Ran into a tile guy in Tucson who changed how I seal grout

I was at a supply yard in Tucson last month grabbing some sand mix, and this older guy named Hector saw me loading up. He asked what I was sealing my grout with, and I gave him my usual brand. He just laughed and said, 'If you want it to last 10 years in this heat, seal it three times and wait a full day between coats.' I told him I always did one coat and called it good. He showed me a job he did in 2015 where the grout still looked brand new. Now I'm trying his method on my current bathroom reno. Has anyone else been told to double or triple seal out here in the desert?

3 comments

3 Comments

patricia322d ago

Hector's been doing this since before Arizona was a state probably, but I've had bad luck with triple sealing causing a weird hazy film that never buffed out all the way.

troychen2d ago

Gotta wonder if that hazy film is actually moisture trapped between the layers instead of just the sealant itself. I've seen guys do too many coats too fast without letting each one cure right and that's usually when the problems start. Might be worth asking Hector if he's still using the same brand he was twenty years ago, could be the formula changed.

wright.leo2d ago

Trust me on the hazy film thing @troychen, that's exactly what happens when you rush it. I've seen guys stack on coats back to back in the morning and wonder why it looks cloudy by noon, the heat just bakes the moisture in. Let each coat dry overnight like Hector says and that haze issue disappears every time.