Another DIY (do it yourself) project - re-grout the tile in the shower

[TheNinja]

Does anyone have any experience regrouting the tile in a shower? Mine is starting to leak through the floor. I put caulk on all the spots I could find that needed it, but I have a feeling that the entire thing will need to be done soon. Links or stories on personal experience would be nice. Thanks

 

[koulouty]

Same thing happened to ours, but turns out, there is a pan under all those tiles in our shower that had rusted out. I guess the grout had cracked and the water slowly rusted the pan, which then led to the leaking.

I don't have any tips on the re-grouting process, though. A friend did it for us.

 

[jemcam]

I have plenty of experience grouting tile, but that's not going to fix your problem. Like Koulouty said, it's more than likely the shower pan needing replacement.

 

[KenGr]

Time consuming but not difficult if the base (flooring and walls beneath the tile) is solid. The hardest part is that the shower needs to be out of commission for at least several days. Get a sharp tool you can scrape the grout out with and remove as much grout as possible. If any of the tiles are at all loose, remove them and reattach. Then re-grout the whole thing with good quality grout. Press the grout into the seams with some pressure. Basically you fill an area with wet grout and, as it dries, you polish the excess off the tiles. Don't get the grout any wetter than it needs to be to flow into the seams.

What get's you into trouble is bad subsurfaces. If it flexs, the grout will crack right away and fail again. Also, caulking over grout is a "duct tape" fix. Don't do it.

 

[Ryan]

Yep, what the other have said is true. YOu don't want to regrout tile, because you'll just be staving off the inevitable - having to retile. It needs to be removed and redone.

 

[huesmann]

Just blow it out and retile.

 

[T2T III]

Like the others have said, the pan might be leaking - or the tiles might need a complete replacement. Sadly, most tiles are just adhered to green waterproof drywall. However, they should be attached to cement backer board - but, builders cut corners - and want to save a few $$ - so, doing it right rarely happens.

But, if you insist on replacing the grout, Dremel has an attachment that you can use with a Dremel tool for removing the grout. This might be the quickest method. I've used other "manual" tools with diamond tips, etc. - However, they require a lot of energy to get the grout out - plus, if you slip with such a tool, you'll scratch your tile. Once you have applied new grout to the tile gaps, ensure you use Tile Labs' Teflon-based grout sealer. A 16 oz. bottle is only about $15.00. This stuff is guaranteed for 15 years - vs. a much shorter period for other grout sealers.

Best of luck !!