bathroom grout

[judyjht]

My bathroom grout in the shower is awful. It is now 25 years old so I guess I should not complain. What can I try - I think I have done everything. I even had one of those company that comes in and "steam cleans" the grout - didn't do a thing. Waste of money. I think I need to have someone come in and dig out some and then re-grout. We will probably want to sell in 1-3 years so I would probably need to do something to sell it anyway. Thought??

 

[Passepartout]

I think I need to have someone come in and dig out some and then re-grout. We will probably want to sell in 1-3 years so I would probably need to do something to sell it anyway. Thought??

That would be my guess too. It can be a DIY project if you want it to be. No special skills are involved and the gouger tool is cheap at a home center. You can pocket the $25 or more per hour at least for digging out the old grout then have a tile contractor re-grout the shower if you don't want to. Again, no special skill- the contractor will probably send an apprentice to do the whole thing.

Jim

 

[klpca]

Have you tried grout colorant? It comes in white and other colors. I understand that it seals and colors the grout.

I used it a few years ago on a floor that has since been removed. I thought it worked fine, but it was a tedious job.

I'd give it a try. We have it at Home Depot. Not too expensive.

https://www.groutcolorants.com/?leadsource=PS104&s_kwcid=TC|6221|grout%20colorant%20aqua%20mix||S|b|8105517739&gclid=CPWCyZyL0qsCFYNeTAodDkRdKw

 

[Rob&Carol Q]

25 years old? Have you considered a shower insert?

Old grout is a bearcat to remove...and there is always the chance that you will scratch or damage the existing tilae. And seriously, do you really like the color on the walls? A shower insert doesn't cost that much and it really improves the overall look of the bathroom.

Easier to clean, nothing to mold over the years, and the only thing you really need to keep up is the outside caulking.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

25 years old? Have you considered a shower insert?

Old grout is a bearcat to remove...and there is always the chance that you will scratch or damage the existing tilae. And seriously, do you really like the color on the walls? A shower insert doesn't cost that much and it really improves the overall look of the bathroom.

Easier to clean, nothing to mold over the years, and the only thing you really need to keep up is the outside caulking.

Not to mention that an insert is more watertight. I became sold on inserts when my project to repair some shower tiles one weekend turned into a complete gutting of the shower stall down to studs to repair water damage. That was a 30-year old shower.

The insert is almost totally maintenance free and is completely watertight.

 

[vacationhopeful]

Wow, I should wear my glasses into the bathroom - my grout is 60 years old. Must have more lime in it as it has very limited black grund.

25 years old? Track house? It so, it most likely is NOT set on a wet base; set on cement board or green backer board (most likely).

Green backer board - rip it out. That mold is all the way thru and it has disintergrated into mush.

Cement board - get an estimate to cover over the tile, if that appeals to you. Rip out is not that hard.

Wet base - major job. Think big sledge hammer. Wall surface will be slightly uneven - so putting a manufactured slab product won't lay right. Replacing tub or base can only be done after you rip the walls and floor out (with big sledge hammer). Get a pro to regrout the tile --- way cheaper and faster, esp if you are selling; either way new owner is going to discount the sale as they will plan to redo bath to their heart's desire.

 

[zinger1457]

I've also used grout colorant (for floor tile) and it worked really well. There are many types of grout colorant out there, make sure to get one that also seals. It's probably the cheapest and quickest option. It is an easy DIY job but as mentioned previously it can be tedious.

 

[ScoopKona]

Regrouting a shower is no big thing at all.

It's tedious -- imagine trying to brush the enamel off your teeth for hours at a time. That's the motion you'll be using with a grout saw.

But there is simply no way I'd pay someone to do that kind of easy "no-brainer" job.

If it were my shower, I'd knock 1/4" (depth) off the grout with a grout saw. No need to take it all the way down to the backer board. Then I'd regrout with an epoxy grout like Spectraloc. That way the grout is basically maintenance free for the life of the home.

Epoxy grout isn't cheap. In fact, the price of the stuff is quite shocking on a sqft. basis. For a shower, there usually isn't much square footage to worry about, though.

This is, as mentioned, assuming the rest of the shower is sound. Also, I don't like shower inserts -- I prefer stone to plastic. But that's just aesthetics.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Scoop is so right. It's a no-brainer job, and the satisfaction of knowing you did it yourself is worth the effort. We used a dremel tool to cut through the grout. They have a bit for it, and we wore through about six of them, but it did the job on that nasty grout, and regrouting is the easiest part, especially if your tiles are shiny-smooth.

You should add a sealer to the grout.

 

[MuranoJo]

Does it matter if your tile is what they call 'mud-set'? Ours is about 17 years old and the floor of the shower is looking a bit shabby.

 

[Passepartout]

Does it matter if your tile is what they call 'mud-set'? Ours is about 17 years old and the floor of the shower is looking a bit shabby.

Whether the tiles are 'mastic set', or mud-set should make no difference in the grout. You can use any grout with either method. If the old grout is just stained, you might get some CLR or even muriatic acid and 3M pads (using rubber gloves) and give it a good scrub. Then if that works, seal it with a silicone grout sealer. I seal ours every couple of years. Small PITA, but keeps the mildew and other growing stuff from taking up residence in the grout.

Jim

 

[MuranoJo]

Thanks, Jim. Another item for the 'to-do' list. Sigh.

 

[ScoopKona]

Scoop is so right. It's a no-brainer job, and the satisfaction of knowing you did it yourself is worth the effort. We used a dremel tool to cut through the grout. They have a bit for it, and we wore through about six of them, but it did the job on that nasty grout, and regrouting is the easiest part, especially if your tiles are shiny-smooth.

You should add a sealer to the grout.

We have stone, so I wouldn't recommend a Dremel. One false move and the tile is scratched. A Fein Multimaster would be better than a Dremel. (EDIT -- But a plain old manual grout saw is still the safest way to go. I prefer elbow grease for this particular job.)

You should have grouted with epoxy. Then you'll never have to seal or scrub again. It's a no-brainer slam dunk choice for bathrooms. Next time you dig out the old grout (and there WILL be a next time), switch to epoxy.

 

[judyjht]

OK I think I am motivated now. I will give the grout colorant a shot before I do anything else. This is really for the walls only - the floor is fine. It is a custom tub so not sure the insert would work and actually I have not heard too many good thing about them but thanks for the idea. I'll let you all know what happens - might take me awhile though.