Regrout in Your Bathroom or Kitchen to Instantly Freshen Ceramic Tiles

The grout between tiles, especially the shower tiles, can easily become cracked, dirty or mouldy after years of use, making your expensive tiles look old.

Obviously the best way to keep grout looking fresh is to clean it regularly to prevent build up of dirt, mildew and grime, but this can be hard work in difficult to reach places in the kitchen, shower or bathroom.

So, you are probably thinking of hiring the professionals to regrout your tiles, but one question still needs to be answered – what’s the cost of shower re-grouting? Well it all depends on your situation and it would be best to consult with the regroting professionals.

You may also buy a new house only to find the grout isn’t showing off the tiling in your new home to best effect. Here is a short guide to regrouting your ceramic tiles.

A simple guide to regrouting ceramic tiles

Step 1

First remove the existing grout. To do this, use a grouting saw, a precise chisel or a small knife, slide it between the grout and the tiles, loosening the grout and removing it. Take care not to cut into or scrape the front of the tile itself.

You should manage to remove most of the grout, but there may be some bits left and grout dust, which you can remove with the narrow nozzle of a vacuum. Once the spaces between your tiles are free of grout debris and dust, move onto the next step. You may find that some tiles are broken in this process, through falling away from the wall or from accidental scraping from the grout removing tools. If this is the case, replace those tiles before moving on.

Step 2

Apply the new grout. You can buy ready-mixed grout, or you can do it yourself. In the latter case make sure you follow the instructions on the grout packaging to ensure you get the correct consistency of grout. Choosing grout with latex content is more expensive, but is more waterproof and resistant to cracking.

Apply the grout using a grout float, spreading it out over the tiles by holding the float at a 45 degree angle and sweeping diagonally across the tiles. You will need to go over the tiles several times to fill all the spaces. Use the float to push the grout into the spaces between the tiles. Once the space is full, the space will feel packed and pushing will not force any more grout in.

Step 3

Allow the grout to set for about 5 hours then clean the tiles. Don’t let it set too long, as grout on the surface of the tiles can be very difficult to remove once fully set and damage can be caused when doing so. Wet a sponge, and wipe the surface of the tiles to clean away excess grout. Rinse and re-moist the sponge often to ensure you are not simply spreading grout around on the surface of the tiles.

Step 4

Shape the joints. This can be done with any thin and long round-tipped object – we recommend the bottom of a toothbrush. Run the rounded end along the joints between the tiles, packing the grout in and straightening the line. This will also create a nice dip in the grout which will match the bevelled edged of the tiles. Leave the grout to set for a couple of hours, then wipe off any excess film with a dry cloth.

Step 5

Seal the grout. After leaving the grout to set for 3-5 days, seal it to keep water, grime and mould out of the grout – this will prevent it from discoloring again! Some sealers come in applicator bottles with sponges, which you can run along the lines of the grout quickly and cleanly. Keep a cloth to hand to wipe off any excess from the surface of the tiles.