What Happens if you Don't Seal your Grout?

I am going to discuss an issue I faced when I renovated my bathroom a couple of years ago. I had little knowledge of grout sealing and only concentrated on purchasing a costly marble tile and a matching grout. Little did I know that with the absence of a grout sealer, my new tile would get spoiled so soon. Later I sought professional help for my tile and grout. Here is what I learnt from my contractor.

All About Grout:

The importance of grout is widely ignored. This dense fluid made from cement and sand that is filled between two tiles does not only join them but also enhances the overall look of your flooring. People get a matching colored grout filled in the crevices to make the surface look good. Although decorative, grout comes with its own share of problems. Even if you clean your tiles well, a dirty grout can ruin the look and hamper the cleanliness of your flooring. But if you seal your grout, you impart a protective layering on the crevices, preventing many other grout problems. Grout color sealing done by professionals not only seals the grout lines but also takes the beauty of your tile to the next level.

My contractor explained the various issues with grout. Here are the common problems:

Regular Grout Problems:

• When you don’t seal your grout with a good grout sealer, it soon cracks or wears off, giving a dirty and un-maintained appearance to your flooring.
• The place from where the grout has cracked stores water making it stagnant. Stagnant water is an excellent breeding ground for mold, fungus and mildew.
• Grout is porous by nature as it is made from sand and cement. An unsealed grout tends to soak in dirty water. The dampness inside renders excellent grounds for mold breeding.
• Mold and mildew should not be left ignored as these can be hazardous to health. These may cause respiratory issues and eye irritations. Mold also reeks of a foul smell.
• Grout that is not sealed quickly gets discolored and gives a dirty and blackish appearance. This color tarnishes the look of your costly tile. 
• If the grout wears off or deteriorates between two tiles, they can easily come loose. The uneven surface and the sharp edges can in turn hurt anyone walking barefoot. Grout is majorly useful in giving a uniform look to your tile and binding it together.
• Sometimes grout wears off if the underlayment at the time of installation is not proper.
• Grout in showers is always damp because of constant use and exposure to running water. This grout is therefore prone to water absorption and damage. 
• Another issue with grout is when it is not packed properly, leaving air gaps. Grout laid on top of an air gap will eventually make it fall back into the gap, leaving a space above, which appears as missing grout.
• Grout easily cracks if it is mixed with too much water or left to sit for too long before use.

How Important is it to Seal Grout?

By sealing grout, you can put a full-stop to all the above-mentioned problems. By sealing, you form a protective layer over the grout lines, which prevent moisture and dampness from being absorbed inside. Sealing also prevents grout from cracking and wearing off. You can also prevent discoloration and staining by color sealing grout, keeping the beauty and integrity of your flooring intact. If you use a floor tile grout sealer on your grout, you prevent mold and germ breeding, thereby availing a healthy shower. Germ breeds in these small and often ignored corners and crevices in a shower and grout is an important place for germs and mold habitation. You also ensure that your tiles won’t come off loose because of missing grout. Sometimes, the underlayment at the time of installation has not been done properly. This issue soon leads to grout cracking or wearing off, but if you seal grout and tile over improper installation, it will not wear off.  

Advantages of Sealing Grout:

• Color Grout sealing helps to retain the grout color with the tile as it prevents grout from getting discolored.
• By sealing the grout, you form a protective and waterproof layer over the grout lines, which do not absorb any moisture and hence there is no possibility of mold or germ breeding.
• A seal prevents grout from drying off and cracking or missing in some areas. It remains intact, preserving the beauty of your surfaces for long.
• A sealed grout also keeps the tiles joint properly with each other and prevents them from becoming loose.
• Sealed grout prevents food stains from developing on the grout.

Repairing the Grout and Replacing the Silicone Caulk:

Before you seal your grout with a grout sealer, you need to check for cracked or missing grout. You need to first restore these damages using an epoxy resin adhesive. Such an adhesive can be used to replace the silicone caulk in shower corners too. I noticed my contractor restoring my surface so intently, that now I can guide you step-by-step. 

How to Replace a Silicone Caulk In a Shower ?

The best epoxy resin adhesive to replace the traditional silicone caulk in a shower is Sentura. You can seal and disguise the cracked tile with Sentura - A two part pigmented solvent based flexible epoxy/resin. Many people use caulk for sealing shower corners. But caulk tends to peel off in wet settings and cracks in dry conditions. Sentura  never pops out from the surface and protects the tile and grout from bacteria, stains and mold while delivering a lush natural look. It has a sleek appearance which does not damage the integrity of the stone like caulk does with its bulky lines. It renders a sleek look and a seamless finish. Low quality adhesives are not long lasting and durable like Sentura which repairs your cracks forever. Sentura is also used to repair damaged grout and tile.

Before you use Sentura to seal your shower corners, you need to follow some steps. First, you need to remove the old and damaged caulk. Next, you need to clean the surface with a strong and deep-penetrating cleaner like Imperia Deep Clean from pFOkUS. Next, you can use this epoxy adhesive to seal the shower corners.

How to Apply Grout Sealer Caponi?

Stained, discolored and moldy grout is a common issue faced by most homeowners. To prevent these issues, you need to seal your grout with an epoxy grout sealer, which makes the surface waterproof. Not all grout sealers available in the market give efficient results. Some wear off within months, leading to staining and mold formation again. My contractor told me that pFOkUS manufactures an excellent colored grout sealer - Caponi. This colored grout sealer can be used in your desired shade to color the grout line. Caponi is a 2-part pigmented resin, which seals the grout in just one coat. It has a titanium base and hence it never pops off from the surface, giving permanent results. Caponi is available in more than 40 colors, which can be matched to your tile color. This epoxy grout sealer is the only shower approved grout sealer. It can be pigmented with Sentura - epoxy resin adhesive to fill in the gaps and cracks in the grout before sealing it.

After the grout is sealed, you can seal your entire tile surface using a clear topical epoxy resin sealer. Celine from pFOkUS is an excellent tile sealer.

With Sentura and Caponi, I got a perfectly hygienic shower. It has been 3 years since my last restoration process and my shower still looks like new. I recommend all of you to not repeat the same mistake that I did. Seal your grout first before sealing your tile surface.