More often than not, I see homeowners talking about how or when to seal their grout. Sometimes, someone raises the question: Do I really need to seal my grout? Or, in the matter of fact, what is grout sealer? For starters, let’s cover our basics: “What Is Grout?”

What is Grout?

According to Masonry Advisory Council, Grout is a material used in reinforced masonry that is quite misunderstood. Grout is not mortar and grout is not concrete. It is somewhere in between. For a rapid visual concept of what grout is, let’s call it “soupy concrete”. Soupy concrete may give the proper connotation and understanding because it is made up of a cement/water combination which is the paste that binds together the aggregate, which may be sand only or sand and gravel. These are the same ingredients that make up concrete: cement, water, sand and gravel. This is even similar to mortar, which is cement, water, sand and instead of gravel, lime. All these materials harden into a stonelike mass. The big difference between concrete, mortar and grout is in their plasticity or fluidity in the initial stage. Accordingly, grout must be fluid, it must completely fill the cells, the grout space and the joints between masonry units in order to provide a solid, homogeneous grouted masonry wall.

What is Grout Sealer?

You can imagine grout sealer as the protectors of your grout lines. Grout sealers protect against stains by either coating or penetrating, and some guard against water infiltration. Although bleach can lighten some stains, it’s not a fail-safe method for keeping grout looking new. Oils also seep in, and removing those stains may require chipping out the old grout and replacing it.

Do I need to Seal my Grout?

When grout does its job — locking tiles tight, keeping out water, and giving floors and walls a finished look — nobody pays much attention. It’s only when grout fails, becoming stained, cracked, or falling out altogether, that people take notice. Most grout should be sealed. There are various types of sealers that offer different benefits. All grout except epoxy grout and grout that is already sufficiently sealed needs to be sealed. How do you know if you have epoxy grout or if your grout is sufficiently grout? There is an easy test you can do. Spill a few drops of water on the grout. If it goes into the grout rather than beads up on the surface, your grout needs to be sealed.

Grout Rhino Seals your Grout Lines

While cleaning and sealing can be a do it yourself project, it can get tricky and if you use the wrong cleaner or sealer you take the chance of not only damaging your grout but also your tile. We can help you! Grout Rhino offers FREE Estimate for grout cleaning and grout sealing projects. This way the process will be done correctly and will last a lot longer.