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If your tile
grout has been previously sealed.
Our GDC grout stain colorants
form a very strong bond to, cement based grouts. However to increase that bond
it is important to make sure the the grout is free of and dirt, sealers or other
contaminants, to achieve this, we recommend
that you use our GDC sealer remover, before colorant application. And for older
grouts you can use the GDC pre treat cleaner, after the sealer remover has been
used. The pre treat cleaner will make the grout more porous and will allow the
grout to absorb the colorant
deeper. If you are not sure whether or
not the grout has been sealed try this test below.
Try this test
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Place some water on the
grout, if it darkens, that's because the grout is porous and their is no
sealer present, and will readily absorb moisture, which is ideal for
colorant application.
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If the grout remains the same
color and the water beads up then the grout is sealed and needs to be
stripped, with our GDC sealer remover.
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After your grout is sealer
free, cleaned and then color sealed, you could pour coffee all over it an it
would wipe up clean.
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Below are the easy to understand steps. To prepare
your existing grout for colorant. Please note that you might not need to do all
of the below steps to prepare your grout for colorant. Please print this
out for easy reference.
| If your grout had been sealed before, or if your
grout was colored with a grout colorant before, you must do Step
One first. If you are not sure if it was sealed or colored then do
this simple test, pour some water on your grout, if the grout stays the same
color or the water beads-ups (like when you wax your car), that usually
means that it was sealed or colored. and you must do Step One below.
If the grout changes color (gets darker) or the water absorbs into the grout
then you can skip to Step Two..
 | Step One- you will have to use
a Tile and Grout sealer remover, to remove the old sealer before you can color the
grout , use your own sealer remover or purchase our GDC sealer remover.
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| Step Two-repair any missing or
cracked grout, you can put in any color grout that you want, it will not
matter because the colorant will make all of the grout one even color.
If you have sanded grout (very rough) then you should do your repairs
with a sanded grout. If you have unsanded grout (smooth) than you should
do your repairs with a unsanded grout. Let the repair
"cure" for 7 days before applying the colorant
| Step Three- If your grout is newly
installed (less than a month old) and is in good condition and very
clean and was not washed with heavy chemicals than you can skip this
step and go on to Step Four. Clean all of the grout with this
solution-- 1/2 cup white vinegar to 2 gallons of hot water, scrub the
grout with a small stiff brush, (make a new solution if the solution
gets dirty or as necessary) then rinse the entire floor with water, let
the grout dry for at least 48 hours before applying the colorant.
| Step Four-Pour Grout Colorant into
a small dish and apply onto grout joint using a toothbrush or If
using a GDC application bottle, pour colorant into the bottle and apply
directly to grout joint. While lightly applying pressure on the bottle gently allow
colorant to evenly flow out. Spread evenly, working Grout Colorant into
joint using a back-and-forth motion Do a small workable area at one
time. Clean colorant off of the tile with a dry rag no water, wipe
excess off tile as you go, skimming lightly over the grout joint. After
grout colorant is applied and excess is cleaned up from tile, Do
not put heavy amounts of water on your floor for the first week. Wipe up
any spills with a damp sponge. The first real cleaning of your
floor should be with warm water only no chemicals, For floors first
sweep area. Then mop while rinsing the mop and changing the water
constantly. After the first cleaning you can use a Neutral pH
cleaner to clean and maintain your floor. Never use vinegar,
bleach, acids, alkalis, or ammonia when maintaining floors. And always
vacuum or sweep before mopping your floor. Save any extra colorant in
a tightly sealed container for "touch-ups". If going from a
dark to light grout color, more than 1 application may be necessary.
| Step Five-enjoy the look of your
restored floor or walls and please tell all of your friends about it
!!!!!!! |
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