tiles. Depending on the enormity of the deformity you may remove all the grout and redo the whole thing or grind off the excess of it by using suitable means and devices so that the whole floor looks even. Here is how to go ahead with it.

A dermal tool available at any hardware store would do the job. Primarily it is a cordless screwdriver that comes a bunch of attachments. Special attachments are available for removal of ceramic tiles.

After you have made the grout even it will look dirty. The grout is a very porous material, meaning it has many tiny holes in it. These holes provide space for the dirt to settle in and thus impart that dirty look we have been talking of. The small pores therefore need to be sealed up. Before you seal those you need to clean them. There are many cleaners available and any one would work well. But an easier and more effective way is to use bleach. Prepare a mixture of bleach and water in equal proportion and scrub the grout. This treatment not only cleans and brightens up the grout but also takes away mold or mildew that might have grown in the grout. Now wipe up the floor and check how the grout appears. You may have to repeat the exercise till the grout attains the color that you want.

Next action is to seal the grout. But, before doing that ensure that it is absolutely dry. Grout sealer is available at most of the hardware stores. Follow the simple instructions provided by the manufacturer. The application needs a bit of patience and a steady hand so that the sealer is applied on the grout and not on the tile. Use an appropriate sized paintbrush and whatever sealer is applied on the tile should be wiped off then and there before it gets dried up. Now that the holes in the grout are sealed, no dirt or water can enter there and you’ll continue to have a good looking and bright floor all the time.

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