The waterproof grout between our shower tiles needs renewing. I remember doing a small area behind the kitchen cooker once, and it was a night-mare of a job.
I bought a hand tool from off E-bay to scrape the old grout out, and it constantly would leave the grout and due to the pressure in my hand wander across the polished tile surface scratching it to hell.
Can anyone recomend a better method?
petefj
Sounds like you're pushing much too hard. An oscillating saw is also an opt ion.
A steel point is much quicker, but despite explaining everyone I've seen tr y it gets the method wrong & fails. HOld the point in the same position you 'd hold a nail, at right angles to the surface. Whizz it back & forth along the grout as fast as practical, maybe 5 strokes per second. It eats grout fast. Never pick at it, that absolutely does not work.
NT
I have used a multitool with the half moon shaped carbide blade to dig out the grout between some good and damaged tiles before removing the damaged tiles. The grout first had to be removed as or else levering out the remnants of an old tile would start levering off a good tile.
Even with this method I had to be ultra careful about not damaging the edge of a good tile. I didn't care about the adjacent tile I was removing so I had a lot of leeway. It was easy to just nick the edge of the tile and spall off a bit of the surface. I also ab(used) a very sharp wood chisel to run down the edge of the tile once the majority of grout was removed to remove any remnants still stuck to the tile.
I'm sure that when demonstrating grout removal tools on Youtube they must be using something very soft between the tiles. The waterproof grout I was removing was more like reinforced concrete!
Ha, when I tried it some of the glaze came out with the grout. What is up with the grout? Brian
It's stained and looks very dirty. SWMBO has decided that renewal is the only answer. petefj
In most such cases all it needs is heavy bleaching. Apply thick bleach at night, leaving it on overnight. Repeat maybe half a dozen times. Don't do too much area at once, the bleach gives off fumes until it dries.
NT
I have always used a Stanley knife. A bit hard to start with, but once you create a "track" it is just a matter of getting the angle right with the blade, and shaving it all the way to the tile.
Hard work, that's for sure, but I have yet to damage a tile this way.
Agreed.
I followed this tip that I received here last year: soak some toilet paper with bleach, and stick it to the area you want done. Use A LOT of bleach and it will stay there.
Leave overnight, and it will be white in the morning.
I was convinced at the time that they were having me on, but it really does work...
Also works with silicone sealant - even if completely black (may need a
2nd attempt if really bad to start with).
Done that many times. The bogroll holds thin bleach in place, don't really need it with thick bleach.
NT
I find most steels (apart from stainless or tool steel) are not hard enough to take out grout cleanly and leave a dirty black residue of powdered steel which later turns to orange rust.
Fastest way for small areas by hand I have found is a tungsten carbide bit intended for drilling through ceramics. Again you need a decent quality one since the cheap ones from sheds are not up to the job and leave a dark residue as they are ground down by the ceramic filler.
If you don't have the steadiness of hand to control it all bets are off.
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required