I had my partner call TOG and ask them how we can remove a CS demo we did about a week ago, she told me she spoke with 3 people there and they all transferred one to the other and finally someone told her that it cannot be done, we'd have to CS over it w/ a lighter color or take the grout out and re-grout the area. She asked how can we do demos on people's floor and they said we should be doing them on demo boards and not on client's floors.
I was not happy when i heard this response, so i wanted a second opinion on this, even though i used a TOG CS, i called GP up and Steve said that you CAN remove CS w/ a good floor stripper, went to HD and got denatured alcohol(didn't work), acetone(didn't work), and finally paint stripper(behr concrete/mansory brand), let it dwell for a good 10-20 mins w/ grout brush and came right out.
If you guys have a better product to remove CS regardless of the brand please let me know. I can't see myself doing demos on tile boards rather than floors, but that's my opinion.
This is not to bash on TOG, since we are clients of both TOG and GP, i just didn't understand how i could remove the CS when my partner had spoken to up to 3 different people and said it cannot come out, only solution was to find a lighter CS or re-grout the area. Which would've cost us more $, time, and might've not gotten payed on 2night's job.
supposedly GP is more durable than TOG and acetone will remove GP. go to home depot and get some acetone and mineral spirits, try that.
I just did two demos today right smack dab in the middle of the kitchens. thats what they asked for and if they dont want their grout colorsealed after that, they can live with a clean spot
let the mineral spirits or the aceting sit for 30 seconds or so, then scrub with a stiff brush.
__________________
Cameron DeMille
MilleStone Marble and Tile Inc.
MilleStoneMarble.com
supposedly GP is more durable than TOG and acetone will remove GP. go to home depot and get some acetone and mineral spirits, try that.
let the mineral spirits or the aceting sit for 30 seconds or so, then scrub with a stiff brush.
Yea, i bought acetone and it didnt work, it was for TOG CS though not GP. I just eventually used Behr paint stripper, white gel, and it sat for a few mins than scrubbed w/ blue grout brush(all i had), but it did come out eventually.
I'm still dizzy from all the fumes today major headache, nice combination, denatured alcohol, acetone, paint stripper, and stone sealer.
Yea, i bought acetone and it didnt work, it was for TOG CS though not GP. I just eventually used Behr paint stripper, white gel, and it sat for a few mins than scrubbed w/ blue grout brush(all i had), but it did come out eventually.
I'm still dizzy from all the fumes today major headache, nice combination, denatured alcohol, acetone, paint stripper, and stone sealer.
invest in a good chemical respirator and some replacement cartridges. I paid $150 for mine, I dont use it often but its a life saver when I need it.
__________________
Cameron DeMille
MilleStone Marble and Tile Inc.
MilleStoneMarble.com
High pressure over 1000 psi will remove it too, what I do is show the client what it will look like if they are a go ahead I just leave it there if they are unsure I ask them to take a photo to show hubby. Most off the time I demo there floor and remove it before I leave with some alk and brush than wipe dry with towel demo boards are great but you will sell more if demo on there own floors imo.
1) Alkaline cleaner (strong dilution, dwell and agitation),
2) Acetone, dwell (not too long, because it flashes) agitate,
3) 91% Alcohol (same method as acetone)
Do not be afraid of demo's they are the ticket to higher closing percetages of ColorSeal!
How can you say that? Is there any proof? Do you know any ingredients in GP giving more longevity that are missing in TOG?
....
To remove CS, I use Citristrip that you can find in HD or Lowe's. Dwell for around 30 - 60 min and agitate it with a metal brush that fits in grout line. And use a steamer to completely remove any residues. Citristrip is a NMP-based stripper and has low volatility, low flammability, and relatively low toxicity.
If the area is small, you can use a methylene chloride-based stripper in aerosol, which you can find just next to Citristip in HD. It takes only 15 min. No steamer is required. But protect your lung when use it by putting on chemical respirator with a good ventilation. Believe me, it works much better than what Nino just said. Acetone is as equally toxic as methlylene chloride. It evaporates quickly and is very flammable.
How can you say that? Is there any proof? Do you know any ingredients in GP giving more longevity that are missing in TOG?
....
To remove CS, I use Citristrip that you can find in HD or Lowe's. Dwell for around 30 - 60 min and agitate it with a metal brush that fits in grout line. And use a steamer to completely remove any residues. Citristrip is a NMP-based stripper and has low volatility, low flammability, and relatively low toxicity.
If the area is small, you can use a methylene chloride-based stripper in aerosol, which you can find just next to Citristip in HD. It takes only 15 min. No steamer is required. But protect your lung when use it by putting on chemical respirator with a good ventilation. Believe me, it works much better than what Nino just said. Acetone is as equally toxic as methlylene chloride. It evaporates quickly and is very flammable.
How does Citristip compare to paint stripper? I'd like to have one that works well especially for GP if it's been sitting for several days to a week(s).
I haven't tried removing the GP CS color seal for a demo that has been sitting for at least a week, but i'm sure it will happen sooner or later, all the products that Nino put below i have and it wouldn't remove the TOG CS, but it wasn't a GP CS either. I do know now that the behr paint stripper will remove the TOG(even though according to them nothing will).
I use Bridgepoint's "All Solve" in the aerosol can to remove CS demos, it will take it off real quick style. Just spray it on, scrub w/ a grout brush, rinse and dry, it's also a great carpet spotter for many things BTW.
