How to Clean Grout or How to Remove Old Grout

Are you planning to remodel your kitchen or bathroom? If so, you probably want to know how to remove the old sealant and put a new one. Grout is a thin material used between tiles on the floor and brickwork, among other things. It’s typically made from cement, sand, and water with a coloring agent. You have three options for easy removal of old sealant from your surfaces. 

• Use a chemical-based product
• Take the DIY route by using sandpaper or abrasive materials
• Hire professionals for the job (although this will be expensive)

Here is how to clean or remove old sealants.  

1. Removing Sealant Manually by Using a Chemical Product 

Use a sealant cleaning chemical to remove grime and dirt from your floor surfaces. There are a lot of sealant cleaners on the market, but it’s important to get one with the right ingredients to ensure they remove and not damage your porous stone floor surfaces.  

How can you tell which product to buy? Look for a product that lists anti-microbial agents such as bleach or chlorine. These ingredients will kill bacteria and help prevent hard-to-remove stains. Also, avoid products with oil-based ingredients. Oil will make stains harder to remove from your flooring. 

2. DIY Removal of Old Sealant 

Did you know that you can use sandpaper for more than just polishing wood and metal surfaces? Although it’s best to use a grinding wheel, sandpaper will also do it. Suppose there is only a small amount of sealant to remove. Start by brushing out any excess residue and dirt. Use a stiff brush if necessary. Sandpaper is best for this job. Use a kinetic polisher if you want to tackle the job faster and are willing to spend more money on special equipment. 

Other tools you can use to remove old sealants are an angle grinder and a rotary tool. Just like sandpaper, these will work best in small areas. If you decide to use either of these tools, wear protective equipment such as masks and gloves. This will help prevent exposure to harmful chemicals in the old sealant. 

3. Hiring a Professional 

If the above methods fail to remove old sealants from your floor surfaces, it is time to hire a professional. However, this will not be cheap, and you’ll need to budget for the cost of new flooring. The job will take some time and may require a complete restoration of your floor surfaces.  

When the professionals arrive at your home, they will immediately spray the sealant cleaning product onto the floor. This will force the product into your fiberglass backing sheets made from asphalt. Next, a scrubbing tool removes any residue from the tile surfaces. While this is going on, a sanding tool is used to remove any remaining residue from the floor. When the job is completed, the new sealant will be placed in its place.  

Conclusion 

Removing old sealants from your floor can be a task that takes time. There are several methods of removing old sealants, but you will want to avoid damaging your porous stone floors. Also, it’s essential to work with a professional for the job. This is the only way to ensure that your flooring surfaces are properly restored. Our professionals at Lauderdale Lakes, FL, can help if you need new sealant installed at your home or office.