How To Use Grout Sealer The Easy Way
Before applying sealant to your grout, you need to wash the floor with acid and give it at least twenty-four hours to dry up. If you rush it up before it has thoroughly dried the sealant will not adhere to the grout in the desired manner. Another thing is to satisfy yourself with the looks of the grout, for once sealant has applied then there is nothing you can do to change anything with the grout.
You don’t need many items for carrying this job and in most of the cases every household would have these items except for the sealant that you have to procure from the market. A word of caution here! Buy sealant of good quality. That will last longer than the cheaper variety. Further, it’s always better to buy slightly more that your requirements that can be estimated from the floor area. The excess can be returned to the store and your money be refunded. A quality sealant sells for fifty to a hundred dollars per gallon. Another very important precaution is to have an absolutely clean mustard bottle. Wash it a couple of times to ensure there are traces of mustard left there. You should understand that mustard reacts with grout and could leave stains on your tiles. Here’s the list:
Grout Sealer
Masking Tape
White Terry Cloths
Empty Mustard Bottle
Fill the mustard bottle nearly 3/4 full with the grout sealer. If it were filled beyond that, the sealant would come out a bit too fast for you to handle. You may also adjust the spout to get the needed flow for a comfortable handling of the fluid. You’ll get a feel of sealing after you are done with a couple of grout lines. Don’t be in a hurry, as that will cause wastage of material. Confine you activity to an area of about 30 to 50 square feet, for if you attempt a larger area, you may get dry sealant on a tile and that may be difficult to get rid of with a wet towel. You need to paint both the horizontal and vertical lines and work backwards to avoid getting in touch with the sealant that you have already applied. Practice applying a smooth steady stroke while applying the sealant to the grout and try to remain within the grout lines as far as is possible. Having thus completed the first 30 to 50 square feet, you may start wiping off the excess of sealant from the tiles.
Use a moist terry cloth and start wiping of all excess sealant from the tiles. Move your hand in a circulatory motion over the excess sealant, reaching the area a couple of times to ensure no sealant is left on the tile. Keep wringing your rag frequently before making it wet again. This helps to keep the rag clean. It will be good to keep replacing your rag after every 100 sq. feet. Continue the same way over the next 30 to 50 sq. feet till you finish the entire floor. Keep in mid that it takes three to five days for the sealant to dry up completely. So, don’t use wet mop for that period.