Tile and Stone Maintenance

Category: Grout (Page 1 of 2)

Case Study – Re-Coloured Grout

This month I have another case study, again courtesy of Andrew Titmuss, of Posh Stone Floors

Andrew took on a grout re-colouring job where the client has an existing white glazed tile with a dark grey grout. The client feared that it was not possible and was contemplating the horrors of raking out the grout to re-do with a white.

As most Tilers know, raking out grout can be a nightmare job, consider the following:

 

  1. It takes ages – there is no fast way, by hand takes forever, using a grinder is just too dangerous. There are special oscillating machines that make it easier, but not easy
  2. It is hard work
  3. It is not always possible to get every bit of old grout out – invariably there will be some grout left on the tile edges, and this can show through the new grout
  4. It is messy – it creates lots of dust
  5. It usually results in damage some of  the tiles – almost always a few tiles are scratched or chipped in the process – this makes a great deal more work if spare tiles are available, but often there are no spare tiles and quite often they are no longer available to buy.

 

So a grout recolouring product can be a real problem solver, refreshing the look , making it like new again, giving a uniform and consistent colour and best of all, sealing the grout at the same time.

However there can be challenges and going from a dark grey to a white, is one such challenge. The way around this is to apply two coats, letting the first coat dry before applying the second.

The results speak for themselves though, fresh, clean looking grout joints that are also sealed, oh, and one delighted customer.

Thanks for the photos Posh Stone Floors

Recoloured grout from grey to white

Grey ‘before’ & white ‘after

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

close up of recoloured grout

Close Up

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grout recoloured

Finished job

 

Copyright Ian Taylor and The Tile and Stone Blog.co.uk, 2013. See copyright notice above.

Sealer for Showers

A question I was asked frequently in 2009 relates to sealers in tiled showers. So it came as no surprise that the first question I get in 2010 (this morning in fact) was: “What sealer should I use my shower?”

On average I get asked this question at least once a week, so it would seem that lots of people have got issues with staining in their showers. However, usually just a few seconds into the conversation and I realize that they are actually asking the wrong question.

Continue reading

Copyright Ian Taylor and The Tile and Stone Blog.co.uk, 2013. See copyright notice above.

How To Remove Grout Haze From A Limestone Floor?

Visitor’s Question: “I have a problem with a newly laid Limestone floor. The tiler left it with a very thick haze of grout on it.I have tried a Fila Residue Remover cleaner, and another Grime remover (which seemed to work only a little better). I have used non-scratch pads and an emulsifier pad – on my hands and knees and it is still there. Please help?”

Our Answer: Continue reading

Copyright Ian Taylor and The Tile and Stone Blog.co.uk, 2013. See copyright notice above.

FAQ’s – How Do I Clean Away Mildew And Mould From My Tile Grout?

The answer to this is relatively straightforward and there are two ways to go. First, if you have a small coating of mould, algae or mildew on your tile grout then you could use a simple tile cleaning product like Shower Tile Cleaner. This should more than do the job for you.

However, if you have a thicker coating of mildew, algae or mould on your tile grout then we’d suggest spraying some diluted household bleach onto the stained areas and leave the bleach on there for at least an hour – always test on a small area first to be safe. Then, rinse it off well using plenty of clean water. This will certainly clean off all the mould for you. If you still have stains left remaining then perhaps you should consider recoloring the grout with Grout Colorant.

Copyright Ian Taylor and The Tile and Stone Blog.co.uk, 2013. See copyright notice above.
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