Your Complete Guide On How to Regrout Bathroom Tiles

how to regrout bathroom tiles

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From time to time, the grout between the bathroom tiles will become old, marked, and generally looking past its best. Now, you have the option of removing the old tile grout, but this is not the best solution. If you want to learn how to regrout bathroom tiles properly, you’re in the right place.

The truth is that being able to regrout bathroom tiles successfully is easier than most people imagine. With a little bit of skill, and some patience, you will have your bathroom tiles looking brand new, and the sense of achievement you get with this is also pretty special.

Let’s Get Started

Before you jump in and start regrouting, take some time to prepare yourself and the area. This is a marathon, not a sprint and checks that you have everything you need to get the job done.

What You Need

You are going to need several tools and items to complete this job. However, the list isn’t that extensive.

  • Dust sheet
  • Dust mask
  • Eyeglasses
  • Scraper
  • Sponge
  • Cloth
  • Grout remover
  • Tile grout
  • Grout spreader

As long as you have these items in your possession, then you are ready to begin.

Choosing Your New Grout

Before heading into the step by step guide on regrouting tiles, let’s look at how you choose your new grout. Be aware that there are several options on the market, including different colours, so you have to think about the look you want to achieve.

You can choose from ready-mixed grout or ready-to-mix. If this is the first time you have ever tried to grout tiles, then going for the ready-mixed version is the easiest option. At least then, you don’t have to worry about the consistency of mixing it incorrectly, as getting the correct grout mix is essential when you want to regrout tiles.

Step By Step Guide On How to Regrout Bathroom Tiles

Step 1: Removing the Old Grout

The first thing you need to do is to get rid of the old grout. You cannot simply put the new stuff on top; it doesn’t work that way.

You need to wear eye protection when you go to remove grout. Those small pieces of grout will get everywhere, and you don’t want to get it into your eyes.

To remove the old grout, you need a scraper. This will get into the cracks between the tiles and effectively rip out the old grout in seconds. Make sure you put a dust sheet down to catch the old stuff as it falls.

The best way to remove the old grout is to make sure you scrape your blade along the edge of the tile. However, don’t rush it, or you do run the small risk of damaging the tile, and that’s not something you want to be doing.

Once you believe you have gone around all of the tiles and all the joints, you need to clean up a bit.

Step 2: Picking Up the Old Grout

The best approach is to use a vacuum cleaner to suck up any pieces of grout you see lying around. Of course, if you did follow the tip of putting down a dust sheet, then you can easily pick it up and shake it into a bin.

You need to ensure that you clean up as you go along as you don’t want your work area or tiles to be dirty. The debris gets everywhere, and it will end up being stuck in the new grout. It is especially a problem when dealing with floor tiles.

Step 3: Wipe the Tiles

Whether you are dealing with walls or the floor, you need to wipe the tiles with a sponge. Don’t use too much water to do this, or it can negatively affect tile regrouting.

Once again, this is to remove dust from the edges and joints of the tiles. Allow it to dry well before you then move on to the next step. You might want to speed things up a bit by using a dry cloth to remove excess water.

Step 4: Using a Grout Spreader

When regrouting tiles, you need to get the grout into all the joints. Pick up some of the grout mixes onto the spreader, and move the spreader in a diagonal manner across the surface of the tiles. By making this motion, you will get the grout into different grout lines between the tiles.

As a quick point, you may also see people talking about a grout float. This is the same thing as it involves a flat surface that’s used to push the fresh grout into the lines.

Step 5: Removing Excess Grout

Using the edge of the spreader, scrape across the surface of the tiles to remove excess grout. As it has a flat edge, you don’t have to worry about digging into the lines between the tiles.

Moving this across the tile surface means you can then take this extra grout and apply it to other tiles. It means you reduce waste as well.

Step 6: Wipe Off Excess Grout

When regrouting tiles, try to save yourself some extra elbow grease by wiping off excess grout as you go. Now, you do need to work quite quickly when trying to regrout tiles. Grout tends to dry in next to no time, which will make it harder to work with it.

You need to use a soft cloth or sponge and only make it ever so slightly damp. Wipe over the tiles but don’t bother with polishing the tiling just yet.

Step 7: Check the Joints

Once you believe you have managed to cover all of the tiles, you need to check the joints. Make sure there are no missed spots, as the water in your bathroom will work its way into those small holes in next to no time.

If there are holes, then use a grout finishing tool to push the grout into the gaps. You should run over all of the vertical joints and the horizontal lines as when you regrout tiles; you want things to look as neat as possible.

Don’t be afraid to apply more grout in areas that don’t quite come up to scratch. Carry out these small repairs and adjustments at this stage before you go on and complete a final wipe.

Step 8: The Final Clean

Once you are happy, leave things for a few minutes to allow them to dry. Using your sponge or soft cloth, use that diagonal motion once again to remove grout that’s on the surface of the tiles. Keep in mind that a damp cloth is the best option.

Rinse out your sponge or cloth to make sure you don’t simply smear grout over the tiles.

Step 9: The Polish

regrouted bathroom floor tiles

The last thing you need to do is to polish your tiling. It is going to get those bathroom tiles looking pristine.

Use a dry cloth for this, and make sure you have left things alone for at least an hour. This will then allow you to remove the powder residue that will be sitting on the tiles. If you don’t remove this, things will look dull, which ruins the entire look.

Make sure you do not use water at this point. You will have to leave things to dry for a few more hours before you can start to have a shower. Exactly how long you need to leave it will depend on the type of grout you have purchased, but it will tell you on the tub how long it takes for the grout to set, dry, and be ready to have water blasted against it.

Start Regrouting Your Bathroom Tiles

And that is how you are able to regrout those bathroom tiles. It does take some time, along with a bit of patience, but there’s no reason why you should not be able to achieve a fine-looking finish.

Regrouting your tiles is a necessary chore to ensure your bathroom stays in top condition, so don’t waste another minute, and get started!

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