Category: Professional Grout & Sealant Services
Why You Should Not Use Sanded Grout on Polished Tile
Why You Should Not Use Sanded Grout on Polished Tile I once walked into a luxury master bath where the installer had just finished grouting 24×48 polished porcelain slabs with a standard sanded mixture. The homeowner was thrilled until the construction lights hit the surface at a low angle. The entire floor looked like it…
How to Tell if Your Grout is Sanded or Unsanded
How to Tell if Your Grout is Sanded or Unsanded I spent three days grinding concrete on a job last month just so the floor wouldn’t click like a castanet. Most guys skip the leveling compound and think the underlayment will hide the dip. It never does. That same lack of precision ruins tile jobs…
Why You Should Never Use Silicone Over Old Caulk
I spent three days scraping gray residue off a shower floor on a job last month just so the new bead would not peel like a sunburned back. The homeowner could not understand why I was charging for six hours of prep before I even opened a tube of sealant. They thought I could just…
How to Fix Grout That Was Mixed with Too Much Water
The chemical betrayal of excess water To fix grout mixed with too much water, you must remove the weakened material, vacuum the joints, and re-apply a properly hydrated batch. Excess water creates porous structures and efflorescence that compromise the compressive strength of the installation. A carbide scraper or oscillating tool is required for effective removal.…
How to Seal Mosaic Tiles with Tiny Grout Lines
Sealing tiny grout lines in mosaic tiles requires a deep understanding of molecular surface tension and the physical properties of unsanded grout. Most homeowners think a quick spray of a generic product is enough. They are wrong. If you want a floor or wall to survive more than a season without becoming a petri dish…
How to Match New Grout to Old Dirty Lines
Professional Secrets for Matching New Grout to Existing Surfaces I spent three days grinding concrete on a job last month just so the floor would not click like a castanet. Most guys skip the leveling compound and think the underlayment will hide the dip. It won’t. This same level of neglect happens with grout. Homeowners…
The Best Method for Cleaning Deeply Stained Marble Shower Floors
Most guys skip the leveling compound and the moisture barrier. They think the underlayment or the stone will hide the dip or the dampness. It will not. I spent three days grinding concrete and drying out a mud bed on a job last month just so the marble floor would stop wicking up moisture from…
The Trick for Finding a Matching Grout Color for Old Tile
Most guys skip the leveling compound. They think the underlayment will hide the dip. It won’t. I spent three days grinding concrete on a job last month just so the floor wouldn’t click like a castanet because the substrate was as wavy as the Atlantic. That is the reality of flooring. It is not about…
The Secret to Grouting Tightly Spaced Subway Tiles
The Secret to Grouting Tightly Spaced Subway Tiles Most guys skip the leveling compound. They think the underlayment will hide the dip. It won’t. I spent three days grinding concrete on a job last month just so the floor wouldn’t click like a castanet. That is the reality of professional installation. When you are staring…
Why Your Bathroom Tile Grout is Sandy and Falling Out
Most guys skip the leveling compound. They think the underlayment will hide the dip. It won’t. I spent three days grinding concrete on a job last month just so the floor wouldn’t click like a castanet. That experience taught me one thing that most homeowners and cut-rate contractors ignore. The stability of your tile is…