My floors were installed with ceramic tiles about eight months ago. I have recently noticed that the grout is breaking out around them.Can someone tell me how to repair them? Does one just fill in the cracked out area or must I remove the old grout as best I can and just about start over again?
2007-06-03 17:31:09 · 8 answers · asked by JB4ME2UC 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
First of all, after 8 months, this should not be happening! If you hired someone to do this, I would contact them and have them correct this problem. A few things could be going wrong. You did not mention if any tiles are broken or cracked. So I am guessing the grout was mixed incorrectly, probably with too much water, causing it to be brittle and loosen. Has the crumbling occurred only in high traffic areas? There are two ways to correct this, assuming your floor was level to start with and laid out evenly on cement backer such as Hardi Backer or Durock. The first way is to carefully chisel around all the loose tiles and get rid of the loose grout. Get yourself some tile spacers and reposition the free tiles. Find a bag of grout that matches the color of your old grout and make sure you mix and apply it according to the directions. Fill the grout around the tiles, sponging up any excess from the tile. Allow it to set fully according to the directions. This may mean keeping you floor off limits! So if it is a bathroom or a kitchen, plan to not use it until it is fully dried!!! You may need to repeat this method again on the other tiles that become loose over time. They might not come loose if they are out of a traffic area. But if you have a bathroom and are concerned about water seeping into the floor, which brings up huge mold concerns, I'd recommend redoing the entire floor.
The second way of correcting the grout assumes the grout was mixed incorrectly and you are willing to remove all the tile and reset it. If you do this it will give you a chance to see if cement backer was laid down before the tile was laid and if the floor is completely level. Make sure you clean up all the old grout as well as any dust residue before resetting the tiles.
2007-06-03 17:59:13 · answer #1 · answered by Pastor Gordon Blossom's Special Kind of Love Child 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would call the people that did the work back. If they give you a hard time you can either do the work yourself or hire someone else to do it.
You should dig out the old loose grout, most of it. What's happen is they didn't use the right mixture when mixing the grout, maybe they used to much dry grout, to much water, etc.
This will keep happening unless you redo it. Check to see that the tiles are solid, if so, leave them.
After all is taken out and cleaned you'll have to re-grout. Use a grout that is already pre-mixed, this will save you both time and guessing on the mix. It's much easier too.
Follow directions on the box. Go to Home Depot for the material. They can also give you some instructions.
2007-06-03 23:02:33 · answer #2 · answered by cowboydoc 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
IF you have less than 1 1/8" of wood under the tiles you have no warranty. IF there is MDF or OSB directly under the tiles you have no warranty. It HAS to be plywood directly under the tiles. IF the plywood isn't screwed down on 6" centers with 4" spacing on the edges, you have no warranty. I can't tell you how many jobs I have lost or how many I have refused because people don't want to add subflooring under the tiles. 99.9% of the cause of grout dusting is caused by a weak floor that flexes when walked on. All you ned do to check for proper wood thicknes is remove a floor heat vent and have a look.
2007-06-03 19:01:50 · answer #3 · answered by albertaguy7 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have 2 answers. Yes you can grout around the loose ones but there is a btter answer.
Get a solid base... MDF or other 1/8 to 1/4 wood then lay a new floor on it.
2007-06-03 17:35:04 · answer #4 · answered by adelle0422 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
floor tile grout?
remove old grout using stone grinder about 3 mm deep and then apply grout. skills needed
2007-06-03 17:51:39 · answer #5 · answered by pitel 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They laid tile down in my room while i was pregnant and in the house. Nothing happened I was fine and so was the baby. Just try to stay away from any dust and inhaling any chemicals. :)
2016-05-20 22:53:05 · answer #6 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would remove damaged grout, and then refill.
2007-06-03 17:40:45 · answer #7 · answered by badbill1941 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There's got to be a reason for this happening. Call the original installers.
2007-06-07 13:35:10 · answer #8 · answered by Kathy T 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