Sealing a new tile shower?

Question

How many coats of sealer should I put on my. New tile shower? I noticed the grout got dark from water in some places, does that mean it's not sealed well?

KMS Woodworks · Answer

Mary ...check out these articles I wrote on sealing tile and grout care. http://www.networx.com/article/sealing-your-tiles-right http://www.networx.com/article/start-cleaning-tile-grout-more-easily

Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com · Answer

You need to apply the sealer a few times. The amount will vary dependent upon how porous the grout and the tile are.  You will know when you have enough on the tile and grout as it will no longer soak into the materials. Once that occurs simply wipe away the remaining with a soft towel and your done.

Be sure that the tile is completely dry and that no soap scum remains.

Mary H · Answer

Makes sense. Thanks for the tip.

Dan's of Central Florida, Inc. · Answer

Also Mary, the sealer does not last on there forever. I would clean the shower real good and reapply the sealer at least every year.

Nichter's Home Services Corp · Answer

Seal upon completion, three days after that, a week after that, a month later, and then every year

One Man and A Hammer, Inc. · Answer

What kind of tile and what brand of grout? Does the grout have a latex additive?? If so, sealing will not do much good. What is the substrate behind the tile? If it is a waterproof mat such as Kerdi you need not worry. If the substrate is a tile backer board, NOT MR drywall, you should seal the tile & grout as often as possible.

One Man and A Hammer, Inc. · Answer

FYI...NEVER seal upon completion. The grout must completely cure prior to applying the sealant.

Mary H · Answer

I don't know name brands but I do recall my friend calling the underlayer backerboard and that it was very heavy material. The grout is sanded grout. I waited 4 weeks before applying any sealer and now have waited another 4 weeks getting ready to apply more sealer. I believe I understand all the comments and plan to watch carefully as I proceed with the sealer. This is a hanicap shower made for me with all my bars measured to my arm reach etc. I am so excited to use it but I've waited all these years I can wait a little longer. I will post pictures if I can figure out how to do it.

Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com · Answer

You do not have to wait.  Put a coat of sealer on it. Wipe all the rest that does not soak into the tile and grout. Let it dry over night and start using it. If it was already done and there were a few spots that were not done as well, just be sure to work on those areas a little more so everything is sealed about the same.  At this point in time everything is dry enough to proceed.

One Man and A Hammer, Inc. · Answer

Woodbridge, it's painfully obvious you feel you are the guru of Home Improvements. Why do you insist on giving out bad information? I have installed thousands of square feet of tile in many different applications, I KNOW tile! You are dead wrong, the grout MUST cure PRIOR to applying sealer. Get your facts before misleading those trying to ask for a PROFESSIONAL opinion.

One Man and A Hammer, Inc. · Answer

Here's a post about sealing tile from another professional:

...grout should 'cure' for 48 to 72 hours before the sealer is applied. Even if you are sealing old work, be sure that the surface has been dry for 48 to 72 hours...

MARY H, please do NOT seal before grout has cured. It's the wrong thing to do.

Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com · Answer

If you read the post by Mary you would have seen that she already waited four weeks before she even did the first coat of sealer.  So My comment about her not having to wait any longer is correct. So please check the post before you suggest that my facts are wrong.

KMS Woodworks · Answer

One hammer man...that quote looks very familiar ...LOL...like from the article I wrote and posted in the first response.

I think woodbridge Is right on track and you may has missed Mary's comment that she has waited 4 weeks already.

Perhaps Woodbrige should has started his post with....'you do not have to wait any longer to apply the sealer....the 4 weeks that has passed are plenty of time for the grout to be fully cured'

One Man and A Hammer, Inc. · Answer

KMS, it was a post from another source, obviously you, which is why I noted that the post was from another professional. 
Woodbridge's statement ' you do not have to wait' IS incorrect. Another poster, Nichter, also said it's okay to apply immediately. I wanted to be sure Mary did not waste her energy sealing to quickly.

Nichter's Home Services Corp · Answer

There ARE sealers nowdays that are designed to be used immediately. 
I remember well that it used to be the standard recommendation to wait 3-4 weeks first, but the industry has come a long ways since then.

Here is the deal - grouts are portland cement based. they cure by a chemical reaction that begins the moment water is added and the cure continues for eternity, tho about 90% of the cure hardness is completed in about 30 days. There is no one point when it suddenly goes from being uncured to being fully cured.

The older sealers would interfere with the curing, but the newer water carried ones can actually combine with the existing chemical reaction and make it harder.

The BUT is that incompletely applied sealers done to soon can cause discolouring in the white grouts. That is the main reason why some makers still print to wait 2-3 days. They do not want to be blamed for the inadequacies of the person applying the sealer. Certainly when it is possible to wait, that can be the safer choice from a color POV but for sealing ability, doing the next day is fine

SKDIY · Answer

I used Miracle 511 enhance and sealer on pebble shower floor prior to grouting.  I have now grouted and want to seal grout.  Can I use the Miracle 511 enhance and sealer again on the pebbles and grout?

Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com · Answer

Yes you can. Ideally you want to use the same product the 2nd time so there is no issue with compatibility of product. For those who are wondering, the reason why SKDIY used the sealer prior to the grout process is to make it easier to clean the grout off of the stone and tiles once the grout was applied. If your using any stone or porous material that will be grouted in, pre-sealing makes the job go much faster and easier. Its how the pros do it. If you do not the grout will stick to the stones and tiles making it harder to clean off the film that results during the grout cleanup process.

SKDIY · Answer

Thanks for the reply, how long do you think I should wait before sealing grout?

Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com · Answer

Just a day or so. Once the grout has a chance to dry all the way though. Any moisture left in the cement will prevent the chemical from soaking all the way in. If the room tends to be damp from other activities, give it another day.

Judie coleman · Answer

I took out a tub and put in a shower. I put flat river rock on the floor and then grouted with Prism grout. After curing 5 days I used Finish and Sealer in Matte finish. Drops of water absorbed in 1 hour. I then used a tile and grout sealer on the floor after the first was down for 2 days. Drops of water now stay for 2 hours then disappear. My question is do I need to seal again.

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