Tile and Stone Maintenance

Category: Grout Colorant

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.

Re-Coloring Grout

I get a lot of questions about recolouring grout with Aqua Mix Grout Colorant, so it is great to be able to show the process instead of just talking about it. Thanks to our friends at www.tradetiler.com we have the video demo below:

And, yes, it really can be that simple; in this case it was easy as the grout was new, clean and in good condition, making application and clean-up a breeze. However older grout joints can be re-coloured just as well, with just a little bit of preparation.

In most cases, old grout will need a quick clean with a dilute, mild acid based cleaner (or the ready mixed Pre-treat Cleaner by Aqua Mix). This removes old dirt and prepares the surface of the joint in readiness for colouring. Once the grout joint has been rinsed and allowed to dry, the Colorant can be applied.

Sometimes, if the grout joint is not quite as new as the one above, then a slightly more aggressive brushing technique may be required (using a brush with stiffer bristles than a standard paint brush). However the results are the same:

  • New, uniform, consistent colour
  • a grout joint sealed with an epoxy coating – so much easier to keep clean and far less likely to stain
  • Massively improved water resistance – helping to keep mould and mildew at bay for much longer

Hopefully this will be the first of several video demos so keep checking back for more.

Ian

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

FAQ – Can I Change The Colour of My Tile Grout?

The simple answer to this is Yes you can. You need to use a grout colouring product such as Grout Renue ‘N’ Seal. This product can be applied to any grout and it will bond to the grout but not to the tiles themselves. It is very simple to apply and you wash off the excess with just plain water. It can be used on floors, walls and worktops either internally or externally. Grout Renue ‘N’ Seal also effectively seals your grout for up to 15 years for domestic use.

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

FAQ – How To Clean Grout?

If you only have a relatively small and isolated area of grout to clean then I’d recommend using a product like Grout Deep Clean. This product is ideal for cleaning grout on window sills, floors, walls and on worktops. If you have a larger area of grout to clean then I’d recommend using a product such as Heavy Duty Tile and Grout Cleaner because it cleans to a deeper level and will help bring up the grout to a clean condition. If your grout is really badly contaminated then I’d recommend using Grout Colorant which I’ll talk about more about later in this FAQ series.

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