All About Tile Repair and Tile Installation» grout

How to best clean your bathroom tiles, caulk and grout.

Tile-Repair — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:55:38 +0000

TIME TO CLEAN THE BATHROOM TILES

Good morning Saturday, the day you clean your bathroom, right? Oh well, you should clean the bathroom a least once every week. But you just hate to clean the three tile walls inside the bath tub area, right? It just doesn’t clean right, and your sick and tired of smelling the powerful cleaning chemical to clean all around the tub area, right? Oh what a strong odor early in the morning, right?

SO WHAT IS BEST

What would you think about using clear vinegar, baking soda, and water to clean the tiles, caulk and grout in and around the bath tub area? Can it work and is it effective? The answer is yes! Cleaning sprays contain chemicals that can darken grout and remove grout from the tiles in time. Once grout is removed from the tiles, water can enter between the tiles causing damage to the backer board and the beginning of mold in time. Also chemicals can leave a soapy film on the tiles which gives the tiles a dull look to it. So remember, always wipe off excess water from the tiles after every shower or bath; the water mixed with your body oil and soap can leave a noticeable stain on the tiles.

WHY VINEGAR AND BAKING SODA?

Clear vinegar mixed with baking soda and water will clean your bathroom tiles, caulk and grout better and more effective in time and is safe for you and the environment. This combination has no harmful chemicals and is cheaper to purchase than any cleaning sprays on the market. First use a small stainless steel basin (or small plastic bucket) and fill with less than 1/2 water. Add about a 1/4 cup of clear vinegar and 2 tablespoons of baking soda. You will see the water bubbling up, this is normal when you add baking soda. Gently use a soft brush with the mixture to clean the heavily stain grout line and discolored caulk around the tile/tub area. You can use a sponge or cleaning rag with the mixture to clean the tiles and grout in all areas of the bathroom. Wait about a minute and wipe with a clean paper towel. Repeat this procedure at least once of week and you will see a big difference in time. If your bathroom grout and caulk is badly stain or in bad condition, you may have to call a tile-repair specialist to re-grout, re-caulk and clean your bathroom tiles. If you are located in the New York City area, call me Nick The Tile Man @ 917 865-8693.

How to Repair Shower Floor Tile

Tile-Repair — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:50:46 +0000

Newly installed ceramic floor tile in shower stall.

DO IT YOURSELF SHOWER FLOOR TILE REPAIR

Repairing shower floor tiles is one of the most difficult task you can do. But like everything else, its not impossible. You will need a concrete chisel and a hammer to start the job. The fact that you need to change the shower floor tile means that there is a leak somewhere in the grout lines of the floor tile or in the area where the wall tiles meet the shower floor tiles. Regrettably, you can’t change just a few pieces of shower floor tiles, you will have to remove all of them.

I like to use a wide concrete chisel, but first use a small one to remove one shower floor tile. Place the chisel on the side of the shower floor tile; you do not want to damage the cement underneath, just remove the shower floor tiles. Remember to wear safety glasses as pieces of tile will break off and can land in your eyes. Once you have removed some of the shower floor tiles, you can use your wide chisel to remove the rest of the tiles. This can take some time; do not crack the concrete underneath because it can be repaired and reused to install the new shower floor tiles. When you are finish removing all the shower floor tiles, you should notice that the concrete is higher all around the edges and lower towards the direction of the drain. This is for the water to lead towards the drain and away from the tile walls. This is very important that the concrete is shaped in this manner.

REPAIR THE CONCRETE FLOOR IF NEEDED

If your concrete floor is badly damaged, you may have to remove all the concrete. It would be a good idea to check and see if you have damage in your shower drain pan. This shower pan is what stop water from going through which prevents water damage below. But if it has holes, water will leak and cause water damage below. At this point of time you will need to replace the old shower pan with a new shower pan, a new shower plastic liner, or a shower base. If you install a shower base, this would take the place of installing shower floor tiles. But you will have to make many moderation to accomplidh this. If you install the shower pan or shower plastic liner, you will need a mud job. A mud job is a cement job that is shaped to its proper slope so that all water goes away from the outside of the shower toward the drain which is usually located in the center.

TIP: It might pay for you to hire a tile repair specialist who has experience in mud job or pay for a Do-It-Yourself video which will give you step by step instruction how to install a shower pan or shower plastic liner.

WHEN THE CONCRETE FLOOR IS REPAIRED OR INSTALLED

Once the mud job dries, you are now ready to install shower floor tiles. Shower floor tiles usually come on a mesh 12″ x 12″ sheets. The size of the shower floor tiles can start at 1″ x 1″ or go up to 3″ x 3″ or larger. The shower floor tiles are made of a flexible mesh so it can take the shape of the concrete base. The shower floor tiles are installed with thinset mortar which is a cement. I like to use white thinset and mix some matching color grout with the thinset. I do this so any thinset that settles between the shower floor tiles pass through the mesh will match later when I grout the shower floor tiles. This saves you time of trying to remove dry thinset before you grout. For shower floor tiles, you can use a grout sealer which can further prevent any water from penatrating through the grout lines and going through the concrete. As time goes on you may want to re-grout the shower floor tiles just to ensure further protection.

Re-Grout Your Tiles to a New Look!

Tile-Repair — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 01:15:01 +0000

RE-GROUTING TILES

Tile Repair Specialist Manuel re-grouting ceramic tiles in the bathroom area.

Grout can discolor in time if not maintained properly. When you shower or bathe, water is splashed inside the shower and bath area and is mixed with soap, your body oils and minerals that are found in water itself. When you mix them all together, a dirty film can develop over the tiles, grout and tub. Grout can also diminish and crack in time if you use bleach or ammonia. The best way to maintain tiles and grout in your shower and bath area is to mix water, baking soda and clear vinegar in a pail or basin and wipe your grout and tiles.

TIP: Use a small cloth or sponge daily to remove excess water from tiles, shower glass doors and tub prior to you leaving the bath tub area after you showered or bathe.


Nick the Tile Repair Specialist removing old grout and caulk using one of several tools to accomplish this task.	Tile repair tools includes small scraper, large and small grout saws, utility knife, small gauge grout saw, straight edge razor and large scraper with hook edge.	Large tile grout saw is used to remove grout between ceramic tiles, that has changed color and or has signs of some mold on the grout.

GROUT REMOVAL TECHNIQUES

First remove old grout with a utility knife or a grout saw. This is a hands-on job; do not use a machine to remove grout. Take it slow when using the utility knife or grout saw when removing the old grout, you do not want to extend beyond the grout line and scratch the tile. It is better that you remove as much of the old grout that you can in the shower and tub area. You want to re-grout an entire area so it doesn’t look like a tile repair job.

TIP: If the remaining grout between the tiles is black, this can be a sign of mold. Use some bleach to remove the mold in the remaining grout of the tile before you apply new grout.

I like to use powdered grout because it’s easier to apply and remove. You can use a polymer modified grout (just mix with water) or regular grout which you should mix with an acrylic latex additive. You can purchase a grout floater which will spread the grout onto the tiles. Mix the grout until it’s easy to move but not too watery or dry. Place a small amount of grout on your floater. Work the grout between the tiles not over the entire tile. The object is to fill in the area between the tiles and avoid spreading grout all over the tile.

TIP: Work a small area at a time. Wipe the excess grout off the tiles with a sponge and clean water before grout hardens. Wear plastic gloves when you grout.