DIY Monday: Reader Question - Re-grouting tile?

Dear Swoon Studios,

I have an island in my kitchen with a tile top. I've had it for a while and the grout is starting to crumble. I'd like to re-grout the tile, but I'm not sure how to do it. Can you help?

Sincerely,
I Can DIY It!


Dear I Can,

Re-grouting is a lovely way to freshen up your surface and is pretty easy to do. First, pick out the grout that's crumbling. Leaving crumbling grout is like leaving a crumbling foundation - the new grout will not have a stable surface to adhere to and will just crumble more.

Once you have cleared all the crumbling grout, give the remaining grout a good scrub. I've found that hydrogen peroxide and a toothbrush are miracle workers in cleaning grout. The peroxide bubbles down into the porous surface and cleans out all that bacteria, leaving a shiny clean surface!

Let that dry while gathering your materials for grouting: grout, a grout float, sponge, bucket of water and a small, clean towel. I prefer using pre-mixed grout because I find it easier, but I know others prefer the kind you mix. It's up to you. If your seam is 1/8 inch or less in width, use unsanded grout, and if 1/8 inch or more, use sanded. Be sure too to match the color of your existing grout!

With clean water, lightly wet down the area you want to start grouting to help the old grout receive the new grout. Then take a little grout on your float and in a sweeping diagonal motion push the new grout down into the existing grout lines.

When you've pushed as much grout in as you think will go, lightly wipe over where you've grouted with a sponge to clean up the extra grout. Rinse out your sponge after every pass. You want a clean tile and even grout line. I then wipe over the tile with a clean towel to keep from having to clean up stuck on grout when everything dries, but be careful not to dislodge your new grout.

Continue to do this down your counter top working in small sections. When you're done, you should let it dry according to the directions on your grout - usually about 24 hours.

Then comes the most important part - sealing. Make sure you've cleaned off all the stray grout from your tiles. If grout is stubborn, I either use a toothbrush or a razor blade to dislodge it from the tile. Then, using a grout sealer you can find in the grouting section of your home improvement store, seal every grout seam. Follow the directions on the sealer to see recommended drying time and number of layers of sealant. Because this is a high traffic area, I'd seal it with several layers of sealant.

Let me know how it goes! I look forward to seeing the finished product!

Good luck,
Swoon Studios

DIY Bathroom Renovation - Tiling a floor Part 3: Grouting the tile

Your mastic has cured, right? You've waited at least 24 hours? You've pulled the spacers out from between the dried tiles? Great! Let's grout!

For this step, you should have gathered your tools. You'll need some grout - sanded or unsanded depending on the amount of space between the tiles (ask your local home store employee to help you with your choice if you're unsure). I used pre-mixed because that ensured the consistency was right, but you can also use the kind you mix yourself. You'll also need a tool called a rubber float - it's the thing with the handle in the pictures. This will help you make sure you get the grout fully down into the holes between the tiles as you're grouting. You'll also need a bucket, sponge and some rags. All of these to get rid of the extra grout. Finally, I would suggest getting a good pair of knee pads. Bare knees on a tile floor for a long period of time can be quite painful.

Throw on the knee pads, fill up your bucket, open your grout and go to the furthest corner from the door. With your rubber float, pull some grout out of the bucket and slap it onto the floor. Working in an area of about 1 foot by 1 foot, pull the float diagonally across the tile being careful to push as much grout into the spaces between the tiles as you can. I usually try two coats of grout across the same surface area. Scrape off as much excess grout as you can as you go.

Once you're sure you have as much grout as you can get into the spaces between the tiles, wet your sponge in your bucket and draw it across the tile to wipe up the excess grout. Work in a diagonal movement to keep from pulling the grout out of the floor. It might take a couple wipes to get up the excess grout. I then wipe the surface dry to polish the tiles as I go.

Continue to work in small sections until you've reached the door of the room. Make sure you've packed the grout well in the larger areas - such as the areas around pipes where you've had to cut the tile to allow for clearance. I'd also suggest having a buddy to help you keep your water clean as you go. It really helps not to have to continually get up and down to dump the dirty water and get clean water.

Allow the grout to cure for at least 24 hours - or 48 hours if you are able (check the directions in your grout). Once the grout has cured, you should seal it with a sealant. Sealant is also available in your local home improvement store in the tiling section.

Once you've finished sealing, stand back and admire your beautiful work. You've earned it!