new ceramic floor grout is sandy

Posted by on March 27, 2006, 6:40 pm

Got new ceramic floor in the kitchen (wear rating 4), it is glazed.
However, the grouting used is very sandy, and porous. It comes off
easily where an excess of it was applied, for eg near the base trim.
I'm afraid if I mop too hard, it will come right off. Will a grout
sealer help make it solid? The contractor ran away w/o applying a grout
sealer, and told me that's extra, not in the estimate.

On another note, the floor is very cold (my house is on a slab). Would
porcelain have felt less cold, being that it is denser, and thus forms
a better barrier between the slab and tile surface? Had I known how
cold it is, I would have stuck to linoleum...

Thanks!
Vijay

Posted by m Ransley on March 27, 2006, 6:53 pm

Grout should cure hard unless he used an old batch. Moping should have
no effect on it. Tile and ceramic transfer heat rapidly. Wear shoes.

Posted by m Ransley on March 28, 2006, 8:32 am

Wet it, mop it, if in a week its still soft you will probably end going
to see Judge Judy, since the installer screwed up and has to redo it
all. Isnt remodeling fun.

Posted by deviL doG on March 28, 2006, 7:47 am

> Got new ceramic floor in the kitchen (wear rating 4), it is glazed.
> However, the grouting used is very sandy, and porous. It comes off
> easily where an excess of it was applied, for eg near the base trim.
> I'm afraid if I mop too hard, it will come right off. Will a grout
> sealer help make it solid? The contractor ran away w/o applying a grout
> sealer, and told me that's extra, not in the estimate.
> On another note, the floor is very cold (my house is on a slab). Would
> porcelain have felt less cold, being that it is denser, and thus forms
> a better barrier between the slab and tile surface? Had I known how
> cold it is, I would have stuck to linoleum...
> Thanks!
> Vijay

Bags of grout have an expiration date. Suppliers are supposed to throw out
old bags. Installers are supposed to check the bags. Could be old grout
causing your problem.
Also could be that no latex additive was used with plain grout. Adding latex
has been the norm for as long as I can remember. Check the bag.

All floor materials are the same temperature as the room they are in,
usually around 70 degrees. Thing is, the surface of your skin is about 85
degrees. Tile (ceramic, porcelain, stone, it doesn't matter much) transfers
heat very quickly and easily. Wood, being a slight insulator, transfers heat
more slowly. It is that transfer of the heat from your bare skin into the
material on the floor that makes your feet feel "cold". In either case, if
you stand in one place long enough and then walk away the floor will have a
"warm spot" where you stood. That is the nature of tile flooring. Time to
buy some fuzzy slippers.

Posted by thetiler on March 29, 2006, 12:55 am

Should be no temperature difference between ceramic
and porcelain tiles. As far as it being cold, a little research
on your part would have revealed this. This is why it's
important to research decisions you have to live with for
years. At least you'll be happy in hotter weather.

Often the sand on the surface of the newly dried grout will
release some with the first sweeping. There should only
be a tiny bit of sand with this first sweeping, and once the
bit of loose surface sand releases, that should be it.

Scratch the grout with your fingernail. It should not budge
at all. Then scratch it with something plastic like a plastic
fork or spoon. It still should not come apart. In 3 days
it should be hard and in 7 days should be very hard.

If it is coming apart at all with your fingernail, you're screwed.

If it is a crappy job but you have to scratch at it pretty hard
with a plastic utensil to make it come apart, you have a bad
job but could salvage it some by applying a quality grout
sealer. The sealer normally just waterproofs it, but in your
case the sealer soaking in could make the surface hard
enough for you to live with the bad job. If you have dogs,
their toenails will destroy it.

P.S. grout sealing is optional. Most people are willing to do
it themselves rather than pay to have it done. If you wanted
it sealed you should have told the installer in advance.
Quality modern grouts with polymer are very stain resistant
as-is, so I don't like to apply sealer unless I'm requested to.

Let us know what you find.

thetiler

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