Shower Regrouting: Mistakes to Avoid

Regrouting and sealing tiles is one of the most affordable renovation exercises you can undertake in your bathroom. Unlike many other bathroom renovation exercises (e.g. the installation of a hot tub) it is largely a one-man job and it often requires no more than a few hours for a regular-sized bathroom.

Because the renovation exercise can be quite exciting, it is easy to get carried away in the excitement especially since a professional will be handling the regrouting exercise on your behalf.

With this in mind, this article discusses two common mistakes that you should avoid as you plan for the shower regrouting exercise.

Skim Coating

Skim coating is a term that is commonly used by regrouting professionals. It refers to a situation in which the new grout is applied onto bathroom tiles without the removal of the old grout. Some regrouting professionals will tell you that they're doing this beforehand while others will pry on your innocence and do this without your knowledge.

The problem with the skim coating is that the freshly applied grout is bound to adhere to the top of your bathroom tiles more than it adheres to the sides of the tiles. This is because the presence of the old grout prevents the freshly applied grout from sinking deep into the grout lines. The result is that the freshly applied grout will begin to wear out soon after the regrouting exercise.

In a large number of cases, a regrouting professional will charge you less if they do not have to remove old grout before the application of the new grout. However, this will prove to be costly in the long run.

Failure to Seal Fresh Grout

It also might be tempting to skip the sealing of freshly laid grout on bathroom tiles to cut on costs.

This is not recommended because sealing fresh grout helps to improve its water resistance. Water-resistance is especially important for the freshly laid grout because the bathroom exposes the grout to constant wetness. The more resistant the grout is to water and moisture penetration, the longer you can expect it to last.

In the same breath, the presence of protective sealing material on the fresh grout helps to prevent the occurrence of mould because mould growth is favoured by the presence of water/moisture on grout and grout lines.

Sealing fresh grout on bathroom tiles will not cost you so much, but it will offer the freshly laid grout so much more protection.

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