...I just found out today about a Soy Stripper product by Franmar I'm gonna order up soon. To view links in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. Your post count is 0 momentarily. . If not just for colorseal removal, then other stripping as well. I haven't tried it yet, but I remember Gary T. telling me about soy a while ago after an acetone experience. Oh yeah, it's "earth friendly"...heh...heh.... (just busting yer balls). Hope this helps, Bill
Ummm. I may be missing something but I would stick with TOG. If it doesn't come out for you it won't come out with the client either. That's a good thing as Martha Stewart used to say. We tried to remove it once with everything we could think of that should have worked. It didn't
JOHN, JOHN, JOHN I'm not knocking your GP product all I am saying is what I said.....Please don't freak on me.
We do not do demos on the floors unless the people know it will not come out and are ok with that. This happens when they just want to see how it will react to their situation.
It all depends on how long it has been on the floor a week old demo no matter what poduct it is will remove if any longer than that GP or tog will be hard to remove.
Like i said TOG said it would not come out, yet GP did, and eventually i tried a few different chems and got the TOG CS out with the Behr Paint Stripper...i let it sit/dwell for 10-20 minutes, than scrubbed hard w/ blue grout brush wiped, than did it one more time same thing and eventually all of it came out.
We'll still do demos on people's floor now, i just prefer the wow factor on people's floors vs our boards.
I'm still a client of TOG, we've just ordered 2 cases of Neutral w/ Shane and Jeremy, they were very helpful, even Steve from GP said it's a good product too, so i'll still do business w/ both companies, but my CS's will be with GP and TOG for neutral and possibly cleaners.
Most off the time I demo there floor and remove it before I leave with some alk and brush than wipe dry with towel
Craig
Have you ever worried that this would portray to the customer/home owner that the product you are trying to sell them is so weak that it can be removed an hour after it was applied?
I am just curious as I am trying to figure out which is better, demo on the custy's floor, or your own demo board.
I use a demo board to show the customer its stain repellency and I have most of my colors on there too they are amazed at how porous the grout is that is not color sealed compared to a color sealed grout.
If I do demo on the customers grout I will take it off with in 5 min I tell my customers I only have 5 min before it starts to cure than it will be harder to remove.
If my customer wants it left there than that is great it means they are going to go ahead anyway if they change there mind I tell them it will cost you a call out for me to remove which has not happened yet and I do not think it will because I am a great salesman.
When we go back to color seal these jobs we than try and remove the color seal demo with no luck I only use Grout Perfect.
Here is a tip if you are color sealing a new install you may find it harder to remove a color seal demo as it is more porous even after 30 seconds I have trouble removing it.
I do a demo and I leave it there. The awesome new grout haunts them untill they call me to schedule the job. what kind of woman would stare at a perfect section of grout and not want the work done?
on a serious note, I do leave it, but I put it under a floor mat or soemwhere that is normally covered just in case.
since i started doing demos with the sales kit, i havent had someone say no. I dont do a lot of colorseal jobs, maybe 5-6 per year, but going 6 for 6 isnt bad at all.
__________________
Cameron DeMille
MilleStone Marble and Tile Inc.
MilleStoneMarble.com
I use TEC Grout sticks and they are also my standard colors for color
sealing. The sticks are VERY accurate and are duplicated by TOG,
GP, Color Clad etc..
You can go through many colors in short period of time.
What happens when you have a customer who wants to try
a bunch of colors ?? No way am I going to do a bunch of color
seal samples then have to remove them and how do you tell
them no once you've shown them a color or two?
Doing a small section of color seal will not represent what the
floor will look like when its done anyways so there isn't a big advantage to it.
I use TEC Grout sticks and they are also my standard colors for color
sealing. The sticks are VERY accurate and are duplicated by TOG,
GP, Color Clad etc..
You can go through many colors in short period of time.
What happens when you have a customer who wants to try
a bunch of colors ?? No way am I going to do a bunch of color
seal samples then have to remove them and how do you tell
them no once you've shown them a color or two?
Doing a small section of color seal will not represent what the
floor will look like when its done anyways so there isn't a big advantage to it.
I demo ever time. I sell a chit load of CS. pushing 90% of all jobs. Ask Saboyt. I never have to put down more than 3 -4 colors to get them to say that is the one. I put each them down on an intersection of grout and tile. I get 4 seperate grout lines that way. 4 inches each color. Sold. Not so much on what it looks like, but from my sales pitch.
I always ask what look they want. Tone on Tone or make the grout stand out. If they want the grout to stand out, then as kin which way. Lighter or darker grout lines than tile. From there, I know which colors to put down. Its easy.
To remove, spray an alk, wait 2 mins, scrub wipe up. Acid after if necessary.
I demo ever time. I sell a chit load of CS. pushing 90% of all jobs. Ask Saboyt. I never have to put down more than 3 -4 colors to get them to say that is the one. I put each them down on an intersection of grout and tile. I get 4 seperate grout lines that way. 4 inches each color. Sold. Not so much on what it looks like, but from my sales pitch.
I always ask what look they want. Tone on Tone or make the grout stand out. If they want the grout to stand out, then as kin which way. Lighter or darker grout lines than tile. From there, I know which colors to put down. Its easy.
To remove, spray an alk, wait 2 mins, scrub wipe up. Acid after if necessary.
I've been doing the same with no issues.
We don't show all 12 colors from GP's kit. I show them my top 5 most popular colors, usually these colors are in stock too. If they don't like the colors than I might ask for lighter/darker and show those options. I have many times put 2-4 colors down, after 5 minutes removed them w/ no issues. Still have the same bottles w/ the same CS from the original kit, as long as I'm not over applying on the demo, it will last a long time.
I've waiting on a luxury condo building to make a decision right now, done 2 demos on their floors, few weeks ago(signed a small disclaimer saying once it's on there it won't come off), they understood that, but since all hoa board members have to vote, we had to leave the CS on. I have gone back 1-3 weeks on the different sections of the floors I demoed and still looks like new. This is a 8x16 ceramic about 2600 square ft.
Removing Color Sealer Demo
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