Grout color sealing
- Thread starter Louis
- Start date
Mikey P
Administrator
Grout Perfect is my fave
Start small.
As in order a light and a dark to play with to get the hang of it.
Do not color seal showers, oil saturated counters, urine saturated bath rooms, previously coated grout or grout where Edwina Scissor Hands will be constantly scrubbing with a brush..
Always acid clean to prep the grout.
If the first application wipes off when you clean the tile, the 2nd application wont stick any better. Stop.
You want instant grab. You should be able to apply and wipe excess right way with out the color seal coming off the grout.
Start small.
As in order a light and a dark to play with to get the hang of it.
Do not color seal showers, oil saturated counters, urine saturated bath rooms, previously coated grout or grout where Edwina Scissor Hands will be constantly scrubbing with a brush..
Always acid clean to prep the grout.
If the first application wipes off when you clean the tile, the 2nd application wont stick any better. Stop.
You want instant grab. You should be able to apply and wipe excess right way with out the color seal coming off the grout.
Cameron DeMille
Member
You don't have to buy a starter kit, we can make you your own starter kit, with 3-4 colors and the basics. The only thing you would need to add on top of the starter kit would be more shammies.
$300 for a kit is cheap when you compare it to the revenue it can generate
$300 for a kit is cheap when you compare it to the revenue it can generate
J Scott W
Member
You already have the floor cleaning equipment. That is the big expense. $200 or less for starter samples and some chamies. Demo using the sample size bottles. Order product in as needed for each job.
Lots of good training information on products from www.colorsealpro.com Steve Aleric is the man there.
Lots of good training information on products from www.colorsealpro.com Steve Aleric is the man there.
Shane Deubell
Supportive Member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2011
- Messages
- 4,052
I hope you're in good shape, its a lot of physical labor.
Blood money if ya ask me...
Blood money if ya ask me...
tmiklethun
Member
I agree with everything you said, but when you are talking about "instant grab". If you don't get it you said stop. Then what not to color seal at all or does it need to be prepped better. I have done several jobs where the majority of the grout had "instant grab", but every once in awhile I would have some wipe out. I would recoat and wait a little longer to wipe and it seemed to work fine.
Am I missing something?
Mikey P
Administrator
Go back in a year and the "slow grab" areas will most likely be bare..
tmiklethun
Member
So what is the solution? You get half way done with the job and you hit an area that doesn't penetrate correctly. What do you do?
Mikey P
Administrator
Help an old lady across the road asap and give to the spca..
Mikey P
Administrator
or take a grout saw and take a layer off, evenly and attempt again.
or learn to remove and replace grout..
or "Mrs Piftleton, I'm very sorry to have to tell you this but the grout is so saturated with urine, olive oil, butter, Crisco, wood stain, house paint and or other contaminants that is not my fault nor could I have ever possibly known that it was present, that I just can't get the color seal product to stick...What would you like me to do?"
Your choices are..
We dig all the grout out in this area and replace, which will cost $300.
We put a rug or bath mat over the are which will cost $25.
We apply the colors seal and be very careful around it and hope it lasts until you sell the house.
You ignore it, it's only grout and there are children starving on your street
Or you replace the floor.
Be sure to put a disclosure in your estimates that this situation is a possibility.
Spurlington
Member
I've done a few and I love how it makes a floor look brand new. You could offer a 10 year guarantee if cleaned once a year and touch up areas when needed. I'd be afraid or too impatient to offer color sealing to anyone with natural stone since it would absorb the color. Although I thought I heard long ago someone clear sealing natural tile then color the grout. I don't have the patience.
Cameron DeMille
Member
this is a racquet
PrimaDonna
Megatron
Hate the stuff.
Causes so many problems for us after homeowner or other "cleaner" has done/applied and then we come in to clean. It lifts, becomes uneven and a whole slew of problems after we cleaned. Then it becomes our problem cause the floor looks worse then before we cleaned so we caused the problem.
We get calls all the time asking for this service and once we explain our position most people understand and stay away from it. Except for the homeowners looking to sell and want a quick fix to the problem inexpensively (cover worn ugly grout with a layer)
Can't tell you how many calls we get to try to fix this after somebody bought a house and the problems start showing 2 to 3 years later
Causes so many problems for us after homeowner or other "cleaner" has done/applied and then we come in to clean. It lifts, becomes uneven and a whole slew of problems after we cleaned. Then it becomes our problem cause the floor looks worse then before we cleaned so we caused the problem.
We get calls all the time asking for this service and once we explain our position most people understand and stay away from it. Except for the homeowners looking to sell and want a quick fix to the problem inexpensively (cover worn ugly grout with a layer)
Can't tell you how many calls we get to try to fix this after somebody bought a house and the problems start showing 2 to 3 years later
Mikey P
Administrator
That many eh?
PrimaDonna
Megatron
You asking me that?
Mikey P
Administrator
Yes..
Im surprised you see that many
Im surprised you see that many
Cameron DeMille
Member
Color Seal holds pretty well when it's done right. I'm going on 6 years in my house with high grout lines, dogs, kid and generally just not giving a shit about it. went from dark brown to white. A few months ago was the first time I had some lift after my buddy came it and blasted the shit out of it with his truck mount.
We use ColorClad now, for the last 4 years or so. The original Grout Perfect formula (different than the one now) was actually really good and the first job I ever did is still holding up well.
A lot of people don't want to take the time to really do it right, and that's when you get the problems.
We use ColorClad now, for the last 4 years or so. The original Grout Perfect formula (different than the one now) was actually really good and the first job I ever did is still holding up well.
A lot of people don't want to take the time to really do it right, and that's when you get the problems.
Mikey P
Administrator
And in your opinion the correct way to color seal is...?
(Thx)
(Thx)
Cameron DeMille
Member
inspect the grout in the typically worst areas, kitchen, laundry, etc. Do a small area or test before the whole floor is spread with cleaner. I like to start with an alkaline, most of the time that is enough. I can't stress how important mechanical agitation is. Running over it with a spinner doesn't always do enough. I like to use a Malish 180 grit brush on a swing machine.
If the alkaline isn't getting it clean enough or doesn't seem right, you can follow up with a quick acid cleaning with phosphoric or something similar.
Let the grout dry to the point it is slightly damp, but not wet. You can color seal over damp grout. Humid is a better term. it doesn't need to be bone dry.
Wipe as you go. The more you have to scrub after you're done, the more chances you have of weakening or damaging the color seal. It dries fast, but takes overnight to really cure and harden. Some brands up to 24-48 hours.
If the alkaline isn't getting it clean enough or doesn't seem right, you can follow up with a quick acid cleaning with phosphoric or something similar.
Let the grout dry to the point it is slightly damp, but not wet. You can color seal over damp grout. Humid is a better term. it doesn't need to be bone dry.
Wipe as you go. The more you have to scrub after you're done, the more chances you have of weakening or damaging the color seal. It dries fast, but takes overnight to really cure and harden. Some brands up to 24-48 hours.
Mikey P
Administrator
Thats hoe we do it
