Stone tile has absorbed dark grout colour - TilersForums.com

[Rakeshgupta77]

I recently installed a shower floor consisting of small square stone mosaic tiles sheets, I used a carbon Mapei ultracolour grout in order that each individual square would stand out, but now after grouting and cleaning the tiles I have noticed that the majority of the tiles are alot darker and have absorbed the colour of the grout and it seems patchy in places. I have tried to clean them with a wet sponge but they just go darker as they are absorbing the water too.

I now realise that I should have sealed the tiles before grouting , but the store where I purchased the tiles and grout didn't advise me of this.

Is there anything I can do now to clean the tiles? Also should I still seal the tiles as they absorb water and go darker when wet? And if so what sealer do I use ?
Thanks in advance to any replies

 

[DHTiling]

oh poo... not good.. can you post pics so we can extent of the staining please.?

 

[bugs183]

Couldn't have put it better myself Dave.!!!!
If the stone has absorbed the grout then there is really nothing you can do, it's in the tile.
Maybe someone may know something i don't, but i think you'll have to live with it or change them.

 

[Rakeshgupta77]

not sure if the picture is clear .. took the pic with my iphone but i couldnt download it for some reason .. until i reduced the size of it ,

thats the colour of the original tile where my finger is pointing , as you can see after grouting it has totally changed shade and doesnt match the wall tiles.
i just wish that i was told by the staff about sealing the stone when i purchased the grout and tiles off them
is there any way to restore it .. or will it get lighter in time as the shower is used ? also should i seal the tiles now (even though its too late ) to stop water absorbtion ?

 

[bugs183]

Sorry Rakesh, it's a damn shame you were not told to seal the tiles.
You have grouted it in one of the best grouts around, unfortunetley that means it sticks. This is the colour your tiles will be now, they will not lighten.
So if you choose to keep them then you will need to seal to prevent water getting into the stone, otherwise if you want the original colour they'll have to be replaced.
Not very professional of the shop. Did they sell you the grout with the tiles, you should have been told really.

 

[Rakeshgupta77]

Thanks for the reply Bugs. I bought everything from the same store.
First I purchased floor tiles , wall tiles , adhesives , chrome edging , border and grout . I then went back to order the stone mosaic for the shower area to allow for the slope and told them I wanted a dark grout so that the floor and stone tiles would stand out but they never mentioned anything about sealing the stone mosaic tiles before grouting.
It's a shame because they will cost too much money and hassle to replace, just wish I was advised beforehand about sealing them but i guess the store will say that's my responsibility. To be honest I only read about sealing the tiles after Googling the problem ! I never read anything on the forums beforehand giving advice regarding presealing stone mosaic tiles.
Anyways as the problem cannot be resolved , can yourself or anybody else recommend me the correct sealer I should use on them now to stop the water absorption ??
Thanks in advance
Rakesh

 

[rainsco]

hi, here is a kind of an extreme tips you ALWAYS have to test bevore on a new built test area!!!:

buy pci or something else renovation color in silver grey. the color is to refresh the grouts and normaly dont adhere on tiles if you are fast enouth in cleaning. but maby on limestone it adhere´s so you have to test it bevore how fast you have to clean. maby you bring it out and clean seconds after. maby the stone itself gets fresher and brighter from color.
another idea is to brighten up the stone with rough diamant brushing. maby 60 grain. usually the stone gets brighter from this and its easy to use with water in a shower. brushing with low speed.
another extreme thing you can test is to treat it with cement resuide remover. limestone gets etch and maby brighter.
if you are not ready to tile a small test area, forget all the "tips" please!

 

[Rakeshgupta77]

Thanks for the tips .
Still need advice on what sealer to use ? Anyone ?

 

[Dontiler]

hello
you could try use VULCASEAL DC135, it will lighten your mosaic for sure, if its small area you could get a professional and refinish mosaic surface.
good luck

 

[PHG Dave]

hello
you could try use VULCASEAL DC135, it will lighten your mosaic for sure, if its small area you could get a professional and refinish mosaic surface.
good luck

Sounds an interesting product from the limited onfo on the website, have you tried it yourself?