Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Tile and Grout Cleaning plus Sealing - Shower Tile Cleaning and More!


Tile and Grout Shower Tile Cleaning plus Sealing sometimes can be very difficult to get clean. The main reason why is due to soap scum, body oils, as well as hard water deposits! All three of these issues create haze and smears that are extremely difficult to remove. Most showers I see are the traditional 4x4 Dal Tile squares with unsanded grout joints and seem to lose consistency as the house gets older. Unsanded grout joints on the lower parts of the shower should be refilled with chalk (DAP) due to constant flow of water hitting the shower walls and is the main reason for crumbling grout by the shower basin. Mold and Mildew are also issues in the shower, and typically evolve from water getting behind the grout/tiles/chalk where areas need to have immediate attention before spreading occurs. Sometimes work is done too fast whereas it is critical of prep (dry surfaces vs. wet surfaces) as work from beginning to end must be completely dry and after finish completely no usage for at least 1 full day! Shower tile basins are also a problem especially man made material basins as grease and grime seem impossible to remove. Best solution for man-made material basins are stuff the drain w/rag or stopper and dump bottle or two of Clorax and let sit for at least 24 hours. Repeat if necessary. Tiled floors in showers in my professional opinion are the worst! These tile and grouted surfaces get all the end results of soap scum, body oils, foot funk, and more that when unattended to are near impossible to remove! Solution is to rinse shower tiled basin completely before stepping out each time. Natural Stone Surfaces in any shower whether on the walls or floors are the most difficult and besides just tile and grout cleaning plus sealing, stone surfaces may require stone restoration (diamond cutting) and is extremely expensive and most damaging material to care for! Especially material like travertine, marble, Mexican, and even granite which seems to get the worst haze and hard water film that is near permanent over time! Best possible surface I recommend inside showers are literally 4'x8' sheets of Cultured Marble which come in many designs and patterns, no grout lines, extremely easy care and easy to remove and replace in future! Where the edges of each corner meet is where one single high gloss chalk line exist. These surfaces look very modern as well!

Most important to note is Sealing of almost all surfaces in any shower as mentioned above will make products like soap, shampoo, body oils, and more roll down the shower walls and will not adhere so easily to the tile as well as the grout! Excellent service, if remodeling or buying a newly constructed house. Have this done prior to taking a shower. Usually last 2-4 Years or as clean as you keep it! Let sealer sit at least 24 hours before using that bath. Stay away from harsh chemicals in any shower stall w/exception of man made material basins.

For more tile and grout cleaning and sealing answers and help or to set-up your tile and grout cleaning plus Sealing appointment visit me in Las Vegas @ www.lasvegastileandgroutcleaning.com Good Luck my friends!

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