How to Restore Tile Grout
Dingy and discolored grout can cause an entire tile floor, wall or countertop to look old and ugly when there’s actually nothing at all wrong with the tile. There are many types of grout cleaners available in stores, as well as grout paint pens and grout sealers to prevent future staining. However, there often comes a time when old grout just simply looks old, no matter how well you clean it. This is when you need to perform a complete grout restoration.
Your grout lines can be restored to look as good as when the tile was first installed by carefully removing the surface and re-grouting.
1. Start by buying a grout saw or a drummel tool. Grout saws come in all sizes and quality, but they are all basically an abrasive scraping tool. A drummel can do the job faster, but is a little more difficult to control.
2.You have to be careful not to scratch the tile surface as you work on scraping out the grout. For soft tile like marble that requires even more care, you can tape off the tile to help protect it.
3.You only need to remove about 1/8” of surface grout. Slide your grout saw back and forth in the grout line, steadily moving forward a few inches at a time. Wipe away the grout dust as you go so you can make sure you’re getting enough grout off to take away the stains.
4.Once your grout surface has been removed, clean the area thoroughly before re-grouting. You can buy premixed grout, or buy powdered grout and mix with a latex additive that will act as a sealer.
5.Use a rubber grout float to spread grout, wipe surface with damp sponge.
Now your tile looks as good as new with fresh grout! Modern grouts have sealer included, and you can also buy wipe-on or spray-on grout sealer to keep your grout looking new.