Unsealing Your Fate on Grout Turned Tan

Question: I recently had ceramic tile laid in my bathroom with white grout. The installers said I should put a sealer on the grout after a few days, which I did. However, I think I may have put too much on, and it has changed the grout color to tan. What can I use to lighten it?

E.A.

Placentia

Answer: “First, you’ll need to remove the sealer,” says Dan Richey of California Wholesale Tile in Anaheim. “You’ll have to brush on a tile cleaner that has a mild acid that will eat away the sealer. After it’s dried, you can use a ceramic tile grout cleaner to bring back the color. Then you should let the grout dry out for at least a week. Many do-it-yourselfers make the mistake of applying a sealer too early, before all the moisture has evaporated from the grout. After you’re sure it’s completely dry, you can apply a coat of sealer.”

Q: I’ve seen some of those padded wall coverings that are made of fabric with a foam backing, and I’m wondering, would they help soundproof walls?

D.U.

Los Alamitos

A: “To some extent, they probably would,” says paperhanger Steve Barris of Costa Mesa. “Most people get them because they like the look rather than their practical value. However, they’re not going to seal off a room completely. Most sound doesn’t come through walls anyway, it passes through weak spots that aren’t as thick, like windows and doors. If you like the padded look and it would work well in your house, I’d get it for that reason. If you’re getting it solely to block out noise from a room, you may be disappointed.”

Q: We recently moved to a house where the previous owners removed a large mirror off of a wall in the living room. To take the mirror off, it appears they had to scrape off part of the acoustic ceiling, then they repainted it. It’s been checked for asbestos and everything’s fine, but there is a two-inch strip of ceiling that is bare. What can we use to give that area the ‘cottage cheese’ look?

D.D.

Santa Ana

A: “There is a product available that can blend with your ceiling texture,” says Pete Gorman of Rancho Lumber in Westminster. “It’s an acoustic ceiling patching compound that comes already mixed. It has a light, fluffy texture, and it’s available for new and old ceilings. You put it on with a putty knife and it dries to match your ceiling. If the area you need to fix is too large for a simple patch, you may need to spray on a new ceiling, or have a professional come out to remove the acoustic covering entirely.”

Q: We’re thinking of remodeling our bathrooms, and recently we saw a toilet in a new custom home that flushed with a combination of water and pressurized air. I’ve never seen this kind of system before, is it new and expensive? Can the mechanism be retrofitted into an existing toilet?

C.M.

Mission Viejo

A: “What you saw was a toilet of the future,” says Ted Blanke of Central Plumbing & Heating Supply in La Habra. “Soon, the only type of fixtures available will be the 1.5-gallon toilets, as opposed to the traditional 3.5- or 4-gallon models. These water-saving toilets use a combination of water and air to clear the bowl. It’s not a new idea; these fixtures using what’s called a Sloane valve are almost always used in public bathrooms. Because of their design, you can’t transplant the mechanism into an older 3.5-gallon toilet. There are some 1.5-gallon models that are very expensive, but there are others more reasonably priced. You just need to shop around to find one you like.”

Got a question about your home or garden? Write to: John Morell, Handyman, The Times, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626.