What’s The Difference Between Sealers?

November 18, 2020 | UpFront Home Services | Tile and Grout Cleaning

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Lately we have been getting a lot of questions about the different types of sealers that we use and the sealers are out there.

What Are The Different Types Of Sealers?

Water Based Sealer
Solvent Based Sealer
Color Sealer

Water Based Sealer

The water based sealer is a really good sealer for basic traffic lane wear and tear. It can be effective in kitchens, living rooms, bathrooms, and walk areas. The greatest flaw that a water based sealer has is that it doesn’t repel oil based stains. This makes the areas in the Kitchen in front of the stove especially difficult to clean. Placing a cooking mat in front of the stove is helpful with this type of sealer and frankly any type of sealer to help prevent any type of penetration or damage to the grout.

Sealer Life Expectancy : 1-3 Years (Varying on Traffic, Use, and Maintenance)

Solvent Based Sealer

The Solvent Impregnator Based Sealer is the best sealer available. It has all of the benefits of applying a water based sealer and none of the drawbacks. It is effective in protecting Oil Based stains in the Kitchen from penetrating and creating permanent stains. This doesn’t mean your Grout is going to stay clean forever, it simply means that it will be even easier to clean in the future and you shouldn’t gather any permanent stains along the way. If you’re on a budget I recommend using the Solvent based sealer only in the Kitchen Area and utilizing a water based sealer in the rest. Solvent based sealers are especially expensive but are worth the cost especially if you are applying them on Natural stone.

Sealer Life Expectancy : 3-5 Years (Varying On Traffic, Use, and Maintenance)

Color Sealer

Color sealing of Grout is typically a last resort when the Grout simply won’t come clean. That said it is effective at keeping the grout from becoming permanently stained by oils and other types of penetrates. However, this doesn’t mean your grout is going to stay clean forever. Color seals require consistent maintenance and touch up work. Dirts and Soiling do still stick to color seal meaning they need to be rinsed away. I recommend annual cleaning of Color Sealed grout and annual touch ups. We actually offer a Life Time Guarantee on our color seal, but the way to maintain it is to have us out to clean annually and do touch ups as needed.

Sealer Life Expectancy : Lifetime Of The Floor

In a nutshell, Sealers aren’t miracle coatings that will prevent your floors from getting dirty again. The purpose of Sealers is to help prevent your floor from becoming stained. There are a lot of misconceptions out there about sealers and we will address this in future tips articles.

Hire Tile and Grout Cleaning and Sealing Professionals

Our team has the experience, skills, and equipment required to handle this job efficiently. Getting the best value for your buck is so important when it comes to having any type of cleaning done in your home.

As a Veteran-founded company, we at Upfront Home Services offer honest and affordable Tile and Grout cleaning services. For any more information, feel free to contact us at (832) 303-3546. You can also send us an email via this Contact Us form, and one of our team members will call you shortly.