Getting Floor Re-Tiled. Should I Remove Old Grout?

pennypincher3562

I am getting the bathroom floor re-tiled due to some water damage. Before the tiler comes out, should I remove all existing grout before he arrives?

I thought it might save me some money, as obviously the tiler won't have to spend time removing it himself.

However, I'm not even sure if old grout needs removed, or can they lay new tiles over the top of it?

Thanks.

Grenage

If the tiler suggests tiling over the top, I suggest a new tiler!

Removing the old tiles is relatively unskilled, so that's probably what I'd do. What was the water damage?

pennypincher3562

Sorry, maybe I didn't explain myself well enough. The old tiles are gone, I removed them today after a leaking pipe.

However, of course the old tile grout is still on the floor. I was wondering if I should remove it myself before a tiler comes out?

gorners

The reason for the confusion is you're using the wrong terms. 'Grout' is what goes between the gaps in the tiles. What you're describing is 'adhesive' which sticks the tile to the floor. You don't use grout for this.

You'll need to remove as much adhesive as possible before laying new tiles. Your tiler will then either put down some floor leveller and tile onto that, or build up a thicker layer of adhesive and tile onto that (thicker later to ensure it's above any old adhesive you couldn't remove).

Either buy or rent an SDS drill with a chisel attachment to speed this up :-)

pennypincher3562

@Gorners. Thanks, sorry I never knew this. I thought the grout was the only thing used when tiling.

gorners

No worries, remove as much stuff from the room as possible and cover surfaces, you won't believe how much dust removing the adhesive will cause.

bris

gorners wrote: »

No worries, remove as much stuff from the room as possible and cover surfaces, you won't believe how much dust removing the adhesive will cause.

None if you do it properly. Use a wallpaper stripped to soften in then just scrape the soft remnants off with ease. No mess no dust and a smooth finish.

pennypincher3562

bris wrote: »

None if you do it properly. Use a wallpaper stripped to soften in then just scrape the soft remnants off with ease. No mess no dust and a smooth finish.

What I'm doing is using the claw end of a hammer to remove it, and also a water spray to minimise dust.

Maybe not very professional, but working for me.:T

patman99

I had the job of doing this on a refurb and found using a steamer and long handled scrapper worked a treat.

A decent shovel can also be used as the thin leading edge will under cut the adhesive and give you leverage to prise away big chunks.