If you are someone that puts a lot of time and effort into maintaining a pristine bathroom that could impress even the most critical surprise guests, then battling unsightly grout is probably one of your biggest annoyances. The truth is that no matter how often or well you clean your bathroom, sometimes the only way practical way to make your tile grout look “like new” is to actually apply a new coat.
Eventually, everyday use of the shower or tub will take its toll and require the need for regrouting in your bathroom. In order to avoid more expense and labor on your part, it is recommended to regrout before the damage becomes noticeably visible. If, however, you are about to put your house on the market, or have company coming to visit, those are also valid reasons to apply new grout. Regardless of the reason, regrouting is a home repair project that you can do yourself. Just be sure to apply the following tips:
1. Shopping Spree. Before you can even begin tackling your regrouting project, there are a few things you will need to purchase: silicone caulk, grout, grout enhancer, rubber gloves, grout saw, scrub brush, sponge, and other various cleaning supplies.
(Handyman Hint: Make sure you purchase the necessary amount of grout you will need. Online calculators are available to help you determine this measurement.)
2. Pre-Clean. Before you begin scraping away at the old grout, give it a good cleaning to prevent mold and mildew from spreading during the regrouting process.
3. Cut it Out. Use the appropriate grout cutting tools to scrape out and remove the old grout. As a rule of thumb, you should cut in to the tile about half way.
4. Route the Grout. Fill in the necessary areas with new grout using a 45-degree angle application motion. Be sure to fill the cracks as much as possible to avoid air bubbles and leaks.
5. Wipe it Down. There will be a lot of excess grout on the tiles after the filling step. To remove this, simply wipe the surface with a rag and be sure not to let the grout linger and become hard.
6. Get Caulky. Finally, you can apply the caulk for sealing purposes.
