So because of my lovely neighbors giving me the low down on grout and the importance on sealing, I took the initiative and contacted my PM to check and see if this is something that they would do after they put the tile in the bathrooms. Below you will see how our convo goes:
Hi PM,
I hope all is well. I went pass the house last week and everything is coming along great. I hope you all are doing okay working in all of this heat.
I was just checking in to see how everything was coming along this week.
I also had a question about the tile in the bathrooms. I wanted to know if the grout will be sealed once it is installed? From what I have read sources recommend sealing grout about 48 hrs after installation. I was hoping that the those bathrooms would have sealant placed on the grout so that we can avoid permanent stains, moisture and mildew from forming.
Let me know.
Thanks,
Chelly
This was his response:
Trimmed yesterday. Caulk trim and spackling walls today. Second paint Friday and weekend. Ceramic Monday and Tuesday. Trades rest of next week. We do not seal grout. We also don’t recommend it in the first year in new construction because the house will settle particularly as you transition to heat this fall and the wood begins to dry out behind the walls. Grout lines may get some cracking which we have a one year warranty on and if you seal the grout, it makes touching up the grout more difficult. It is easy to clean if you get any stains. You just scratch the stains out. I can usually do it with my fingernail or a small screwdriver.
PM
Okay sooooooo he is trying to tell me that I should wait a year in case the grout cracks...ummm....I'm not feeling that...What are your thoughts?
I feel like I will seal in the bacteria and moisture if I wait this long, not to mention I am sure the grout will not be as bright and fresh. I have seen several instances where the grout has been ruined, not to mention it is recommended to seal once a year or every few years so after a year anyways, the sealant would have worn down......
You have to let the grout dry out 3-5 days if you have showered in it before you seal it. Then you have to wait another 2-5 days after that before you can use it again (depending on what you use to seal it).
ReplyDeleteWe were told that it was highly recommended we seal it before anything could get in there. Our PM never said a word about waiting. And from the research I had done, it recommended it as soon as possible. Then again, I'm in the south and the weather here effects things differently than it does in other areas. *shrugs*
We wanted our sealed right away before we ever showered in it. NO drying time that way. Unfortunately, I think they sealed the wrong house!! Because our grout turns a dark gray when wet. If it's sealed, I'm not sure it should do that. >=/ We're checking into it.
We got the company who put in our granite to come seal the grout. It was expensive (couple of hundred dollars for 2 bathrooms) but it's suppose to last 10 years. So......
I would contact your Rep and find out who put it in and then call them and ask them what they recommend. That's the best advice I can give. GL!
Your PM's argument is basically that touching up the grout is more difficult if it has been sealed. Well that's a sad story which deserves an entire orchestra of wailing violins, but it's not really relevant. ALL that matters is whether or not sealing the grout invalidates the warranty on it. If it doesn't, the level of difficulty is not your problem.
ReplyDelete@ Noey, I lao have read that grout should be sealed immediatel. I really hope they sealed your house and not some othe persons. I'm going to investigate further...
ReplyDelete@SCJ, you are right that sounds like a very poor reason. That is a good question, when I get the answer from my sales Rep about the warranty....
Thanks for the help.
My PM told me there were two things I needed to do immediately : seal the tile in the master shower before we ever use it and put a dehumidifier on in the basement. We just bought a few cans of spray on sealer from home depot. It's kinda stinky but goes on easily and you need about 3 coats. You can test it at that point to make sure the water really does bead up.
ReplyDeleteThanks Shara! I am going to seal it anyways...What he says is "rubbish"! I was also told to get a dehumidifier for the basement since it is sealed so tightly...
ReplyDeleteI am going to visit the depot and get us some...The day we close I will go and apply it, because we dont plan to move in until that weekend...and we close on a wed. so that gives it some time to sit! Thanks for the advice! I love these blogs!
My wife and I asked our sales rep (who has also been a project manager in the past) about this issue, and he was adamant that you should go ahead and seal it. It won't cause any warranty issues.
ReplyDelete