How to:  Clean  |  Seal  |  Restore                 Grout or Mortar            Sealing - Cleaning - Problem Solving - Protection - Care        "Grout" and "Mortar" are the same thing and treated the same way) "Grout" is the term for tile work and "Mortar" is the term for masonry.  They are basically the same mixtures of sand, cement, color, and water.  Sometimes they are mixed with additives to make the mix more plastic or impart some other feature.

There is no need for confusion or problems brought about by misidentification of a surface type, yet it happens all too often. If you would like to see why this is the case and how to properly identify a surfacing material ..... Click here

If you are concerned about doing it yourself - consider that the satisfaction of a project is directly related to your knowledge of what needs to be done and how. Who actually does the work is less important. We estimate that 25% of the usage of Aldon products is by "do it yourself" homeowners and we know they are happy because we hear from them.

GROUT REPAIR:

You should review the other suggested pages referenced on this page, however, most stained grout can be repaired with

 "Grout Restoration"     Also, see this page.

One of the greatest sources of stain problems with grout is because an installer or supplier might claim that grout does not need to be sealed. Simple logic says otherwise. If a surface (grout, stone, tile, etc.) will absorb a water drop, it will absorb a staining liquid. If a water drop darkens the surface underneath itself, it is absorbing.

MODIFIED OR ENHANCED GROUTS:

Look for names and descriptions that include the words: poly, modified, latex, acrylic, polymer.

If this happens, you need two stages of cleaning.

• First use "Grout Residue Remover" for removing the cement portion of the grout residue.
• As the polymer additives do not yield to acidic cleaners, the second step is using lacquer thinner. If something stronger is needed - try "Premium Stripper".
• Any additive residue must be removed as much as possible prior to sealing. Test with water drops and compare to an uninstalled tile. If there is a noticeable difference, treat the situation along the guidelines found in on the page Redoing a Previously Sealed Surface! This is because any additive residue remaining in or on the surfacing is identical to some sealer left below the surface after stripping.

Note: the same condition can occur from setting materials also, if the installation of the tile got to be a messy process and setting material got on the tile face.

As mentioned above, some manufacturer's of these grouts market them as "waterproof" and therefore, not needing to be sealed. This is because of the additives used in the grout formulation. The problem is that the water repelling characteristics of these grouts may not last more than a few months. Unfortunately, these grouts can be difficult to seal because the "waterproofing" additives will repel a sealer until they break down a few months later. You have two options to deal with this:

1. Seal the grout as soon as dry with Aldon  "S-B-S Sealer". This particular formulation is able to bond well to a surface like this.
2. Or test the grout every 2 months until the additives have broken down enough to allow a water drop to darken underneath. At that point the grout is able to absorb a sealer enough to get it protected properly. Also, then the choice of sealers is greater. See   .

GROUT INSTALLATION:

Grout is a cement product. Overuse of acidic cleaners can remove the top layer of cement paste and change the look to a more grainy appearance with emphasized sand particles.   Because you don't want to use acid based cleaners on cement products due to the risk of etching, it is extremely important to use  Grout Easy .

If it is too late and there is grout residue to be removed - use "Grout Residue Remover".

To see what to do for many of the common problems with grout, see   .

PROTECTION:

See for all the things a sealer can do, including disguising minor color problems.

• How much sealer will it take? Although you can do some laborious calculations to determine the total square feet of grout surface, it is still a guess. It will vary greatly with width and absorbency of grout joint. Therefore, the best way is to order only a small amount of sealer and let the actual job consumption determine how much sealer is needed in total. If any portion of the grout shows even slow absorption of a water drop, it is not sufficiently sealed.
• With an absorbent surfacing you select the sealer according to the surfacing. The grout will be sealed automatically in the process.
• With a non-absorbent tile, no matter how careful you are, some sealer will get on the tile face where you do not want it.
  • A petroleum based sealer will need to be cleaned off the tile face with mineral spirits. Not difficult, but another step.
  • 
    Same Day Sealer is water based and non-glossy. Therefore, it will wipe off the tile face immediately and easily as you proceed with the sealing process. Also, it is available in quarts with an applicator tip for grout joints.

An Aldon sealer does far more than just bead water and look pretty! To see what that is click here.

Other care products you might need for this surface type

Insta-Clean

Maintain

Dust Whiz

* Note:       will add another level of gloss to any sealed surfaces.
It also prevents traffic wear to the sealers finish.

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