How To Regrout Tile

If you have tiles in your house, you must have faced the problem of stained, cracked or missing grout, at one point of time or the other. Be it your bathroom, floor, countertop or kitchen backsplash, a damaged grout does not look good at all. In fact, it can make even the most magnificent tiles look totally unappealing and disagreeable. To top it all, in case of mildew formation; it can also pose a health hazard. However, the relief is that you can easily re-grout a tile yourself, without calling any mason for the purpose. To make your task simpler, we have provided a number of tips that will help you in regroutingtiles.

How to Regrout Tile

Items Needed

Mildew Remover
Grout Saw/Small Knife
Chisel or Utility Knife
Vacuum
Grout
Grout Float
Tile Sponge
Grout Sealer

Instructions

Preparing the Tile

The first thing that you need to do is deciding on the grout color. If you are planning to re-grout an entire wall or floor, the color of the grout should match that of the tile. In case of minor grouting, the new grout color should match the existing grout.
Scrub the tiles and clean them with the help of a household cleaning solution (mildew remover).
Next, with a grout saw or small knife, saw along the grout lines, making cuts into narrow spaces.
Now, you will be required to remove the remaining grout either with a chisel or a utility knife.
Vacuuming of the space around the tile, for removing any leftover chunks or debris, will come next.
Check whether any of the tiles needs to be replaced. If the answer is yes, replace the tiles right now.
Finally, it is the time to clean the tile. Use any household cleaner and remove any scum and dirt from the tile.

Applying the Grout

Grout is usually sold in the pre-mixed or dry from. Following the instructions on the package, mix it. Alternatively, you can even use latex-modified grout, which is more water resistant & doesn’t crack over time.
Next, spread the grout over the tile. Using a grout float, make sure to smooth it out. For the purpose, angle the top of the float to 30 degrees.
Press the grout, into the empty spaces between the tiles, with the help of the float.
Checker whether the spaces between the tiles are full or not, by pressing the grout. When it becomes too hard to push, it means that the spaces are full.
Remove all the excess grout, by running the grout float over the top of the tiles. Let it sit for 5 minutes
Take a sponge and wet it slightly. Run this over the top of the tiles, in order to clean any leftover grout.
Cure the grout for at least three days.
Finally, brush the grout-sealer, along the joints between the tiles, to seal the grout. This will help keep water and mildew out of the grout.

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