Would the same directions apply to regrouting floor tiles? Mine look horrible right now bec/ the grout is white and I would like to regrout it to a grayer tinted color. Also, is it necessary to complete the room in one go? Can I spread the grouting out over a few days?

MAF,
Before you go to all of this work, why not try my Stain Solver? You will be amazed at how you can make the grout look fantastic in less than an hour!

www.StainSolver.com

Stain Solver may be a temporary solution but white grout on bathroom floor tile is just a big mistake for my household. To re=grout will be quite an undertaking especially w/ the small hex tiles. So can the re=grouting be spread out over a few days an area at a time or does it need to be done all at once? Please provide any other tips not mentioned in your grouting tile article above.

Thanks!

MAF,
Grout all at once. Read all of the grouting columns here at my website.

The floor underneath the tile is unstable, but only in one section. The grout keeps cracking. How do I fix this problem?

Dino,
Make the floor stable. Do whatever is necessary.

I have a problem. We just layed tile in our bathroom. We used distilled water (recommended by the store) followed the directions and our grout turned white. It is suppose to be a tan color. This was done 24 hours ago. Can I try and do the vinegar wash?

Connie,
Stop ! ! ! Let's make sure the grout is the right color. The test to see if you bought the right color is did the grout dry to the same color as it was in the powder form *before* you added the water? Using distilled water should not be an issue. Using inexpensive grout with low-quality water-soluble pigments might be what is wrong. Did you buy a name-brand grout from a tile store, or did you buy a mystery grout from a home center??????

I have some cracks in the grout around the bathroom shower that seem to be due to the shrinkage over the last 3 months. What is the best method to repair or fill in those cracks?

I need to grout a tile countertop. What type of grout would be best. Should I use one of the additives in place of water? I want to do a good job on the countertop that will last and not stain easily. Thanks

We are putting ceramic tile on the walls and floor of our bathroom. Should you grout the walls before laying the floor tiles or can grouting be done all at once?

We retiled our bathroom floor with a friend who knew what he was doing. When we finished he told us to wipe the excess grout from the floor then he went home. We unfortunately did not listen and went to bed. Now our tile is pretty much ruined. Is there any way to clean excess grout from our tiled floor? We used one inch floor tiles.

I recently had ceramic tile installed. Some of the tiles not even with the adjacent tile resulting in some of the tiles appeared to be raised. Also the grout is not even; some of it is below top of the tile. Can another coat of grout be applied to make it all even with the top of the tile or must it all be done over? Must the tile that is slightly higher or lower than the other tile be taken up and replaced? Thank you!

Blake,
Scrape out the old grout and start over. Be sure the house has stopped loosing moisture.

What are your thoughts on using a premixed grout? We just tiled our kitchen countertop with some tile we had left from a bathroom remodel, and there was a full, unopened tub of premixed Tec Accucolor grout that we were going to use. Thoughts?
Also, what is the dry time for it to set for a kitchen countertop before we can A) seal it and B) Drop the sink back in?

Thanks in advance.

I seem to have the same problem as Connie (2/9/08) only I used a grout enhancer recommended by the guy at Lowes and it's not white but a lot lighter than it should be. The edging is the right color but not in between the tiles. The grout did not dry to the color of the grout *before* we added the enhancer. It is the right color when it is wet. I did not seal it yet, does sealing give it that wet look/color???? Can grout sold in a home center really make that much of a difference???

do grout dyes work well???

I just tiled my backsplash, and I have two window trims, outside corners, that I want tile on. In stead of using the tile used in the backsplash, I want to use the trim tile, which are 1/2" x 6" long. The trim around the window (my windows are recessed about 6 to 8") is 1" on each side of the trim. If I use the trim tile, I will not be able to grout it because there will not be room for grout between the pieces. In this case, is the grout important?
A true novice,
Beverly

Ronnie,
Visit a tile store. Buy the most expensive grout they have.

Ben,
I prefer to install the all the wall tile except for the bottom row or base. I leave it ungrouted. Then I install the floor and gout it. The last step is to finish the walls.

P.,
I have a column here about that exact problem. Read it to see what to do.

Dub,
Grout is not going to fix this problem. You either live with it or start over.

Amy,
I tried the premixed ones. They are not too bad.

Susan,
You bet it can. I have never had luck with grout additives. They have always ruined the color of the grout and made it blotchy.

Susan,
Yes, grout stains do a marvelous job.

Beverly,
I can't see it from my house...... You do what you can live looking at the next few years.

Last year we tiled several floors in our house. We used the same name brand of grout in all rooms except the kitchen. All of the floors look great...except the kitchen. The grout in the kitchen keeps falling out. It is like it didn't harden right. The pieces that fall out just crush into sand. We have took whole tiles out and regrouted around them using a new bag of grout, but it still does the same thing. Any suggestions?

