I intend to regrout the whole thing rather than just the bad spot. Most Most of the old grout is in good shape, albeit no longer bright white.
I've completely removed the old grout in a bad spot or two. As for the rest... I was wondering if I can get away with lightly indenting the old grout with a grout saw as opposed to trying to remove as much of it as possible? This would make my life much easier.
Thanks in advance for any tips.
The instructions I followed advised removing to at least ? 1/16" depth. Do it right. I used the Dremel tool and attachments. The hard part was smooshing in the new grout - could have used some "muscle" :o) The new grout can't "grab" when it is too shallow.
I like the epoxy grout available at tile stores. It's expensive and hard to apply, but it will not mildew. Do one wall at a time because it sets quickly.
if you dont remove enough initially the new grout wouldnt stick and fail fast.
grout doesnt stick to old grout well since its has spoam scum and is by definition already in poor condition from age, to one degree or another
How did it go? I just bought a Dremmel tool and the attachments and was planning the "fun" later this week.
Hard part? I've always found grouting (other than the cleanup) was the easiest part of the job. Did you use a float?
I have tile about 40 y/o, 1 3/4" x 4 1/4". 1/16" grout line, a tad less in places. The skinny grout joints can cause the Dremel to skip out and hit the tile, so you can get chips. I think my tile must be porcellain, as I only chipped one. Wear dust mask. I followed instructions to the letter, cleaned it well before I started. Had a lot of grout out and I couldn't figure out why I smelled such a strong odor of soap all the time. Got out the razor scraper and found a lot of crud I hadn't realized was there - perfect color/finish of tile to conceal soap scum :o)
My old bones make it hard to do the lower rows, and my physical strength is underwhelming - always tell hubby I HAVE to use my brain to figure out stuff he can do with his strength :o) Yep, used a float and it takes some pressure to get the grout in for sure. Our condo didn't have
40 years of full-time use, as it was a snow-bird place. Few pinholes, but have neighbors with same tile jobs who had shower walls totally destroyed by water and lack of maintenance. Our condo was never painted, after it was decorated as the original model - even had some of the original furniture, drapes and carpet. Hubby could have and would have done the grout, but it wouldn't have looked as good. He does the tough stuff, I do the pretty, no-drips, no-spills kind of stuff :o)Someone on the NG said that grout can be removed with utility knife, but it didn't work for me. I think I shopped for a saw but couldn't find one narrow enough? Don't remember. The bottom row of tile around our shower stall has cove tiles which are a tad lower than the floor tiles and trap some water and get moldy.
When I painted the ceiling in this bath, I started priming a couple of hours after the last shower - was surprised to find the ceiling wet to the extent the primer would slide around. Installed a timer switch for the fan so's it dries out better.
Ohh, that's a lot of grout. Mine's 20yo 6"x6" with 1/16" grout line (nominal).
Mine is ceramic. Ceramic wall tile is pretty soft (easily cut with a carbide Roto-Zip bit) so I was wondering if it would cut right through the tile.
Good hints (gotta dig up the masks). Thanks.
This is a Jacuzzi bathtub/shower surround so there isn't anything all that low but I'll have to build a platform to protect the fiberglass tub.
I do both the heavy stuff and the no-drip stuff (sometimes not so well). Her job is to clean the dust from the rest of the house and have a beer ready when I'm done. ;-)
I've not seen a saw this thin either and the one I bought for a previous job was like a hot butter knife through diamond. I'll try the utility knife first but I have a feeling the dremel is going to get a workout.
I've never had trouble paining the ceiling. We'll likely be without this bathroom for a week, so... I'll paint the ceiling while I'm at it since I'll have all the woodwork off and the carpet (yes, carpet!) up. I'm going to tile the floor too, so demolishing bottom up and finishing top down seems to be the way to go. ;-)
Thanks for your insight!
I've been removing the grout thoroughly as prescribed. One thing I'm concerned about. Perhaps the original tile job was not done properly and one of the walls is warped as well. Anyway the joints between the tiles are really skinny. About the width of a utility knife blade, which is what I'm using to remove the grout in this area (nearly half of the wall on the length of the tub).
Can I still re-grout the tiles with the skinny joints and expect it to last?
Use *UN*-sanded grout, if it's less than 1/16".
I don't recommend regrouts because the new grout may not hold well onto the old grout. If you're going to do it anyway, use a carbide tipped knife to cut out the grout, assuming it is the typical narrow joint with unsanded grout. These carbide knives have a curved handle and tip and are sold as a means to cut cementboard. Look among the tile tools at HD or Lowes, or a tile store will know what it is. It is the best tool I've ever found to remove unsanded grout in between wall tiles.
Push hard towards the joint, and pull it slow and keep in control. If you slip, you'll scratch the tile, so keep a firm grip on the tool.
Be sure to cut out all the joints, as deep as you practically can, to remove the surface soap film. Use an unsanded, polymer modified grout to regrout.
This information is for homeowners-only wanting to jury rig their own tile job. It could refurbish a tile wall for a few years, but isn't a professional repair IMO.
thetiler
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