There are many people who attempted to seal their ceramic tiles and regret they tried to do this by themselves. They have to re-grout the flooring, which means they need to waste more time and money. I suggest you take this task seriously and do this job properly.
First, when you seal the grout, the protection does not last so long as it is stated on the product label. Manufacturer would like you to believe that, but the truth is different. In case you have a 5 year sealer warranty, it will probably last for 6 months. And that would be maximum if you use a grout sealer in your bathroom, since there is a lot of moisture in that room.
Knowing that, you have to strictly follow the guidelines and make your sealing task as good as possible. Buying a good quality sealer is simply a must. You have to know that nothing that is cheap has high quality here. This is just the way things are, and you can apply that to most products out there. When you hear stories of people buying products that replace the original, but for a lot less money, be sure that they are not telling the truth. Those products will be able to do the job, but it won’t be a long lasting solution. In near future, it will all fall apart. The same thing is with the grout sealers.
Since you already paid a lot of money for your tile floor, it is wise to invest a little bit more money to protect that investment. And you will need to pay $100 per gallon or more. Do not take anything that is cheaper than that. You can, but I do not guarantee you success. And I can’t guarantee that you won’t be doing the same thing again, very soon.
When you got the sealer, make sure your floors are clean. Do NOT use detergents or heavy soaps to clean the tiles. Use water and some white vinegar. If you use soap, then you will dull the floor. It will have a sticky surface that will attract all the dirt that comes into the room. And the mop you are using should be clean too. Wash it as many times as you can. You want the water to do most of the business, the mop is just there to flush it all away, so it has to stay clean.
It is crucial that you follow these instructions. If you don’t, the sealer will lose its life expectancy. It is as simple as that. If you do not want to invest time into cleaning, it is better for you to keep the grout as it is. Do not seal it. Yes, that’s right.
I’m telling you this for one simple reason. There can be some dirt left on the surface and it will destroy the sealing. Then it is better just to clean it when you feel the need to. Only if you can prepare the entire floor with perfection, I recommend sealing. The dirt has to come out on the surface and totally exit the flooring. Only after that happens the sealing will bring desired results.
Decide what you can do between these two solutions. I, of course, recommend sealing your ceramic tile floor. But if you can’t do the cleaning properly and buy a quality grout sealer, it is best that you leave things as they are.
Cleaning your ceramic tiles and the grout is something that has to be done regularly. But in order to clean ceramic tiles properly, you will have to use a grout cleaner and grout sealer to protect your floor from getting dirty and stained again. Visit guruforgroutsealing.com to get all the details on these to processes that will help you protect and maintain your tile floors.