Floor Grout Repair

hi,we would like to see images,much better.thx

great article. very helpful thank you

how i can paint galvanize? and ply woods smooth surface?

Tim,
Doesn't the grout have to be sealed also? I'm having a similar problem in my bathrooms. My house is only 6 years old. When I read (recently) some instructions that came with my house, it said that the grout should be sealed after a short period of time.

I have a cracking issue in my ceramic tile on my main level of home. But it is only by my three exits. I dont know how to fix it or why it is only happening by the doorways. Please advise me.

Hey Tim, I am also a long time home builder though you've got a few years on me LOL, and if I've missed a section on grout sealent then i'm sorry. Even if you have a section on it however I think it'd be great to put a small note about sealent here, as Miriam was inquiring.

I have bought a home where the grout was not sealed after installation, and was allowed to see normal use through the kitchen for years, without sealant, you will see sections of grout near water spill sources like the sink get very hard and compact, and very hard to dig out for repair, aswell as absorbe dirt and dyes from foods and juic spills like crazy, your left with grout that looks very poor and dirty. The grout seams should have a sealer applied to them every couple years and in alot of product sealer's cases every year, a it can wear off and expose the grout to it's porus and hard to keep clean while unsealed nature. A note about groute removal tools, in this case where you get very hard and compact grout near spil sources of unsealed grout, as Tim mentions you need to be aware of the pressure of adjacent tiles when you dig out the old grout, there are tools that are like a hand held file that will gently and aggresivly dig out the tough hard grout without breaking the tiles, these tools can be alot of work, but can be a great tip when dealing with old unsealed hard and compact grout areas. Michael. Theinfotrail.com (operational by mid to late july)

My grout was extremely dirty (aqua color)I made the mistake of letting a grout restorer company paint the grout with a matching color latex base paint. Looked great,but after awhile, the paint started to flak up leaving dark spots. Is there a away to remove the paint so I can proberly clean the underlying grout. I also had some old matching grout in a open bag for several years.It was hard, butI powered it down to a fine powder as if it was new, but it does not harden up. Will a bonding agent mixed into the grout harden the grout up, Thanks...

hi some of my bathroom ceramic wall tiles are bulging away from wall. the grout has come away as well.
the gap in places is 1/2".the wall must be wet/damp behind.
i need to repair as this property is being let out for a while= 6 more months.
they are large 12" square tiles.
how can i repair this area of about 6 tiles. help much appreciated please

We tiled an additional area in our house and could not match the grout. We bought grout paint at the tile store. It was a pain putting it on but it unified both areas and held up at least 5 years in high traffic areas. It also doesnt darken like regular grout does.

Hint: if you decide to put down tile for an area, buy all the tile you would need to expand the tile to adjacent areas. They will discontinue the tile right after you buy. Write down the grout manufacturer, color and number and keep it.
Tile is GREAT. the first few weeks I thought people were bringing in dirt, but then I realized the carpet was just hiding it...when you take up carpet in a well used area you will see what the vacuum leaves behind

I had about 6- 8 x 8" tiles replaced in bathroom. We had the tiles and the old grout to use. The tiles do not seem "set" and the grout is breaking apart in some spots. Grout was old (18 years). HELP!

Hello - My grout on the bottom tile in shower has a crack all the way across several tiles. Should I remove the old grout and start over or can I try to fill in the crack?

I was asked to repair the grout on a shower floor,these are small tiles and the grout was cracked and water was leaking to surrounding rooms.
The grout was in a gallon container to be mixed with a 1 bottle of Grout Enhancer.
The shower is at that most 3' x 3' and I pourd som of the enhancer in the the bowl of grout and mixed it up.
This is my first tile repair work.
I cleaned out the old grout and sponged over the tile with a wet sponge.
The grout may have been to moist,I hope not but will deal with that if needed.
I need to know how to properly mix the grout.
Thank you.

I have found this site very helpful for most of what I need to know, but I can't seem to find any information on my exact dilemma. We recently replaced wood floors is our living room and while doing so decided to replace the molding in the living room and kitchen which has ceramic tile. The new molding we bought is apparently thinner than the old stuff and in my kitchen there will be a small gap between my ceramic tile and the molding. Can I use grout to correct this?

We had to have the builder redo a few of the marble tiles around our fireplace because of chips. When the men came to replace the tiles they told us to wait 24 hours before cleaning or wiping it, unfortunately we did. Now we cannot get the leftover "mess" they left around the sides, we've tried all of the marble tile cleaners. How do we get this off? I appreciate any suggestions you can give me.