What is the Purpose of Seal Grout for Tiles?

As times progress, in today's home renovations, whether for a new home or refurbishing an old one, homeowners often find themselves pondering: Is it essential to apply seal grout when laying floor tiles? Didn't past home renovations avoid seal grout for tiles? What are the benefits of using seal grout for tiles?

Is it necessary to use seal grout when laying tiles?

Opinions on this topic vary. Why didn't past tile installations use seal grout? This is mainly because there were no standardized professional seal grout products in the past. Most used modified cement-based fillers, which neither resisted stains nor were easy to clean. Later, single-component seal grouts emerged, but they were of low strength and prone to collapse and cracking.

Today's two-component seal grouts not only possess high strength and excellent resilience, but they also never crack or mold. Additionally, they are waterproof, corrosion-resistant, come in various styles, and are stain-resistant and easy to clean.

what benefits does seal grout bring to tiles?

Firstly, tiles with seal grout appear neater and more aesthetically pleasing. You can choose various styles based on personal preferences, whether it's grand and elegant, simple and classic, mottled, pure and comforting, gentle and refined, or icy and delicate. It's all up to individual taste.

Secondly, using seal grout for tiles can prevent water seepage and moisture from penetrating the concrete layer, avoiding blackened gaps, the formation of dirt, efflorescence, and powdering. Not only is this visually unappealing, but it also harbors dirt, promotes harmful bacteria growth, and poses health risks to individuals and their families.

Types of Bacteria in Tile Gaps and Their Hazards

According to certain sample data, we know that gaps can be as small as 0.9mm or exceed 6mm. On average, every square centimeter of tile contains 4.56 grams of gap debris. Inhalable particles, bioactive substances, breadcrumbs, pet hair and dander, saliva, and stagnant water provide favorable conditions for harmful bacteria to thrive. On average, the number of harmful bacteria is seven times the standard set for infectious disease departments and wards in hospitals. The main harmful bacteria and their hazards in indoor tile gaps include:

• Mold: Mold can rapidly proliferate in warm and humid gap areas. Some strains can cause nausea, upset stomach, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. In severe cases, they may lead to respiratory and digestive system diseases like asthma and acute enteritis.
• E. coli: E. coli mostly originates from pet dander and urine. Pathogenic strains, such as O-157 E. coli, can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea, high fever, and complications like hematuria and brain dysfunction.
• Staphylococcus aureus: According to reports from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus rank second, only behind E. coli, and are more common in spring and summer. They can cause pneumonia, pseudomembranous colitis, pericarditis, and even sepsis and septicemia.
• Dust mites: Dust mites are among the primary causes of allergic diseases. When indoor air contains 500 dust mites per gram of dust, it can potentially trigger acute asthma.

It is evident that applying seal grout for tiles in homes can bring about a healthier living environment due to the stain resistance, wear resistance, waterproofing, and antibacterial properties of the seal grout. By preventing the accumulation of debris in the gaps, it reduces the growth and proliferation of harmful bacteria, safeguarding the health of families and their members.

Feiyang can be of assistance to sealant manufacturers in the development of polyaspartic polyurea sealant. Polyaspartic polyurea seal grout is a newly upgraded product from epoxy seal grout, addressing the issues of yellowing, inability to cure at low temperatures, and moisture intolerance of epoxy seal grout. At the same time, it retains the quick-drying, waterproof, wear-resistant, and weather-resistant properties of polyurea material, making it a truly functional seal grout material.

Feiyang has been specializing in the production of raw materials for polyaspartic coatings for 30 years and can provide polyaspartic resins, hardeners and coating formulations. Some of our polyaspartic coating formulations: Polyaspartic Coating

Feel free to contact us: marketing@feiyang.com.cn

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