I have just had a new house built and the shower has been installed with the ceramic wall tiles installed in a stacked manner ie, butted up against each other with no space left for grout. The only grout is in the area left by the rounded edges of the tiles. This bit of grout is already coming off leaving pin holes between tiles which will allow moisture to to penetrate to drywall behind. Should the builder have to re-do this tile work.
thank you
Ron

Shelley,
Make sure you do not use too much water.

Ron,
I would say Yes. Take a photo of this and then take the photo with you to a local store that just sells tile. Show the photo to the store manager and ask her / his opinion.

We have a 15 KW natural gas Generac backup generator. I've read and heard conflicting info regarding the piping that carrries the natural gas into the generator. Several sources say to use black iron piping. Our plumber installed galvanized steel piping. We heard that galvanized steel can react with the natural gas and cause the piping to flake inside and eventually clog the generator's intake. I contacted Generac and they initially stated that galvanized should not be used. On a later call they said that we should use whatever piping per county/state gas code. So we contacted Howard County Inspection who said that if they passed inspection then it should be OK- also added that the gas supplied by BG&E is a very "dry gas". We live in Howard County, Ellicott City, MD. Our house is serviced by BG&E gas. Is galvanized steel OK to carry the natural gas into the generator for our area?

Thanks,
Rita

Rita,
It is impossible for me to know all local codes. To learn about your code, go to the building department and ask for a copy of that section that deals with fuel piping. The copy of the 2006 IRC I have says that black iron is fine. The answer is really simple. You get the written installation instructions from the generator people and pipe the unit with *one* of the materials they approve AND that meets the code. What do the written instructions say to do?

We are in the process of laying tile, we are now in the grouting process and as we were working the grout it seemed to be getting dry, crumble stage but still moist-somewhat. Do we need to remove what we put in before it dries? We quit using the first batch in fear we would be creating more work later down the road in removal or repairs but I'm afraid we should've done that sooner rather than later. After reading your previous columns, I learned that we should've worked with smaller quantities of grout. What kind of troubles are ahead for us?

Ronny, splurge on a solid counter. Tile countertops are soooo ghetto!!

Natalie,
I think you will discover the grout will fail. Only time will tell, and it ain't talkin' right now...... Next time you start a project, stop by here first for some tips.

hi , was wandering how to install tile around a garden tub ? the front is oval.

Eezynow,
You should read all of my past columns on Installing Ceramic Tile.

Is it typical to use a sanded grout in a shower? The tiles are 1/8 apart. Seems to me that sanded grout in a shower will have to be cleaned much more often than non-sanded grout.

I have tiled a shower with porcelian tile, waited 48 hours and sealed the grout, applied it twice. All products were purchased from The Tile Shop (good materials). The problem is the grout still soaks up water. I applied the same sealer to the floor and water does not soak in like in the shower. Seems that on the vertical walls, it is hard to keep enough sealer on to adequately soak in. I am using a foam brush. Any ideas how to get this grout properly sealed?

what is the recomended spacing for 18" tile have read everything and nothing is coming up.

We are building a small cabin on a cement slab. The slab is terra cotta colored concrete and was scored/cut into 2' squares about 1" deep. The slab has been carefully sealed (leaving the cuts free and clear) with a product called Glo Crete, and now we are ready to finish up and grout. The depth of the space to be filled concerns us. What would you recommend?
Thanks.

Our new floor is terra cotta colored concrete cut/scored into 2 foot squares. The cuts are about 1 inch deep and 1/4 inch wide. We're ready to grout. Do you have any advice about how to handle the extra deep cuts?
Thanks, Amy A.

How can I remove grout that has dried on my porceline tile without damaging the tile?

Just looking

my grout turned a whiteish film also as connie but i used a good name brand what is the problem?

Is Biz mixed into a paste an effective grout cleaner.(New ceramic tile)I read your response to this question in the Chicago Tribune site, but not sure about the Biz. Thank you.
Arlene

I have had a tiler lay 600x600 terrazo on my terrace. The terrazo was unsealed. The copmany I bought the tiles from recommended Davco Grout Cure Additive to be added to the grout as it would also be filling the holes in the terrazo. The tiler used it but did not follow the instructions and did not clean it off properly within the curing time. I now have a film of grout which though it looks powdery is so strong that I cannot scrub it off. The manufactuter, on the bottle, recommends adding mineral turps to the water to clean if left for more than 24 hours but as the terrazo is not sealed I was advised not to use oil based products as they would stain the tiles. The film is so thin that when the tiles are wet it is invisible. Is there any product or process you can recommend to clean this off the tiles?

Patrick