removing grout haze on natl stone tile
I recently installed a natural stone tile backsplash in our kitchen. It looks great. I SEALED it first – before the grout – per the instructions of the tile shop guys. And I’m pretty sure I sealed it well, because water beaded up on it. The face of stone is “rough/textured” so when I went to apply the grout (a “sand” kind of grout?) it took a good deal of effort, heavy water, sponging to get the grout off the face of the stone. Now there’s a definite “dullness” to the stone compared to the walls I haven’t yet grouted, where more of the natural stone shines through. Ironically my wife says she PREFERS this dull look vs. the regular stone. But the tile shop guys told me I must re-seal it after I grout it, and I’m not so sure I want to re-seal this dull/hazy stone look in place for the next umpteen years. I read some old FH posts and saw that someone proposed vinegar to cut through the haze. Does this truly work? And if so, how should I dilute it?
Thanks in advance,
Rob
Replies
stroke,
On most of the nat. stone (usually limestone) tile I've used on splashes, the haze you see can be wiped off with a dry rag. When you're done the powdery haze is gone. You can reseal it and it should dry the way it did the first time-matt finish, much like the original (out of the box-unsealed), but a slightly deeper tone-like you had after the first seal.
If you wipe your hand across the tile now, does it leave a powder residue on your hand?
A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
It doesn't leave any kind of residue on my hand when I rub it. About the only thing that comes off is some of the sand that was still stuck to the stone.
- Rob
Once I had some tenacious grout sticking to that limestone. I took a white (3m rubbing pad), the curly stuff like a plastic steel wool in a flat pad, and rubbed off the sand etc. Cleaned up real nice. I cleaned up and sealed afterwards.A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
The sealer you installed before grouting has been lightly sanded (by the grout) so you need to apply at least one new coat. Two would be better. You can get sealere that does not dry glossy. And for a backspalsh, it should last more than a year since there won't be much wear on it.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Vinegar is good. try half and half at first. Just sponge it on, Let it dry, bone dry. Brush it off with a horsehair shop brush or similar like a dust brush. wipe with a terrycloth towel, an old one if your wife is looking. And seal. that's about as good as it's going to get.
Vinegar is very corrosive on natural stones like limestone and marble. It does a good job cleanoing the haze off, and extra little bits of grout. But be sure to rinse well with plain water to neutralize the vinegar, or you will damage the stone.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Well I tried a 50/50 vinegar/water mixture, scrubbed lightly with a plastic-y type flat-baked sos-type pad (but w/out the detergent on it) and...still nothing. It doesn't look any different than the rest of the hazy stone. The sealer I used the first time around was a "glossy" sealer, we didn't care for the "natural" sealer because it didn't seem to enhance the deep natural stone look we were seeking.
So maybe if I try the sealer again this problem will go away? I'll try it on one small piece of stone tucked away in a corner.
- Rob
You mentioned that your grout was "sandy". Did you use unsanded or sanded grout? If you used sanded grout you may have dulled the surface. You might have to repolish it to get the shine back.
I'll give it a shot, thanks guys.