Choosing the best grout sealer can be a confusing and difficult task. We review the most popular consumer and professional grade sealers to help you choose the best grout sealer.
Choosing the best grout sealer can be a difficult and confusing task.
There are many different brands and types of grout sealers to choose from.
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There are water based and solvent based grout sealers.
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There are Low VOC and high VOC type sealers.
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Grout Sealers have many sealer formulations and some manufactures do not list their sealer formulation and will only tell you that this is a trade secret.
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There are also grout sealers that are also made for sealing stone tiles as well as grout.
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Grout sealers also come in many different packages and prices with varying coverage details for the various sealers.
With so many different types of grout sealers to choose from it is no wonder there is so much confusion when trying to choose the best grout sealer to protect your grout. At the North American Tile Cleaning Organization we explain the various types of grout sealers on the market today. We also test the various grout sealers to see how well they perform in real world grout sealing tests. After reading the information and viewing the test results you will all be able to make an informed decision on what is the correct grout sealer to protect your grout and keep your tile installation looking new for years to come.
Water based vs. Solvent based.
Grout sealers come in two basic forms. Water based and solvent based. The water and solvents in grout sealers are just the carriers for the sealant material. After the sealer dries the water or solvents that carried the sealant material will evaporate and only the sealant will be left in the grout to protect it. Solvent based grout sealers use a solvent to carry the sealer into the grout. Solvent based sealers are able to penetrate deeper into the grout because the solvents can carry a smaller sealant molecule deeper into the grout then water based sealers. The sealant technology today of recent years has improved so that water based sealers are able to absorb almost as far into the grout as the solvent based sealers. Since grout is an extremely porous material the grout is able to absorb solvent based and water based sealers deep into the pores of the grout so the absorption issue is not really relevant when evaluating grout sealers. When sealing stone tiles it is generally recommended to use a solvent based sealer since stone tiles are more dense and the better absorption of solvent based sealers will make a difference in how well a stone tile is sealed. When choosing a grout sealer for ceramic and porcelain tiles it is not necessary to have solvents with smaller sealant molecules due to the porous nature of grout.
Low VOC and high VOC sealers.
VOC stands for Volatile organic compounds. VOC is a broad based term used to analyze a wide range of industrial and consumer compounds. Generally speaking the VOC's are the human and environmental toxic byproducts that go into the environment from using certain products. Solvent based sealers will always have much higer VOC's then water based sealers due to the inherent nature of the solvent products. When the water based and solvent based sealers dry all the VOC's will leave the grout or tile and only sealant material will remain. There is no lingering effect from VOC's after the sealer has dried (typically 4-6 hours). Some of the sealers will display the VOC on the package and this can be important in today's world of increased environmental awareness. Water based grout sealers will also have lower odors and harmful human effects when applying them. People sensitive to chemicals should consider using a water based low VOC sealer. Most solvent based sealers are safe to work with and the odors will leave the home after the sealer dries in 4-6 hours. Solvent based grout sealers due to the higher flash point of solvents over water will be easier to apply and the excess sealer is easier to clean off the tiles then water based sealers.
Grout Sealer Formulations.
There are many different grout sealer formulations used. Some grout sealant manufacturers will tell you the formulations and some just state that their sealant formulation is a trade secret. Grout sealant manufacturers are generally not required to list the sealant formulation on the MSDS due to the actuals sealant material is not a toxic compound. Fluoropolymer based sealers have been very popular in the past but recently new trade secret sealant formulas are coming to the market. Our testing will determine if these new sealant technologies work better then the older fluoropolymer based grout sealers.
Grout Sealers that are also made to seal stone.
It takes a higher quality of sealer to seal stone tiles then it does to seal grout. Many stone tiles are extremely dense and it takes a small sealant molecule to penetrate deep into the stone tiles to seal them. The porous nature of grout does not make it necessary to have an extremely small sealant molecule. A sealer that is made for stone and grout will typically work as good or better then a sealer that is just made for grout. Again our testing will determine what types of sealants work best for grout.
Packaging and Pricing.
Grout sealers come in all types of packages at various prices. It is difficult to calculate how much sealer you need and how much you should pay for a good grout sealer. While sealing different types of stones may require trying to understand the different absorptions of sealant materials this is not necessary when just sealing grout. Whether you are using a solvent based or a water based sealer you will use about the same amount of sealer per square foot for sealing grout. Where good sealers separate themselves from bad sealers is how much and of what quality of sealant material is used in the actual sealing solution. Typically you will need about 16 oz or 473 ml of sealant for every 200 sq-ft of 12 inch tiles with 1/8 inch grout joints. For smaller 4-6 inch tiles you will need 24 oz of sealer to cover the same square footage. Also if you have 1/4 inch or larger grout joints you will also need 25% more sealer to cover the same square footage.
NATCO Homepage Grout Sealer Review Testing Procedure