Color Sealing Maintenance Procedure Questions

[Mantis Toboggan]

I'm restoring a slate floor this week and I will need to color seal the grout lines. I'll be removing the old color seal, and I was planning to reapply new color seal after the stripping, cleaning and sealing are done. This customer will be on a maintenance plan for regular cleaning and sealer application, and I want to know how that works with the color seal. I was going to use an impregnating sealer the stone and do the color sealing after the sealer cures, but now I'm wondering how this works if I want to put more sealer on it in the future. Advice?

As far as the color sealer, I've used Color Clad in the past with good results, but this customer may not want to wait until I can get that product delivered. I've also used the Polyblend Grout Renew that I've found at Home Depot, and it seemed to hold up OK on the few jobs I used it on. Anything else I should look at?

 

[ACP]

poly blend is pretty weak color seal imo, I would just tell them you need to wait for a better product.

my favorite is modern stone.

 

[Anderson]

i am not a big fan of color seal......

this is a tile & grout cleaners nightmare...
what do you do when it has been color sealed and it is coming up??????

i have cleaned many tile and grout jobs not knowing it was color sealed until I started on it.......

looks like it had been regrouted with some of the grout coming off....

major pain...had to pull out of the last job....

i dont think any of that color seal is going to last over 5 years with out some chips....coming out of the seal.......

 

[ACP]

color seal really isnt as amazing as people make it seem to be, its basically paint.. we have gotten pretty good at it but I prefer to push for regrouting most of the time.

If they get near 5 yrs out of it I would call that a win.

 

[Dafloorman]

color seal really isnt as amazing as people make it seem to be, its basically paint.. we have gotten pretty good at it but I prefer to push for regrouting most of the time.

If they get near 5 yrs out of it I would call that a win.

The PROBLEM is that people or the company who did the job does not offer a maintenance plan. We come out after 1-2 years to do a light cleaning and a re touch this is called MAINTENANCE.

 

[rob allen]

Color seal is a crapshoot if you come upon it. It’s gravy money to clean if the preparation/application was done correctly. If not, it’s a nightmare.

 

[ACP]

Color seal is a crapshoot if you come upon it. It’s gravy money to clean if the preparation/application was done correctly. If not, it’s a nightmare.

Its also an expensive time consuming band aid... when you get good at regrouting and use multi tool with diamond blades its pretty quick, not so much in showers with lots of grout but open floors/countertops etc

why ring up the customer with a huge color seal bill for a band aid when you can just sell them on re grouting with maintenance plan.

we still use it in some situations like minor discoloring but the rest of the grout is good

 

[rob allen]

Its also an expensive time consuming band aid... when you get good at regrouting and use multi tool with diamond blades its pretty quick, not so much in showers with lots of grout but open floors/countertops etc

why ring up the customer with a huge color seal bill for a band aid when you can just sell them on re grouting with maintenance plan.

we still use it in some situations like minor discoloring but the rest of the grout is good

How fast can you regrout an average kitchen?

 

[ACP]

How fast can you regrout an average kitchen?

All depends on tile size but if your talking the newer 12x24s... pretty fast. We use a high quality waterproof grout that does not need sealing.

Multi tool in one hand and shop vac hose in other hand you literally run it up and down the grout lines. Very little dust

 

[ACP]

Watch the beginning of video.. the grout we use bonds very well so you judt need to remove most of the old grout not all.

Now imagine all the prep work to color seal properly lol, its not that much faster for a smaller ticket and lots of potential problems

 

[rob allen]

I don't know, seems like a lot work to me.

 

[leuj20]

I don't know, seems like a lot work to me.

Rob what do you do when you get to a customer's home and the sealer is chipped and is peeling off do you strip it or reapply new color seal?

 

[rob allen]

Rob what do you do when you get to a customer's home and the sealer is chipped and is peeling off do you strip it or reapply new color seal?

Stripper, spinner 2000 psi and then clean with Groutmaster. Then depending on how well it looks maybe offer color seal again properly done.

 

[ACP]

I don't know, seems like a lot work to me.

its the right way to do it though, and ideally Rob you wouldnt be the one on ur hands and knees lol.

its really pretty fast, plus looks so much better and a much higher paying job doing it right.

color seal is for realtors who are selling a house and want it to appear nice, kinda like their photoshopped zillow pics

 

[Scott W]

All depends on tile size but if your talking the newer 12x24s... pretty fast. We use a high quality waterproof grout that does not need sealing.

Multi tool in one hand and shop vac hose in other hand you literally run it up and down the grout lines. Very little dust

What tool and grinding wheel do you use? Just a shop vac to vacuum up the dust or does it require more clean-up?

 

[Johnny Bravo]

Watch the beginning of video.. the grout we use bonds very well so you judt need to remove most of the old grout not all.

Now imagine all the prep work to color seal properly lol, its not that much faster for a smaller ticket and lots of potential problems

Do you have a video of you regretting these tiles? I'd love to see how that is done and how fast it is. Also how long time you can walk on the tile and grout again after you've regrouted

 

[ACP]

What tool and grinding wheel do you use? Just a shop vac to vacuum up the dust or does it require more clean-up?

Oscillating multi tool, Bosch diamond cutting blades, and shop vac. I tried taping the shop vac to the tool but after awhile it was easier to just hold it close. So your getting most everything while cutting.

After u can vac a little or lightly mop with flat mop that is just barely damp

 

[ACP]

Do you have a video of you regretting these tiles? I'd love to see how that is done and how fast it is. Also how long time you can walk on the tile and grout again after you've regrouted

I dont think I have a video of removal or grouting anywhere.. I can take one though.

Usually no foot traffic until next day if possible, showers I tell them 3 days just to be safe.

Another time saving tip is only float the grout all over the tiles on really small tiles with lots of joints, for large tiles with way less grout lines I do it more like you would for drywall joints keeping it to a minimum. Way less clean up

 

[Johnny Bravo]

I dont think I have a video of removal or grouting anywhere.. I can take one though.

Usually no foot traffic until next day if possible, showers I tell them 3 days just to be safe.

Another time saving tip is only float the grout all over the tiles on really small tiles with lots of joints, for large tiles with way less grout lines I do it more like you would for drywall joints keeping it to a minimum. Way less clean up

I have a big money job I may be able to do that entails pulling out the grout and regretting it. The tiles are on the large side. But I'd have to get it done right the first time around and in i day. It's around 800 square feet. Not sure I want to propose this work till I know I can do it.

 

[ACP]

I have a big money job I may be able to do that entails pulling out the grout and regretting it. The tiles are on the large side. But I'd have to get it done right the first time around and in i day. It's around 800 square feet. Not sure I want to propose this work till I know I can do it.

Its pretty ez, youll get the hang of it after the first 100sqft