How to Remove Grout From Tile

How to Remove Grout From Tile – Tiles are practical and easy to keep clean and are the ideal choice for rooms like the bathroom or kitchen. The tiles themselves do not need a lot of maintenance or care to keep them looking great for years, but it’s grotty grout which often lets the side down.

Tiles are practical and easy to keep clean and are the ideal choice for rooms like the bathroom or kitchen. The tiles themselves do not need a lot of maintenance or care to keep them looking great for years, but it’s grotty grout which often lets the side down.

Grout, the paste-like substance which we use to fill the cracks between tiles, can become dirty, mouldy and discoloured over time, especially in the warm and wet atmosphere of a bathroom. Cracked and dirty grout does not mean you have to pull all the tiles off the wall and start from scratch – replacing the grout alone is actually a relatively quick and simple job.

Can it be Salvaged?

Before immediately condemning your existing grout, think about whether with some nifty cleaning products and a bit of elbow grease it can be salvaged. Black mould or mildew is one of the most common reasons for grout becoming dirty and unsightly, so if this is affecting your grout, buy one of the special mould and mildew sprays on the market, spray it all over the tiles and leave it to work overnight.

Vinegar mixed with bicarbonate of soda can be used as well, as can cloth nappy cleaning solution which is bleach-based. If the grout is still looking dirty, try one of the “grout reviver” products on the market which you just paint on top of the old grout to freshen it up. If all of these measures have been tried and you are still not happy with the grout, replacing it may be the only option left.

Removing the Old Grout

What You’ll Need

Equipment / Tools

• Safety goggles
• Oscillating tool and grout removal blade
• Carbide tip grout removal tool
• Utility knife with a dull blade
• Shop vacuum

Materials

• Garbage bag

Instructions

1. Attack the Grout Straight On Put on safety goggles to protect your eyes. Fit the oscillating tool with a blade designed for removing tile grout. Start by holding the tool horizontally (or vertically in the case of vertical seams), turning on the power, and lightly pressing the blade to the grout. Let the power tool do the work; do not force it. The blade should easily chew through the grout. As you work, place large chunks of grout in the garbage bag. You’ll be able to vacuum up smaller pieces later. Tip An oscillating tool removes grout without harming the tile because the grout is much softer than the tile. However, it is possible to damage the tile if you press too hard or for too long. Work carefully and keep your eye on the blade.
2. Grind the Grout at an Angle Once you have removed as much grout as possible by holding the tool horizontally, it is time to gently angle the blade to remove more grout. Work slowly and patiently to help ensure that you do not damage the edges of your tile. One trick is to support your arm on a toolbox, so it does not get tired during the process.
3. Scrape With a Carbide Tip Grout-Removal Tool After you have done as much grout removal as possible with the power tool, your next line of attack is the small carbide tip grout-removal tool. The head will fit into the joints and allow you to scrape out stubborn chunks of grout. Do not try to remove every last bit; that is for the next step. Your intent is to knock out hunks that the oscillating tool may have loosened but not completely removed. Tip Be careful not to pry the grout removal tool against the tile edges, as this can easily chip them.
4. Clean up With a Utility Knife If you are still finding bits of grout that will not come out, switch to a utility knife with a dull blade. You want a dull blade for two reasons: First, it makes no sense to kill a nice, sharp blade on tile grout. Use that sharp blade for something else first. Second, you do not want to risk snapping off the sharp point of the utility knife and getting injured.
5. Vacuum as You Go Use a shop vacuum to frequently clean up the grout joints as you work. This helps you see what you are doing and helps pull loose material out of the joints. It also minimizes the mess in your work area. When you’ve finished removing the grout, give all of the joints a final pass with the vacuum to remove all loose debris.

Choosing a New Grout

There are lots of different types of tile grout, some designed for using on the floor, some for the wall, coloured grouts, ready mixed grouts and ones you have to mix up yourself at home. If you have to replace your grout because of problems with mould growing, look out for a grout which has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.

Ready-mixed grout is far easier to use than the do it yourself variety, and think about the effect you wish to achieve; matching the grout colour to the colour of the tiles will help it blend in, a contrasting colour will give a more dramatic effect and make your tiles stand out.

Applying the Grout

You will need three main tools to apply grout to your tiles, a rectangular tool called a grout float for applying the grout to the wall, a trowel to mix up the grout and applying it in smaller areas, and a scraper to get rid of any excess. All of these tools are sold in big DIY stores. Mix up your grout and then use your grout float to work it well into the joints between the tiles. Clean off any excess with the edge of the float as you work but you don’t have to be too careful as tiles can be cleaned later when the grout is dry. Keep working methodically until you have grouted all of the tiles on the wall, then use a damp sponge to clean any excess grout from your tiles.

Leave the grout to dry according to the manufacturer’s instructions, bearing in mind that you will not be able to take a bath or shower during the drying period.

Conclusion

Removing old grout is a necessary step when replacing a damaged tile or to freshen up the look of your bathroom. So, if you’re comfortable tackling intermediate DIY tasks, it’s something you can certainly do yourself.