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Really upset about my grout


hendriQ

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Went to tiling supply shop, got the little strips of Mapei colours from their display (the ones made of their actual grout) and picked one that very closely matched my tile, a nice medium grey colour.

Had previously told the tiler on an earlier tiling job done a few months ago on same site that it was important he use distilled water because we live in a very hard water area and the hardness of tap water lightens the grout colour. Must have forgotten to tell the tiler this time. Grout has come out much lighter than expected. Really contrasts with the tile, whereas it was meant to match it. Really not the look I wanted at all.

 Two options: re-grout or use a grout colouring pen. What are the pros and cons of each?

 Really upset as this was a large and expensive tiling job that is really prominent on our house and it looks awful.

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Dremel and a steady hand 

Make a cut down the centre of the grout Then use a grout raker 

You would be surprised how often grout colors get mixed up 

Will take a day on a 30m2 bathroom 

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Thanks @nod but are you saying you wouldn’t even consider the products that can be applied onto the grout to change their colour? I’m also pissed off with Mapei for not making it clear on their instructions that hard water could cause this whitening of the grout.

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No I wouldn’t 

If you can’t live with the grout a bit lighter These DIY products will annoy the hell out of you 


Bit late for you now 

We normally mix a good sized blob of grout and leave it on a window cil while we are tiling 

You would be surprised how many homeowners want to change the shade 

Thats why most developers choose white or ivory 

 

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1 hour ago, hendriQ said:

Thanks @nod but are you saying you wouldn’t even consider the products that can be applied onto the grout to change their colour? I’m also pissed off with Mapei for not making it clear on their instructions that hard water could cause this whitening of the grout.

 

I'm quite surprised it has that much effect. If you have any left might be worth double checking that's the real cause not a batch issue? 

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18 hours ago, Temp said:

 

I'm quite surprised it has that much effect. If you have any left might be worth double checking that's the real cause not a batch issue? 

I guess I could complain to Mapei, but still very odd. There also seems to be a bit of variability with parts of the grout looking whiter than other parts.

 

I know @nod's advice is to re-grout, but I wonder if before doing that I should experiment spending £10 on one of these grout paints made by Mapei though I note that it says it's for internal use, the data sheet stating "Do not use for external applications or on surfaces subjected to continuous immersion (swimming pools, basins, etc.)." Not really sure why given that even if it rains once or twice a day in England, that's got to be a similar exposure to what that a tile would have in the shower?

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Maybe live with it for a few days and see if it starts to bother you less.? We've all got very stressed over stuff at different times. I tested a few as all colours (walls etc not just grout) seem to change somewhat when next to different colours and in different light. 

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52 minutes ago, pocster said:

My grouts wee colour in the ensuite ( as everyone kindly reminds me ) and I love it …

 

I guess still shows up the sh*t though? 😃

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1 hour ago, hendriQ said:

I guess I could complain to Mapei, but still very odd. There also seems to be a bit of variability with parts of the grout looking whiter than other parts.

 

I know @nod's advice is to re-grout, but I wonder if before doing that I should experiment spending £10 on one of these grout paints made by Mapei though I note that it says it's for internal use, the data sheet stating "Do not use for external applications or on surfaces subjected to continuous immersion (swimming pools, basins, etc.)." Not really sure why given that even if it rains once or twice a day in England, that's got to be a similar exposure to what that a tile would have in the shower?

Using the grout colouring ‘pens’ will give you the biggest nightmare of all. Do not use these crappy short cuts, it’ll wreck the job completely. 
Another cause of this lightening is too much water when mixing the grout, or excessively wet sponge when wiping the excess back and polishing up.

The grout rakes are ugly beasts and will VERY easily chip the edges / corners of rectified porcelain, so please be sure of whom you employ for that task, as a goon doing it will result in a complete re-tile. 
If you go for the grout removal, I’d strongly suggest paying a cosmetic repair company, such as Mr Magic / other and get them to do it methodically and meticulously. Anything else will end in ( even more and larger ) tears. 

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13 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

Using the grout colouring ‘pens’ will give you the biggest nightmare of all. Do not use these crappy short cuts, it’ll wreck the job completely. 
Another cause of this lightening is too much water when mixing the grout, or excessively wet sponge when wiping the excess back and polishing up.

The grout rakes are ugly beasts and will VERY easily chip the edges / corners of rectified porcelain, so please be sure of whom you employ for that task, as a goon doing it will result in a complete re-tile. 
If you go for the grout removal, I’d strongly suggest paying a cosmetic repair company, such as Mr Magic / other and get them to do it methodically and meticulously. Anything else will end in ( even more and larger ) tears. 

 

While this is seriously irritating you now, I'd take the advice above and live with it for a while before deciding to fix. You will likely have some other issue take over your mind soon and in a few months will wonder why it annoyed you so much. That was my experience anyway with several mistakes on my build.

 

If it's still an irritation, then you can still fix it.

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