Cdat

Dumb arse question from a dumb arsed fool. I've been doing quite a bit of concrete work lately and have come to a issue that no one can give me an answer to. I do a lot of acid staining on concrete to enhance the look. Is there any reason, that you know of, why I could not stain a grout? Everyone I talk to is very much against the idea but they can give me no reasons why. My business is shifting to recreating the looks of stuff already done. So, I ask the tile guys here, or anyone who may know, why can I not acid stain grout?

Bill_Vincent

I don't know enough about ACID staining to answer intelligently, but I DO know grout can be stained. Even grout colorants notwithstanding, years ago, I built a home down in Terryville, Connecticut. When we first built, I used a bone colored glazed porcelain tile for my kitchen backsplash, and let my wife talk me into using a bone colored grout to match. My own taste is for slight contrast in grout, and after a while it really started getting to me. My wife was big into the Pfaltzcraft Yorktowne dishes, so I took a bottle of colonial blue ceramic stain from her ceramics kit, and used an artist brush to stain every last bit of grout on that backsplash. it looked pretty good when it was done, too. I've also used black shoe dye back before colorants came around, as well.

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wizendwizard

Food coloring to stain silver grout a raspberry color.
Customer wanted to change colors but didn't have the budget to chip and regrout.
One of the coolest things I've ever thought of. 1991

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Bud Cline

I suppose you could stain a Portland grout with acid stains intended for concrete but grout installation is different from concrete installation.

The finish on a concrete slab comes from the working of the surface without overworking it. The aggregate is pushed down below the surface and the "milk" rises to the top allowing a smooth finish of sorts. It is (then) this milk after it cures that causes the variances in the appearance of the acid staining (etching) process. The acids work on the different chemicals that are present in the milk layer and this is what delivers the color matrix that results.

I doubt acid staining tile grout would produce the same satisfactory results.

Cdat

Thanks for the answers. I've been staining grout but people freak out when they see me do it. I was just hoping for a reason if it isn't allowed and a reason why it could mess up the bond of the grout or something like that. I don't plan on quitting unless what I am doing will mess something up down the road.

What I've noticed more and more as I switch from wood to concrete, is the only reason something hasn't been done in the past, is nobody has tried it yet.