Hi,
I'm wondering if grout sealer actually makes the grout waterproof (as in water will bead up)? I've heard different things from different people. Some say it will and some say it won't. Are there two types of sealers out there? How often do you need to reseal grout and is there such a thing as sealing too much? Thanks.
My view is that grout sealer for kitchen counters or back splashes is primarily to maintain color by making it less permeable to stains and grease and accordingly more easily cleaned.. Grout by itself should repel water pretty well, but grease and spatters will penetrate and darken it over time. We use tile grout sealer about once a year, but not on, say, shower walls, where you have quick drainage and little grease. Make sure you use sealer specifically for grout, as the granite formulations are silicone wipe-on oily sealers, whereas the grout sealers are often acrylic based, and are made for a more porous surface. You can tell when it needs re-applying - when water no longer beads up, but wets, the tile joint.
I tried it in a shower and it seemed like a complete waste.
When I sealed our new grout on dining/living room floors, the sealer would bead up on some of it after first appl., all of it on second. I believe it is rec that it be applied about every two years. I am, therefore, two years behind schedule :o) Coffee with creamer makes dark stains on our light taupe grout that are really difficult to scrub out of the grout, but then almost everything is tough to get out of or off of mortar type surfaces. Just too irregular to get at it all. Now I tip-toe with my coffee, and no rugrats around to spill stuff :o)
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