Buildwest Construction Consultants: Dark grout colours and discolouration:

Buildwest Construction Consultants: Dark grout colours and discolouration::  Modern trends have seen a lot of people choosing dark coloured grout. A lot of people regret this choice when they notice the nice dark...

Dark grout colours and discolouration:

 Modern trends have seen a lot of people choosing dark coloured grout. A lot of people regret this choice when they notice the nice dark grout they chose discolours. Grout is cement based with coloured oxides mixed in to create the desired colour. Like any cement based product efflorescence can leach from it and with dark coloured grout it will make your dark... grout look horrible. Efflorescence can occur early after tiling is complete if the tiler has laid the tiles on a substrate that is still damp or if the tiler grouts the tiles too soon after laying them and there is residual moisture from the adhesive. In this case efflorescence can be an ongoing issue until the residual moisture dries which could be months. The moisture draws the efflorescence out of the grout to the surface causing the white powdery discolouration of the grout. This is a building fault and can be remedied by application of a penetrating grout sealer to prevent the efflorescence drawing through or a resin based grout colourant can be applied to the grout. The more common type of efflorescence occurs from normal use of the bathroom and is not a building fault. Shower enclosures and areas that will get more moisture than others such as around the bath and outside the shower enclosure will be prone to this issue occurring as the water that occurs from normal use of the wet area draws the efflorescence from the grout. In this case a normal efflorescence cleaner can be used which is readily available in your local hardware store or tile shop. Once clean a penetrating sealer can be applied to the tiles and grout which will not only prevent the efflorescence but make cleaning of the tiles and grout easier.

 

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