DIY: How to Grout and Clean Faulty Tile Grouts away
“It is very ANNOYING as our new tiles are left with tiny DIRTY SPOTS. We do not know why. We could not remove them.”
“I saw a lot of BUBBLES on the TILE JOINTS. They undermine the surface of our floors.”
“Some DARK LINES are sticking on our bathroom mosaic tiles.”
These are the SOS messages from our clients when they ask for HELP from our tiling services. The problems, they face, seem irrelevant. ACTUALLY, it is FAULTY GROUT that caused their annoyings: shaded or splotchy grout, uneven joints or scratched-out grout.
But, you can DIY TO FIX FAULTY GROUTS and REAPPLY NEW GROUTS, without costing any money.
We would like to give some guides about DIY grouting.
Quite a few of our clients have no ideas about grout, until our tilers ask them about the type and color of the grout they would like to apply for their tiles.
Let’s start with: What is tile grout?
There are two basic types of tile grouts: sanded and un-sanded. Which one you use depends on the width of joints. Specifically, un-sanded grout is recommended for <4mm grout joint and Sanded grout used for =>4mm grout joint. Remember: sanded grout is rougher and harder to clean.
Besides, there is one more special grout: epoxy grout – the most stain-resistant.
There are various grout colors (mapei: 51 and ardex: 36), which satisfy all your tiling needs, tile sizes and colors.
So, how to remove bad or faulty grout?
You need a snap-off knife, so buy one at a local store if you don’t have any. You will use the knife to scrape away faulty grout from tiles joints. This process needs doing gently. Be cautious: knife blade might cause chips to tiles.
Then, you carefully vacuum the grout dust and use dry cloth to clean surface surround grout joint.
After removing the faulty grout, you need to move to the preparation of the grout.
How to prepare a perfect grout mixture?
For this step, you need to buy the grout powder. You should have in your mind: the grout color before coming to a local tile shop. If you are unsure about the slight difference between grout colors, don’t hesitate to ask the shop assistant. You should also prepare grouting tools, including: gloves, gauging trowel and grout bucket.
You will mix the grout powder with water. You should follow the instruction labeled on the product to measure the water ratio. Remember: A clean bucket and clean water are a must.
For mixing, some people use the electric speed drill to mix grout with water. But, I don’t recommend this method as this method create air bubbles in the compound that will weaken the mix later on. It will cause the splotchy grout. Here is the key: use a gauging trowel to make the mixture. You can easily adjust less and more water or grout for the mix if necessary, without creating any air bubbles.
Remember: The final mix texture must be like toothpaste. Too much water weakens the grout. Meanwhile, lack of water makes it dry too fast.
How to apply new grout?
For new grout application, you need a grout float and a sponge. You should hold the float at a 45-degree angle to the floor/wall, to push grout into the joints. You move the grout float at a diagonal direction to the grout lines to ensure a smooth finish. Make sure the joints are full of grout. You then need to clean excess grout from tiles by holding the float at a 90-degree angle to sweep the float diagonally across the grout joints. After that, you use a clean damp sponge to clean tiles and smooth the joints. You wipe the surface of the tiles and the joints with a circular motion.
Remember: Make sure your sponge is not too wet as excess water will affect the quality of the grout and discolor it. Also, you should not push too much force when you smooth the grout joins. Otherwise, it will clean up majority of the grout inside the joints.
Finally, you need to remove grout haze from tiles by using a new damp sponge that is rinsed in clean water. You should wipe diagonally across the tiles.
Remember: At this stage, you should keep rinsing the sponge and wiping. Be patient. Don’t be rushing.
Any grout residue can be cleaned up with a dry clean cloth when the grout has dried.
The grout will fully be cured within 7 days.
How to clean tile and grout during usage?
You’d rather spend time with your family than spend too much time cleaning your bathroom?
Or you like cooking but don’t expect any hot grease or ketchup that might fly over to your tile grout?
There is no way of such maintenance-free floor/wall. But, we do have some solutions to lessen your burden:
- You can use grout sealer, which protects the grout from stains during floor installations. Reapply a fresh coat of the sealer at least once a year.
- You can try epoxy grout. Epoxy is stain resistant and does not require sealing.
- You can do cleaning grout and tiles frequently, instead of waiting to see the stains on grout. You use a squeegee or towel to wipe excess water off walls after each use. This will help to prevent the formation of stain.
For stubborn dirt, a plastic brush and a little elbow grease will help. Or, you can make a mixture of half vinegar and half clean water: let the grout absorb the mix for five minutes, then scrub with a stiff-bristled brush, using a circular motion. Be cautious: Do not use this mixture for natural stone as acid from vinegar will harm the stone tiles.
For more information, please contact us, your Auckland professional Tilers at cozytiling.nz@gmail.com