Are you Using the Right Shower Restoration Products?

Shower tile and grout face extreme wear and tear on a daily basis. Constant water splashes, soap scum build-up and acidic cleaners ruin the integrity of the surface. Moreover, constant dampness and moisture on the surface lead to mold and mildew infestation inside. Shower glass doors are often ruined by hard water stains and soap scum. To keep shower tile and grout clean and dry is a constant struggle, especially if you do not know about the revolutionary new shower restoration products available. If your shower tile and grout look stained and worn out, you can still restore them like new by availing the best products on the market.

Impact of High-Quality Shower Restoration Products:

There are so many low-quality and cheap restoration products available on the market, that one can easily get duped. Furthermore, many of these products are highly acidic in nature, thereby causing etching on your tile. The right restoration products are made keeping these factors in mind. Once you have the knowledge of the right shower restoration products, you will not cause any harm to your costly tile or grout.

You will understand the importance of the right shower restoration products better when you look into the problem deeply and understand the possible solutions. We will also mention some products available on the market which solve these issues.

Common Problems Faced By Shower Surfaces and their Solutions:

Mold and Stains on Tile and Grout:

Problem:

• Most people install natural stone in their shower, which is highly porous. Stone like slate, travertine, granite and marble tend to absorb moisture and water, thereby offering excellent breeding conditions for mold and mildew. This mold that develops inside the pores of natural stone, soon spreads all over the surface.
• Grout is a mixture of sand and cement that is filled in the gaps between two tiles to join them. Grout is also very porous just like natural stone and absorbs water, leading to mold formation. It also gets stained easily. It goes missing and cracks in some places too.
• Mold not only ruins the integrity of the surface with its greenish black residue, it also causes some health hazards such as respiratory problems and eye problems. Mold also reeks of a bad odor, giving a very bad image to your shower.
• Stains take place easily on the tile and grout. These can be stains from acidic spills of lotions and soaps, hard water stains and soap scum.

Solution:

These stains and mold often get deep-rooted on porous natural stone and grout. On non-porous surfaces such as ceramic or porcelain tile, stains are formed superficially. You need to use deep soaking cleaners that can penetrate inside the pores of the stone and grout and eliminate these at the root level.

Efflorescence on Shower Tile and Grout:

Problem:

• A major culprit ruining the integrity of shower tile is efflorescence, which is nothing but mineral deposits left over after water evaporates. This is the residue left over after masonry.
• If you do not remove efflorescence right away, it can even clog your drains and crack your tile.

Solution:

You need to remove efflorescence at once using the proper efflorescence remover that does not harm the tile or grout, but just loosen the bonds of the calcium deposits.

Peeling or Cracking Caulk from Shower Corners:

Problem:

• Caulk is used to seal shower corners. Most often, this caulk starts cracking in dry conditions or peeling in wet settings.
• A damaged caulk has missing areas where water stagnates, leading to mold formation.
• A deteriorated caulk turns greenish black, ruining the appearance of your shower.

Solution:

Shower corners are best sealed with high-quality flexible epoxy resin adhesives that offer permanent results. Only buy those adhesives that do not appear bulky. You can try a pigmented flexible caulk substitute, waterproofing the corners with its thin and natural lines.

Cracked Tile and Grout:

Problem:

• Tile often crack or develop holes. At that time, your local contractor might suggest you change your tile. But to get a similar matching tile is often tough.
• If you leave the cracked tile unattended, the rough edges can hurt anyone walking barefoot on the surface.
• Grout also cracks or goes missing in some areas. This can loosen the two tiles it is joining or create rough edges.

Solution:

The best solution for cracked tile and grout is to fix it with an epoxy-resin adhesive, which can be pigmented in many shades and hence to offer a lot of choices. You should be able to easily match it to your tile or grout color and get a seamless repair job done.

Recurring Issues of Stains and Mold Formation on Grout:

Problem:

• Once you have cleaned your grout, there is no guarantee that stains will not form again.
• As grout is porous, it will absorb water again and lead to stain or mold formation.

Solution:

The only solution to this is to seal your grout with a waterproof epoxy-resin grout sealer that gives everlasting protection. You should try a pigmented grout sealer that is built on a rock-solid 2-part solvent titanium resin/epoxy foundation.

Recurring Issues of Stains and Mold Formation on Tile:

Problem:

• Similarly, just like grout, there is no guarantee that stains will not form on tile once you have cleaned it properly.
• Recurring water splashes will again lead to staining, mold formation and soap scum accumulation.

Solution:

You need to seal your tile surface with a topical sealer that also makes it waterproof. Such a tile sealer forms a protective barrier on the surface, thereby making water sheet-off the surface. You should find a transparent topical solvent tile sealer that does not appear bulky and also makes the surface absolutely waterproof.

Hard Water Stains and Soap Scum Accumulation on Shower Glass:

Problem:

• The shower glass doors are often ruined by hard water stains, water dots or soap scum splashes.
• Some acidic cleaners also cause etching on the surface.

Solution:

You need the right glass cleaning products to restore your glass doors just like new. The products should be gentle on glass and tough on stains. A good glass cleaner does not cause any etching on the surface and it reveals a sparkling surface instantly.

Recurring Stain Formation on Shower Glass:

Problem:

• You cannot guarantee that stains will not form on your glass surfaces once you have cleaned them.

Solution:

The only way to prevent stain formation again is by sealing the glass surface with a high quality glass sealer that does not appear too bulky.

This way, when you use the right shower restoration products, you can ensure beauty and hygiene of your surfaces for long. Once you have restored your tile, grout and glass surfaces, you may still experience superficial stains and dirt. You can maintain your entire shower with a high quality maintenance product on a weekly basis to preserve the beauty of your surfaces. These suggested products are manufactured by pFOkUS – one of the leading restoration products manufacturers in the US. If you don’t want to perform these restorations by yourself, you can hire a leading tile, grout, stone and glass restoration company like D’Sapone, which only uses pFOkUS’ products in the areas they service.