Hi,

Hope someone can help. When I grout, I often get slight discoloration of the grout, where some sections are lighter, and others darker. It seems as if the haze that is left on the tile after the first rinse adheres to some sections and not others. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Hi
As much as I hate to say it.....it happens all the time. There are so many additives in grout and thin set these days...and with the addition of porcelane tile(which does not absorb any water), all the additives and minerals have no where to go but up..and they end up on the surface of the grout. Grouting and washing with the least amount of water possible does help...but you may find now that a wash with 50:50 mix of vinegar and water will help remove it. IF that doesn't work,then a stronger solution will be needed. You can buy sulfamic acid crystals..they come in a small jar..in the tile section of HD and other places. The crytal form of the acid will only desolve to a certain strength..so you can't really make it too strong to do any damage. It works well...again, don't forget to read the directions ...but try the vinegar first.

I agree with Bri. The Vinegar and warm water wash almost always brings the grout to its proper colour.

Thanks for the advice. It's not bad enough to do anything about, I was really more concerned about avoiding it in future. Next time, I will try being a bit more frugal with the water. Any suggestions about how long to wait before the first wash? Will waiting longer help avoid the problem?

Todd.

Hi
Well....waiting longer will get rid of some of the water already in the joint..but then you may have to scrub harder and use more water to clean it. The joints should be firm before washing..by firm I mean it doesn't stick to your finger when you push into the joint. But there are a lot of factors to consider when washing...such as temperature...if it's hot...grout will dry on the tile before it does in the joint...or of there is a breeze blowing accross the tile...it will dry on top before the joints too. I find if you can put down 100 sq ft of grout...by the time you finshing spreading...it's time to start washing. SO if you are a beginner...you should cut that time in half...so lets say after the grout has been spread...you should start washing it in about 15 minutes. Does that help any?

Yes, that helps.

Thanks.