How to Properly Regrout and Recaulk Your Shower Or Bath

Does your shower have dirty, moldy and dingy looking grout and caulk? There are many ways to regrout and recaulk a shower or bath but there is really only one way to do the job properly so your shower will stay waterproof, stainproof and look beautiful for years to come.

How to Properly Regrout and Recaulk Your Shower Or Bath

How to Properly Regrout and Recaulk Your Shower Or Bath

---

How to Properly Regrout and Recaulk Your Shower Or Bath

How to Properly Regrout and Recaulk Your Shower Or Bath

First step is to thoroughly clean your tiles: Many dirty showers have soap scum accumulation which must be thoroughly cleaned before any regrouting procedure can begin. It is important to use a professional soap scum reMover product as well as a professional scrub pad to scrub away the dirt and soap scum from your shower walls and floor. Do not use any type of abrasive scrub pad as they may scratch your tiles. It can be helpful to utilize a professional steam cleaning machine in conjunction with the soap scum reMovers and scrub pads. A professional truckmounted steam cleaning machine is useful to accelerate the cleaning process but professional soap scum removers and scrub pads as well as a fair amount of elbow grease can be very effective in removing all of the soap scum from your shower walls and floor.

Second step is to remove the dirty, moldy grout and caulk: It is important to first remove all the old caulk from inside and around your shower. The best way to remove old caulk is to use a razor blade tool and scrape it all out from inside and around your shower. After the old caulk has been removed it is now time to remove the grout from your shower. There are many tools like a Dremel or Rotozip tool to do this but the hands down best tool is a Fein Multimaster or Supercut vibrating tool with a diamond bit. It is important to use the Fein tool on every grout line and clean every line with a stiff brush to make sure the new grout will have a firm base to adhere to.

Third step is to dry out your walls: In most cases some water and mold has gotten into your wall. It is therefore necessary to thoroughly and completely dry your shower walls before any regrouting procedure can take place. Do not attempt to regrout over top of a wet shower wall substrate. The water in your walls can continue to harbor dangerous mold and mildew. Also your grout will not set properly due to the moisture in your walls and will become discolored and flake away after a very short period of time. The best way to dry out your shower walls is with a professional dehumidifier for at least 3-7 days. This way you can be certain your shower walls will become dry and any mold and mildew present in your walls is killed before you begin regrouting.

Fourth step is to apply the grout to your shower: It is best to use a profession grout powder mixed with latex additive Do not use any premixed or ready to use products as these are vastly inferior and technically not cement products at all. It is best to go to a professional tile store and purchase your grouting supplies from an experienced salesman. Try to stay away from the big box home improvement stores as they have many inferior products and their sales people generally do not specialize in tile setting products.

Fifth step is to recaulk your shower: The caulk is the weakest link between water damaging your walls and floors so it is important to apply it correctly You should caulk between all tile wall planes and between and fixtures and the tiles. This will insure that water does not get between your tiles and into your walls and floor. It is best to use only 100% silicon caulks. 100% silicon caulk will last the longest and will not allow mold and mildew to grow like the cheaper water based latex or siliconized caulks.

Sixth step is sealing: It is important to seal your grout with a professional impregnating sealer. A high quality sealer will protect your grout from stains and also prevent mold and mildew from forming. Here again it is recommended that your purchase a professional sealer from a tile store and stay away from the cheaper sealers being sold at the big box stores.

Seventh step is to wait 72 hours: Wait 72 hours for your grout and caulk to fully cure and then go and enjoy your new looking shower. A regrouting procedure can be done by many homeowners with the proper tools and some handyman skills. It can also be very convenient and save a lot of headaches to have a professional tile and grout cleaning and restoration company to professionally regrout and recaulk your shower or bath.

How to Hire a Professional Regrouting Contractor: Make sure that your ask many questions of your potential regrouting contractor and do not settle for a cheap incomplete one day regrouting and recaulking procedure. One day regrouting procedures will look sloppy and the grout and caulk will fail in a short period of time. One day regrouting procedures also fail to address any potential water damage in your walls. Also do not accept any company that just skim coats new grout over the old grout. A skim coat procedure will not last and it will only be a short period of time before your skim coated grout starts to chip and flake away. Additionally the new grout will trap water between the two layers of grout causing your shower waterproofing system to fail. Check with your state labor and industries as well as the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to make sure your potential contractor is fully license and insured and does not have any unresolved Better Business Bureau Complaints that may be an indication of shoddy workmanship. For additional information about how our company performs its regrouting and recaulking services please visit Prestige Tile Care online.

How to Properly Regrout and Recaulk Your Shower Or Bath

Thanks To : Rechargeable Batteries | Green Battery Chargers | SE Travel Pouch