If there’s one single objection to a tile or stone installation, it has to be the fear of grout discoloration or failure. Everyone seems to have an anecdotal account of a horrible encounter with grout and they may, unfortunately, shy away from the perfect stone or tile floor because of these horror stories. That’s truly a shame, really, because grout is just as easy to address as the tile floor itself.
Basic Understanding
For the most part, grout is really just a pigmented form of cement that is used to fill the narrow spaces between the tiles. It’s really not too tough a job, when you think about it. However, because it’s only a ‘supporting actor’ in the tile floor’s show it is, all-too-often, neglected. Being cement, it’s very, very porous and needs to be sealed. If you happen to be installing a stone floor or an unglazed tile, you have to seal these anyway, right? The difficulty seems to be that the grout line is typically slightly recessed from the plane of the floor. When cleaning the floor, the recessed areas are left to capture and hold the dirty water. The water evaporates and the grout looks dirty. A good habit to get into is to follow-up your wash with a quick towel-dry that addresses the grout lines. Problem solved.
Stain Removal
Sometimes a stain occurs and our customers believe that only a re-grouting will cure the problem for them. They’re always thrilled with us when we confidently state that all we need to do is treat the stain. Simple, really…if a foreign agent (stain) enters a porous surface, there’s a good chance that we can extract it the same way it got in there in the first place. Sometimes the wrong cleaner was used and the stain is actually embedded in the cleaner’s residue. Residential Floors can diagnose and treat this problem without too much fanfare.
Time to Draw the Line
After many years of dutiful service to you and your tile floor, your grout may have to be replaced. Sometimes, a customer just wants a different shade than the one they presently have; and that’s perfectly fine with us. Much like a dentist would prepare your tooth for a filling (now that’s a painful thought, huh?) the Residential Floors professional will remove the existing grout, vacuum the joint, and replace the grout with new. This entire process is not messy and, for most floors, takes less than a day to accomplish.
When you’re shopping for tile, ask the professionals at Residential Floors about the newer versions of grout products that are now on the market. Many of these are touted as being completely stain-proof and (nearly) maintenance free. Their inclusion into your tile or stone installation may be a few extra pennies per square foot, but you may feel that it’s worth that little extra investment.
