Grout comprises of basically, water, cement, and sand, its an excellent material with the main purpose of being used to fill openings and gaps in surfaces during construction.
How long does it take grout to day? On an average, it takes between 24 to dry but you must wait 48 to 72 hours to allow it to cure completely. This is as a result of factors like humidity levels, they type of grout and the environment you are working on.
The main purpose of grout is to fill the gaps between tiling and used to fit them together. When tiles are laid on the walls or floor, grout is then used to fill the gaps, which adds a level of permanence.
Without the use of grout, the tiles in your bathroom wouldn’t be fit to use. Also, grout prevents the accumulation of bacteria and dirt between your tiles gap; it also saves your pinky toes from falling between the tile gap.
Read: Can vinegar ruin your grout?
How Long Does it Take Grout to Dry
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It needs to cure for the recommended amount of time, at least 24hours before usage; else, the whole process will be ruined.
Factors that Determine grout Drying Time
The Kind of Grout Being Used
This is the most important factor determining the time grout takes to dry. There are four common types of grout for ceramic tiles.
They include; quarry type, unsanded, epoxy, and finely sanded. There are also a number of mixed grout available in the market, yet the have their pros and cons.
Now, how do you know the type of grout you are dealing with? Always check the manual guide, as the manufacturers always inform users of the specific grout type and the amount of time it needs to dry for.
One very important tip to note is that if the time written on your grout packaging is 30 minutes, leave the floor to dry for one hour.
You should give the grout more time to get ready for use, because the advertised drying time may be applicable only in ideal conditions or temperature, and that might not be the case in your home.
Read: How to change the color of grout on tile floor
Humidity
If the room you are tiling is very humid, it can affect the amount of time it takes your grout to set up. Grout drys as the moisture evaporates from the materials. High humidity means there’s a lot of evaporated moisture in the air.
And this moisture slows down the process of hardening and drying of your grout, which makes the grout take a lot of time to dry and being able to be walked upon without grout damage.
Your house humidity levels depend on the specific location of your region, and also, having indoor flowers and plants play a huge role in affecting your house’s humidity as they release moisture into the air.
But that’s not a cause for worry, as you can alter your home’s level of humidity. This you can do by just adding a dehumidifier or an air conditioner in the room.
Also, keeping the air moving across the floor using a small fan is a great method of decreasing the amount of moisture inside and help speed up the drying process of the grout.
Read: Difference between sanded and unsanded grout
How to Ensure a Successful Grout Application
Allow Tiles to Dry Properly
For your grout to look its best, you have to give the tiles sufficient time to dry, because when it’s not properly dried, the tile adhesive can seep into a good grout job and discolor it.
You may also experience tiles that are somewhat loose because they haven’t dried properly, this can ruin a good grout job. Depending on the tile job, it may take two to five days before they are fully dried.
It may look like a long time to wait, but waiting will save you a lot of time later because you won’t have to redo your grouting.
Read: How to fix loose tile floor
Setup a Plan
You need to make proper preparations before grouting, decide on which room you want to grout first, whether it is the bathroom, bedroom, or kitchen.
Ensure to plan appropriately beforehand when grouting the kitchen; for example, you don’t want to walk across the floor before the grout is dried properly to get a snack, ensure to plan your meals out.
And if it’s the bathroom you plan on regrouting, remember to prepare an alternative room to take a shower in or arrange for alternate accommodation. Because even though your shower grout looks dry, using it too early may damage it.
Allow your Grout to Dry
You should allow your grout to dry overnight before using as most grout drying time may take up to 24hours.
Different grout mixes can have their different instructed dry time. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions, and if unsure of the drying time, consult your packaging manual or the grout manufacturer.
And if you are planning to seal your grout after installation, you need to wait longer than the regular waiting time; this is to ensure that all the moisture in the grout has had enough time to be released. In most cases, this can take up to 24hours to complete.
Read: How long does it take grout to dry
Use Additional Drying Appliances
There are quite a number of household appliances you can use to the time grout takes to dry fully. This you can do using either an air conditioner, an electric fan, or a dehumidifier.
Clean off Excess Grout
It is important to clean off excess grout while the material is still drying. Do this after applying the grout on the floor for 15 to 30 minutes. Naturally, grout is meant to be durable, so clearing excess grout off your tile when it’s already dry will be very difficult.
For maximum convenience and best results, use a wet sponge to remove most of the excess, leaving behind only a thin haze.
Sealing your Grout
The time it takes for grout and the sealer to dry and when to allow water to touch the tiles should all be clear from the instructions.
Sealing your grout too early may damage it, most cement-based grout requires a 48 to 72 hours dry time before applying a sealer.
Most sealers dry within 5hours; some take up to two days. That’s why it is recommended to wait up to 48hours before allowing movement on the floor just to be safe, some grout formulas may require longer or shorter drying time, and epoxy-based allows you to skip the sealer.
Always consult your manufacturer specifications and follow the instruction manual. Apply the sealer using a brush, spray, or roller to spread it properly on the surface of the floor.
If you are unsure whether the sealer had dried up, sprinkle a few drops of water on the grout line, if the water drops accumulate over the grout line then the sealer is dried, but if the grout absorbs the water drops, then it’s not properly dried, and you should reapply the sealer immediately.
Read: How to clean matte porcelain tile
Damp Curling
Damp-curling is a process where a non-staining, craft type paper is placed over the finished floor for three days.
It is also done by using a wet sponge or mop to wet the grout, after the next 24 hours, you dampen the grout using the same mop or sponge and repeat the same process for the next three days.
By doing so, you will strengthen your grout, many contractors and homeowners use this longer drying method to strengthen the grout on their floors.
Read: How easy it is to lay vinyl floor tile
Conclusion
Without grout, the ceramic in your bathroom would be of less use. Knowing how long it takes grout to dry is very important as walking on a floor before it completely dried will ruin the grout job and flooring maximum efficiency.
The drying time and other factors that can disrupt your grout job are all explained in this article. Have you tried sealing your tile? How long did the grout take to dry?
