Repairing Grout - Advice for a Beginner?

sundin13

Hi All,

Today's job for me is to repair the grout in our newish bathroom. It's black slate tiles, and black grout. A small strip of grout - about a foot long - has come out over the past few months. I need to get it fixed, but have never replaced grout before and I don't want to muck it up. Just the sight of the giant bag of grout on my kitchen counter is making me nervous!

Any tips?

S13

keystone

If its only a few months dont try and do it yourself get the guy who did it back in to redo it at his cost and make sure you get him to recompense you for the purchased grout. Is it the same manufacturer as that originally used?

Cheers

bobhawke

Don't get it on your bare hands, can give you nasty burns if it is cement based stuff.

sundin13

keystone wrote: »

If its only a few months dont try and do it yourself get the guy who did it back in to redo it at his cost and make sure you get him to recompense you for the purchased grout. Is it the same manufacturer as that originally used?

Cheers

Its 10 months - so a bit long for that.

I touched lucky - I had a joiner here doing something else and he agreed to do the grouting for me. Took five minutes - looks good - I'm happy.

Thanks all

Paul_the_Painter

Mix it up - shove it in, making sure all gaps filled - smooth it down to the same level as the rest of the grout - wipe off the excess that got onto the tiles - clean off the lump that you dropped into the bath.

Don't over clean the tiles at this stage as the grout is still wet, and you'll just drag it out again. Just make sure that there are no easily visible bits. Leave to dry for a few hours/a day or so- then polish the tiles with a dry cloth.

Don't leave for much longer than that though as the grout will set to the tile, and then it's a git to get off!

andyhop

If the grout is cracking sounds like poor substrate preperation and movement

keystone

andyhop wrote: »

If the grout is cracking sounds like poor substrate preperation and movement

Yup - see Post #2, rinse and repeat.

Cheers

sundin13

andyhop wrote: »

If the grout is cracking sounds like poor substrate preperation and movement

No idea what this means, but the tiles are on a plywood wall (side of airing cupboard).

keystone

sundin13 wrote: »

No idea what this means, but the tiles are on a plywood wall (side of airing cupboard).

How thick is this plywood wall? Hint - if its 6 or 9mm you WILL be getting physical movement resulting in the grout cracking and falling out.

It is almost inevitable that WILL happen again and ultimately the tiles will come off as well. That side should have been replaced with minimum 12mm WBP ply and preferably 18mm. Your tiler should have known this.

Cheers

sundin13

keystone wrote: »

How thick is this plywood wall? Hint - if its 6 or 9mm you WILL be getting physical movement resulting in the grout cracking and falling out.

It is almost inevitable that WILL happen again and ultimately the tiles will come off as well. That side should have been replaced with minimum 12mm WBP ply and preferably 18mm. Your tiler should have known this.

Cheers

Not sure about the thickness, but it has been there for many years, and these tiles are replacements for the previous tiles - which incidentally had grout which cracked in pretty much the same place.

keystone

sundin13 wrote: »

Not sure about the thickness, but it has been there for many years, and these tiles are replacements for the previous tiles - which incidentally had grout which cracked in pretty much the same place.

Yep - 'tis movement then.

Cheers