FloorTalk – for all the latest flooring fashions

Have you inherited a floor with oddly colored grout? Is your grout too gross to deal with? Did you make a grout choice that was a disastrous design decision? Have you accidentally tried to clean your grout with bleach and bleached the color out? Good news! The tile is difficult and expensive to replace, but you can change the whole look of a tile floor with new grout.

If you think you might like the color, but can’t tell what it originally started as:

• First, try cleaning the grout with grout cleaner. (not bleach, grout cleaner!)
• If the grout doesn’t come clean, you can try a professional steam cleaning company to clean the grout.

If you inherited a color that is just too difficult to deal with:

• Clean the grout first.
• From here, you could chisel the old grout out and install new grout, but you run the risk of chipping the tile. Once you chip the tile, it cannot be repaired. It then has to be replaced, which means you run the risk of installing a new tile that doesn’t match the original shade.
• Your best bet is to stain the grout with grout stain. This process is easy and can transform the whole look of a floor.
• Before beginning, make sure the existing grout is completely dry so that water does not dilute the new grout stain.
• If you use grout stain, chances are you will need to do the whole floor rather than trying to touch up and match the original grout application.

For grout that cannot be stained:

• An epoxy grout needs to be used.
• This should only be installed by a professional.
• It is extremely durable, but extremely sensitive to apply.

Some tips for staining:

• Tiles with high gloss glazes are easier to work with. The excess stain can be wiped off if you get outside the lines.
• For tiles that are porous and not sealed, you must be very careful to stay in the lines. (remember you rules from coloring in Kindergarten!)
• You can choose to seal the grout after you stain it, but most sealers already have sealer mixed as part of the solution This should be outlined on the packaging.
• Artists brushes that are close to the size of the grout joint (most are 1/4″) work well for applying the stain. Look for a bristle that will give you the best control.
• Keep in mind that grout stains are not paints. Test the stain in an inconspicuous corner before committing to the grout stain color! You may have a hard time making really dark colors a lighter color.

For more information on how to maintain ceramic tile and grout, click here. For information on how to choose a grout color, click here.