Sealing your grout goes a long way toward extending its life span. This guide breaks down the cost factors for sealing grout, including size, materials, and labor.
Do I Need to Seal My Tile Grout?
This simple step keeps tiled surfaces looking their best
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Cement-based grout needs sealing because it's porous and absorbs liquids, dirt, and debris that lead to staining, odors, and mold growth in your home.
Shower grout should be resealed every year due to constant water exposure, while grout in other areas needs sealing every couple of years.
You can test whether your grout needs sealing by spreading water on it and watching for color changes that indicate the grout isn't protected.
Hiring a local tile professional provides reliable support for grout sealing projects and helps prevent moisture damage that leads to staining and mold growth.
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Does grout need to be sealed? If you have (or are in the process of installing) tile in your kitchen or bathroom, you’re likely asking yourself this question. The answer is that it depends. Any tile with cement grout requires sealing to keep it clean, intact, and functional. Fortunately, sealing grout is a quick project you can do in a few hours.
What Does Grout Sealer Do?
Grout sealer strengthens your tile's grout to prevent moisture, stains, and odors from penetrating. This is especially important in areas with a lot of water exposure, such as the shower, but it could be just as important in high-traffic areas that could see a lot of spills, dirt, and debris.
Does Grout Need to Be Sealed?
Photo: Joe Hendrickson / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images
You might wonder, do I need to pull out my tiling tools and seal my grout? Maybe you think your tile isn’t exposed to enough water or foot traffic for this step to be necessary. But the truth is, all types of cement grout should be sealed. This is because cement-based grout is porous and can absorb liquids, dirt, and debris. Over time, this can lead to staining, odors, and mold growth.
The cost to install tile floor is much more than the cost of buying and using grout sealer, so you’ll save money by sealing your grout according to the manufacturer’s directions.
How Often Should You Seal Grout?
For shower tiles, grout should be sealed annually, since the area is exposed to lots of water. For other types of tiles, sealing the grout every couple of years should suffice. Learning how to seal grout is a quick DIY project you can do on the weekend. But if you don’t have the time, you can hire a tile contractor near you to complete the task.
Should I Seal Epoxy Grout?
Not all types of grout need to be sealed. Only sanded and unsanded grout—both of which are cement-based—require sealing; epoxy grout should not be sealed. When you look at shower tile ideas, factor in the cost of grout and sealant to decide which makes the most financial sense.
Epoxy is faster drying but is much more expensive, increasing your tile installation cost. It can also be difficult to work with and is usually best left to the professionals. On the plus side, epoxy grout is naturally non-porous and stain-resistant, so sealing it isn’t necessary.
How to Test if Grout Needs to Be Sealed
If you aren't sure if you should seal grout, there's a simple test you can perform. You only need a few drops of water and a few seconds.
Spread the water on the grout and watch for color changes. If the grout darkens or becomes a different color, it’s not sealed. If the grout stays the same color, it was likely sealed recently and is protected.
In addition to the water test, you’ll know it’s time to seal or reseal your grout if you notice it’s gradually getting darker or changing color. Another telltale sign is grout that becomes more difficult to clean or takes on stains.
Ceramic tile services reviews from real Angi homeowners in Columbus, OH
4.6★ avg. • 42 total reviews
- Sue B.
Terrible experience. Walls/trim/floors/cabinets/doors all have drip marks, overspray, etc. Tiling at the fireplace had to be redone by another vendor due to incorrect and shoddy install by Profect. Contractor had his children in our house while he was on site without prior authorization or...
Profect painting & exteriors - Manoj K.
It was wonderful working with Yordy and his team. They were very professional and are experts in what they do. They have completed the work on time, with better quality and with in fairly reasonable price. We just started with backsplash work , but liking his work, we went on to provide...
Flooring Solutions - Bob T.
We were having 2”x 2” tile installed . There was a small installation error and the new additional replacement tile was from a different lot and the colors didn’t match. Joe assured us that he would rectify everything , which he did without hesitation. We decided to go with the 18” x 36” tile...
CarifaTile - Stephanie S.
For several months I was looking for somebody to tile a wall in my master bath and move lighting fixtures, and could not find anybody who was responsive. I contacted Rowe through Home Advisor and within days they came by to assess the job and provide an estimate. The cost was very...
Rowe House Development - Timothy C.
It went very well! The end product was amazing and we keep getting a lot of compliments from friends! M&E were very professional and they made sure we were happy with the product before leaving. They met with us in our home and at the tile shop to make sure we were okay with our tile and...
M&E Remodeling - Kendrick V.
Involved an extensive bathroom remodel, including removing tub & installing walk in shower, new drywall, custome tile work to ceiling, plumbing, etc. Overall, job was done on time and on budget. Nick & his team were very professional and had high attention to detail. Quality was great. Highly...
Stamos Flooring and Remodeling LLC - Locke M.
Very pleased with the service and level of professionalism. Courteous and very unobtrusive in performing service. Unlike several other companies, Bradford Xteriors was willing to perform work on a three story home with a clay tile roof. <br />
Bradford Xteriors - Jeffrey B.
This company did a very good job on the brick wall and it looks just amazing. The staff was always professional and was practically OCD on how the bricks were stacked and how they were laid. Although it took longer than expected, I am willing to sacrifice time over perfection anyday. The...
My Handy Mate LLC Improvement & Remodeling - Gary D.
He did the tile work and he was good at it. He used other subcontractors for the rest of the work (like putting in the cabinetry) and they were okay but not great. He was a great guy! He was easy to work with and had a good eye for the detail of his work. There were a couple of things that I...
Brian Miller Custom Remodeling - Michael S.
I was very impressed with Miller Cantrell! I live in an old home in which the sewage line that runs from my home to the sewage system is a line of clay tile. These eventually collapse and need to be replaced - an expensive problem and sure to happen at the worst time. I told them that my...
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