GROUT RESTORATION

Houston Grout Cleaning:

If you have a tile or stone tile floor, then you have grout. You have either sanded or non-sanded grout, although there are also epoxy grouts. These epoxy grouts are not common in residential applications so our focus will be on cement based grout. Over time, foot traffic from people and pets builds up and professional grout cleaning is necessary. As a home owner, you lack the ability to properly extract the dirt and staining that can take place over time. It takes the proper cleaning agents, and equipment to properly clean your tile and grout.

Acidic cleaning solutions are the answer to cleaning grout properly. The fact that grout is a cement base, and is therefore full of alkali, means that acids can etch the grout. This allows the surface of the grout to microscopically be eaten away, releasing dirt and making extraction possible with the proper tools. It also exposes the original color of the grout in the process. Unless the stain is deeper than the etching action, stains will be removed.

The only problem with acidic cleaners is that sometimes there is too much dirt built up on a floor for the acid to actually make contact with the grout. Acids clean by etching, but contact is required for etching to occur. High PH (alkaline) cleaners are formulated to loosen the bond between oils, animal fats, and simple waxes. In short, they are more effective on large soiled areas and against the type of grime that we typically have in our homes. This means that the dirt on top of the grout is removed more easily with alkaline cleaners. In cases like this, both types of cleaners may be required.

Call for details on our grout cleaning services or fill out the contact form on this page.

Houston Grout Sealing: Generally speaking, grout is extremely porous. You can see how dark it gets when you mop it. Water penetrates into the surface pores of the grout and it turns dark. This is fine for water because it dries clear. It is not so good when you spill something that will stain, such as wine or coffee. In this case, the grout will surely stain almost instantly unless it is sealed.

Grout sealers create a barrier to staining materials by not allowing immediate absorption. Grout sealers operate in one of two ways: by forming a membrane or film on the surface of the stone, or by impregnating (leaving behind) deposits which fill the pores of the grout. Membranes or films tend to peel or cloud up when moisture from the glue (mastics) or the underlayment push to the surface and are inferior to impregnators in general.

The deposits used by impregnators are generally polymerized siloxane resins. They will repel water based staining very well but will not work as well against oils unless modified with a polymer that helps keep the stain fighter close to the surface of the stone. Modified ”oleophobic” sealers are more expensive and are considered premium sealers. Premium impregnators also vapor release, allowing the moisture that causes clouding on a membrane, to pass thru the resins in the penetrating sealer.

At Modern Stone Care we carry multiple grout sealers and prices vary based on the type of sealer used.

Houston Grout Color Sealing: Often in old homes, the floors are in disrepair due to improper maintenance, and the staining of the grout is too deep to cure even with acids. In cases like this, we offer a solution: color sealing. Color sealing is a process of applying a durable acrylic sealer that is tinted with a coloring agent and applied to the top of the grout. It then penetrates into the grout creating a bond with the sand therein. It gives uniformity of color while also sealing the grout from future staining. This can also be done whenever a change in the overall look is desired by the customer. For example, a customer may have a light colored tile with a dark colored grout, and may want to change the color of the grout to match the tile. In this case, color sealing or staining is the answer.

Call for details on any of our grout sealing services or fill out the contact form on this page.

Grout is a thick emulsion made of water, cement and sand, which hardens over time. It is used to fill the voids between tiles on floors and walls, and to help secure the tile to its base. In doing so, it makes the floor stronger by bonding the tiles together and helping to prevent the edges and corners from chipping or cracking.

Grout width can vary from 1/16th of an inch to up to 1 1/4 inches. When grout is less than 1/8th of an inch in width, non-sanded grout is generally used. When grout is wider than 1/8th of an inch, sand is added to the mixture to help bulk up the grout and keep it from shrinking in the joints. Polymer additives are often added to help decrease the porosity of grout when it is laid, and to improve color quality and improve flexibility. Even though there has been improvement in this area, cement based grout, especially sanded grout, is porous and has the potential to stain. For that reason, there are several sealing options available to the customer. Sealing the grout will help prevent the penetration of the staining material. This will make cleaning and maintenance of the tile much easier.

Tile and grout floors require a maintenance plan to keep them as clean as possible. This should consist of dry dust mopping daily using a clean rayon mop or static pad or vacuuming with a hard surface vacuum. This is to remove the dirt and debris that accumulates on your floor because of foot traffic, pets etc.

It is important to remove this dirt because damp mopping is also required at least weekly. If the dirt and debris that accumulates is allowed to remain on the floor, when damp mopping occurs, that dirt is turned to mud and is pushed into the grout lines by the mop. This will make your grout lines dirty very fast. When damp mopping with soap, rinsing will be required. After mopping with any soap solution, use a different rinse mop, and go over the area again with clean water.

Remember, sanded grout is porous, and since it is often wide dirt will accumulate on top of it. Keep in mind that sealing the grout will not keep dirt from accumulating.

For this reason Modern Stone Care recommends that you have our grout cleaning services performed annually.

Call today for a no-obligation survey on your grout project or click here to fill out a service request.

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