Removing epoxy grout haze can be extremely difficult especially if it has been allowed to dry on the tile surfaces. There are some epoxy grout haze removal products and techniques that work best for cleaning up and removing epoxy grout haze.


 

Epoxy grout is one of the best products to come to the market in recent years. Some of the advantages that epoxy grout has over normal cement based grouts are listed below.

• Epoxy grout never has to be sealed like cement based grout.

• Epoxy grout can not be damaged by acidic products and it will not crack and chip like cement based grouts.

• Epoxy grout is also non porous like cement based grout so it will not absorb dirt and contaminates like regular grout.

• The non porous nature of epoxy grouts make it extremely easy to clean and maintain without using aggressive cleaning supplies and chemicals required to clean normal cement based grout.

• Epoxy grout never has to be sealed like normal cement based grouts.

The one caveat to epoxy grout is that it is more difficult to apply and cleaning up the epoxy grout haze can be extremely difficult especially if the epoxy grout haze has been allowed to set for over 24 hours..

When deciding on whether to use epoxy grout or cement based grout the issue of how to clean up the epoxy grout haze must be foremost in your mind. Epoxy grout is more expensive then regular grout but it is more superior in so many ways that it actually makes very little sense to use regular cement based grout if epoxy grout is a viable option. On the other hand there are many situations that make using epoxy grout unacceptable where there is no viable option for effectively cleaning up the epoxy grout haze after applying the epoxy grout.

Some of the situations that preclude using epoxy grout are listed below.

• Never use epoxy grout on any type of stone tile installation. Stone tiles are always somewhat porous. If you apply the epoxy grout the resins in the epoxy grout will be absorbed by the porous stone tiles and you will see stains and discolorations where the epoxy grout resins have been absorbed by the porous stone tiles.

• Never use epoxy grout on porous porcelain tiles. Many people try to use epoxy grout on a porous porcelain tile installation because they mistakenly believe that porcelain tile is extremely non porous. Most porcelain tiles actually are porous tiles and the epoxy grout resins will be absorbed by the porous porcelain tiles and cause the same same types of stains and discolorations that can happen in porous stone tiles.

• Never use epoxy grout on tiles with rough textures or tiles with holes and indentations. Many non porous ceramic and porcelain tiles have rough finishes that may make them look nice and also make them mimic the look of stone tiles.  Also these types of tiles are often used in high traffic areas due to their non slip rough type finishes.  The problem with these tiles is that cleaning up the grout can be laborious and removing all of the excess epoxy grout can be especially difficult. You can be sure that if it will be difficult to remove the excess epoxy grout then an epoxy grout haze will develop that will be even more difficult to remove.

• Never use epoxy grout on glass, metal or any type of specialized non ceramic type of tiles.  Epoxy grout haze can be difficult or remove 100% no matter how good the tile and grout installer is. There can always be an extremely light layer of epoxy grout haze left on the tiles. When epoxy grout is applied correctly in a ceramic tile installation this slight haze is invisible and virtually non existent. In situations where epoxy grout is installed on glass tiles the epoxy grout haze is extremely difficult to totally remove and can be visible on glass tiles.  This epoxy grout haze can make your glass tiles look almost like your glass tiles are dirty or smeared. This dirty or smeared look can also become apparent with the many designer metal tiles and specialized tiles that are not ceramic or porcelain tiles.

If you have installed epoxy grout haze on a porous stone or porcelain tile installation there is not anything that can be done to completely clean up and remove all of the epoxy grout haze.  You can on the other hand attempt to minimize this epoxy grout haze by using some of the following epoxy grout haze removal techniques.  You will also have much more success in removing the dried on epoxy grout haze from normal ceramic or non porous porcelain tile installations.

Cleaning up epoxy grout haze becomes exponentially more difficult the longer it is allowed to dry and set up on the tile surfaces. It is important to follow the epoxy grout installation instructions very carefully. The most popular and arguably the best epoxy grout on the market today is the Laticrete Spectralock Stainproof grout. This epoxy grout is sold in many specialized tile stores and it can also be found in many Lowes home improvement stores. What many people fail to realize is that there are two versions of the Laticrete Spectralock Stainproof grout. The professional version of this grout is usually sold in the specialized tile installation shops while the consumer level is sold in Lowes. The basic epoxy grout ingredients are the same in both versions but the professional epoxy grout kit has some advantages that make cleaning up the epoxy grout haze easier and more effective.

The consumer level epoxy grout kits sold in Lowes do not have the epoxy grout haze clean up packets that the professional epoxy grout kits have. The consumer level epoxy grout kits just instruct you to use ordinary white vinegar with water to remove the epoxy grout haze. The professional level epoxy grout kits have two epoxy grout cleaning packets of chemicals designed to help you clean up the excess epoxy grout and also to remove the epoxy grout haze. The epoxy grout clean up packet chemicals should be used separately 45 minutes apart. The first chemical packet helps you remove the excess epoxy grout from the tile surfaces. The instructions then will have you use the second chemical packet mixed with water to remove any remaining epoxy grout haze from the tile surfaces.

 

 

Make no mistake about it the professional epoxy grout kits with the epoxy grout haze removal packets work much better than just using ordinary vinegar and water to remove the epoxy grout haze. Whenever possible it is recommended to purchase the professional Laticrete Spectralock epoxy grout kits with the epoxy grout haze removal packets.

