Outdoor Tile Sealing: How Genuine Pros Do It
A lot is expected from the outdoor tiles. They are made to be sturdy and withstand all of the natural elements, but that doesn’t mean that once they are in place you should just completely forget about them. Over time, your outdoor tiles will suffer from various problems, some of which include stains and cracks, especially if your tiles experience a lot of foot traffic.
However, there are a few ways you can protect your outdoor tiles and prolong their lifespan, but this is something that should definitely be left to professionals. So, let’s see how sealing the outdoor tiles looks like when done by a professional.
Why is sealing the tiles necessary?
As mentioned before, the outdoor tiles experience a lot of wear and tear. Therefore, if you want to make sure that your tiles look beautiful longer, you should reseal them every once in a while. This will freshen them up, so to say, and give them back their original shine.
Some experts can even try to mimic your tile’s original pattern and repaint them if necessary before sealing them. So, make sure you find reliable professionals to take care of it for you.
Step one: Cleaning
To get the surface ready, use a broom and a dustpan to remove all the debris. Just make sure to clean it thoroughly to avoid having any debris trapped between the tile and the sealant. For the maximum result, you can even wash your tiles, but do this a couple of days prior to sealing, to give your tiles enough time to dry.
However, no matter how good a job you do, chances are that the experts you’ve hired will want to clean the surface themselves. You should not find this offensive or annoying, because a true professional will want to do everything on their own to make sure that every step is done, well, professionally. Besides, they might even know some cleaning tricks that give better results.
Step two: Sealing
Once the tile surface is completely clean it’s time to apply the sealant. Real pros will be extremely careful with this step because it is very important that the layer of the sealant covers the entire surface evenly without dripping down onto the grout. The most common method used is applying the sealant with a paint roller or a paintbrush and working on 4sq ft sections at a time.
The sealant is then usually left to completely dry overnight. Now, before they move onto the next step, outdoor tile sealing experts will want to clean the surface once again, as doing this with the right tools will leave them with a smooth, clean surface ready for the next layer. Every next layer is applied approximately thirty minutes apart because that’s how long it takes for the sealant to dry.
Step three: Grouting
The next step is grouting. This step requires precision and care because the grouting mixture should not end up on the sealed tiles. That’s why experts usually use a trowel as it allows for an additional level of control when applying the mixture.
Once the mixture is in place, they take the float and even out the grout into the gaps between the tiles. Next, they clean off any excess grout and give it a good wipe with a wet sponge after letting it set for about 15 minutes. After that, you can expect them to come back and continue working after about two days because that’s how long it takes for grout to completely dry.
Step four: Resealing
Finally, once everything is dry, the professional will apply another layer of the sealant, this time covering both the tiles and the grout. Again, this step also requires expertise because the layer of the sealant should be even everywhere. If necessary, you can ask them to do two final coats instead of one.
If you happen to have any cracks in your tiles, you should fill them up first. After that is done and the sealant applied, you can be sure that it will prevent any future cracks from forming.
As you can see, by showing some love and care for your outdoor tiles you can significantly prolong their lifespan. Also, make sure to ask the professionals to give you a thorough guide on how to maintain and clean your outdoor tiles, because some solutions have been known to damage the sealant. Once everything is done, you’ll be left with outdoor tiles that look like new.
