When you buy a home you need to seal the grout, granite, and stone. While it seems like you should be able to just move right into your new home and simply unpack, there are some last minute jobs that need to be done. Most builders do not seal. Whether you're talking about a granite counter top, stone floors, or the bathroom grout these details are often left unattended to.
It's always best to clarify with the builder what has been completed and what hasn't been touched when you buy a brand new home. There are a lot of little details that may have been skipped simply because the builder doesn't consider it their responsibility to do so. Living with unsealed grout, granite, and stone can lead to problems along the way. Often mold, mildew, and staining will take over the area and it's very difficult if not impossible to truly get rid of this.
Builders are not directly involved in the actual process of building your home. It may seem a little redundant but a builder is there to organize the process, decide on a subcontractor, and then sell the property they own usually through a private realtor. The realtor often works directly for the builder and thus you may not get full disclosure about such details.
If the builder is selling unit homes, as in homes that look identical to each other, the model home will often have the granite, stone, and grout sealed. This can give you the impression that when your home is built this will be taken care of. Fortunately, it's not hard to perform these tasks and it can easily be done just before you move in. You need to allow adequate drying time which can be as little as two hours. Always be sure to add on a few hours to your time. Foot traffic and heavy traffic carrying large objects is not exactly the same thing. The product you're using will only clarify when the sealant is dry enough to handle foot traffic.
Once the sealant is applied and has dried you are then free to move into your newly built home. With all of the various details that may or may not have been overlooked it is usually best to do a room by room inspection before moving in. That way you can spot any unfinished areas and take care of them immediately. If you believe something was the builder's responsibility, let them know. Otherwise, you will just have to accept that when you buy a home you need to seal the grout.
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