 

 

Skill, experience and attention to detail are extremely necessary when applying epoxy grout.  Applying epoxy grout is a specialized skill that needs to be experienced to do correctly. While reading the instructions and following the directions on the epoxy grout kit helps there is no substitute for experience when applying epoxy grout. If you have never applied epoxy grout before then you should definitely do a practice job to get a feel for how the epoxy grout application works and how to effectively clean up the epoxy grout haze.

The secret to applying epoxy grout and cleaning up the epoxy grout haze is all about timing.  When grouting with epoxy grout you need to time your steps to ensure that you can apply the epoxy grout and clean up the excess epoxy grout and epoxy grout haze effectively. You need to apply the epoxy grout and then within 45 minutes of mixing up the epoxy grout you need to clean up the excess epoxy grout using water and the first grout clean up packet. At this time it is not necessary to remove all of the remaining epoxy grout haze as you should let the grout set a while longer according the manufactures instructions.

You should use a sponge and water combined with the second grout haze removal packet to wipe away the remaining epoxy grout haze. You do not need to excessively scrub away at the tile surfaces as this can damage the still curing epoxy grout in the grout lines. You should though look at the tile surfaces at all different angles and with a good light source to ensure that there is no epoxy grout haze visible on the tile surfaces. It also helps to rub your hand on the tile surface to ensure that there is no sticky epoxy grout haze residue left on the tile surfaces. When you are confident that all of the epoxy grout haze has been removed from the tile surfaces then move on to the next section of tiles and continue grouting.

Many times epoxy grout haze is left to cure for over 24 hours and this epoxy grout haze can be extremely difficult to remove.  In many instances even experienced tile installation professionals can have issues where all of the epoxy grout haze has not been cleaned up in a timely manner and must now be chemically removed. Cleaning up and removing epoxy grout haze that has cured on the tile surface is a difficult task. Many people try the old standby of using white vinegar and water to clean up the epoxy grout haze with minimal success.

You can try to use 1/2 white vinegar and 1/2 water to see if this will loosen up the epoxy grout haze and allow you to wipe it away with a sponge.  Usually you need to allow the vinegar and water to dwell on the tile surface for at least 20 minutes and then scrub the tiles with an aggressive scrub pad to loosen up the epoxy grout haze. It can take time and a lot of elbow grease combined with scrubbing to soften up the epoxy grout haze so it can be wiped away with the soft sponge. Using vinegar and water should always be your first attempt at removing epoxy grout haze that has been allowed to cure on the tile surface.

Often times dried on epoxy grout haze can not be cleaned up with normal vinegar and water and chemical strippers are required.

Epoxy grout haze that is allowed to cure on the tile surfaces is a difficult problem to deal with. Often times no amount of scrubbing with vinegar and water will remove all of the epoxy grout haze residue. In these cases a chemical stripper product must be used on the epoxy grout haze to loosen it up so it can be effectively removed. Aquamix sealer and coatings remover is an aggressive water based chemical stripping product that works effectively to remove cured on epoxy grout haze from tile surfaces.

You should always read the manufactures instructions and follow these instructions when using the Aquamix Sealer and Coatings Remover.

• Always wear rubber chemically resistant gloves and eye protection when using Aquamix Sealer and Coatings Remover. If you get any of this on your skin or in your eye then immediately flush with water. You should always flush with water any area of your body that comes in direct contact with this water based chemical stripper.

• Apply the Aquamix Sealer and Coatings Remover to the area with the epoxy grout haze and allow the product to dwell on the epoxy grout haze for at least 15-20 minutes. Allow the product to emulsify the epoxy grout haze so that it can be effectively removed. Do not allow the Aquamix Sealer and Coatings Remover to dry on the tile surface so keep applying more product if you see that it starts to dry on the tile surface. Aquamix Sealer and Coatings Remover is in a thick gel like state so it will not typically dry on the tile surface within 15-20 minutes.

• While the Aquamix Sealer and Coatings Remover is dwelling on the epoxy grout haze you should agitate the effected areas to loosen up the epoxy grout haze from the tile surface. Keep scrubbing the tile surface with an aggressive scrub pad while the water based chemical stripper is allowed to emulsify the epoxy grout haze on the tile surface.

• When you have effectively cleaned up the epoxy grout haze then you can clean up the tile surfaces with an ordinary grout sponge and water. Ensure that you have wiped away all of the chemical stripper product and that the tile surfaces are clean and dry of the chemical stripper product. You will probably have to rinse the tile surface two or three times to ensure that you have removed all of the chemical stripper from the tile surface.

• You should always dry the tile surface with a cotton towel to remove any residual contaminates and to inspect the affected area. You should ensure that you have removed all of the epoxy grout haze from all of the tile surfaces. You should look at the tiles from all angles and with different light sources to see if you have cleaned up all the epoxy grout haze from the tile surfaces.

• Often times it may take a few applications with increased scrubbing and longer dwell times to remove all of the epoxy grout haze from the tile surfaces. After each step visually inspect the tile surfaces and repeat the epoxy grout haze clean up and removal process until no evidence of the epoxy grout haze is present on the tile surface.

Often times like with porous tiles cleaning up and removing all of the epoxy grout haze can be a futile effort. In these cases you may want to consider living with an imperfect tile installation or having the tile installation professionally re-tiled and grouted by an experienced tile installation service company. Also working with chemical strippers and scrubbing tiles may not seem like too much fun and in these cases hiring a tile and grout restoration professional may be in your best interest.

You can read some valuable information and tips on how to hire a tile, grout and stone cleaning, restoration and tile installation contractor at our contractor information page here. Tile Restoration Contractor.