smoothing rough grout lines


  #1  
Old 10-26-01, 01:59 AM
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I just finished grouting the ceramic tiles on the wall in our shower. This is my first attempt at tiling, so forgive me. The room I was working in was very warm the day I grouted and the grout dried much faster than I was ready. As a result, I have quite a few grout lines that are not very smooth. Is there an easy way to make the rough grout lines smoother? The backer board, tiles, and grout are all brand new, no fixing up of old stuff on this one.
 
  #2  
Old 10-26-01, 11:42 AM
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I assume you used wall tiles, and the joints are grouted with unsanded grout.


If the joints are low (not enough grout), you can re-grout right over the top. Dampen the existing grout before you start, and do small areas at a time.

If the joints are too high (too much grout), you'll have to scratch the grout down to the point where you can re-grout.
 
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Old 10-29-01, 01:45 AM
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I used wall tiles and unsanded grout. The areas that look uneven have too much grout, so what should I use to sand down the high spots? The edge of a folded piece of sandpaper?
 
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Old 10-29-01, 09:26 AM
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You can cut/scratch the grout out from between the tiles with a utility knife. You'll wear out a few blades. Get the grout down as far as you can between the tiles and then regrout the joint.

Don't try to sand the grout down. You will only scratch the tiles by doing that. Just cut out the joints that are too high.
 
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Old 10-31-01, 07:31 AM
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Cool

I'll butcher some utility knife blades, then. A follow up question - I had a few professional tile workers tell me not to use sealant because it will discolor the grout. Should I use sealant or not? It sounds like a total pain to apply.
 
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Old 10-31-01, 12:27 PM
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Sealing wall tiles and unsanded grout is an easy proposition. You just smear the sealer over everything, tile and grout, and then wipe it off the surface with rags or paper towels. I like Aquamix Grout Sealer.

http://aquamix.com
 
 

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