How to remove old grout from tile joints

Grout for joints, even the highest quality and most expensive, absorbs particles of moisture and dust. The material acquires a grayish tint over time. In silicone mixtures, fungus and mold can multiply, which spoils the appearance of the walls and threatens the health of residents. They try to bleach grout for tiles, wash with soapy solutions or disinfect, but it is much easier to remove the old compound from the seams and replace it with a new one.

Preparation for work

The ceramic coating is wiped with a damp sponge soaked in warm water. A little detergent or 20-30 g of laundry soap is added to the liquid. The tile is wiped with a wet rag to remove dirt and greasy stains, as well as prepare to remove grout. Moisture protects the ceramic surface from cracks, scratches and chips.

Before starting work, the tiles are gently tapped with a rubber mallet or wooden stick. If a muffled echo is heard inside, indicating voids, the mechanical method is contraindicated. You can not use the manual method if the tile is loose or loose against the wall. A knife or drill will damage the cement mortar on which the facing material is held, and you will have to remove the tile together with the grout, and then make repairs.

Do not neglect protective equipment:

• construction glasses;
• a respirator;
• rubber or tight fabric gloves;
• clothes with long sleeves.

When removing the old grout, dust particles rise into the air, which settle on the nasal mucosa and bronchi, causing inflammation and coughing. A gauze bandage or special respirator will protect the airways from irritation.

A person who uses a drill or grinder is recommended to wear glasses. Pieces of grout with mechanical removal can bounce and get into the eyes, injuring the mucous membrane. When working with electric tools, you can not do without thick gloves that will protect your hands and fingers from cuts.

It is necessary to take care of furniture: sink, washing machine, bath. Items that cannot be taken out of the room are covered with old blankets or rugs, and wrapped with plastic film on top so that you do not have to wipe the white surface from traces of dirt. Skirting boards from dust and grout residues are protected with a wide construction tape. If you need to update the walls, lay 2-3 layers of old newspapers on the floor.

Softening cement and silicone compounds

Wet grout is easier than dry to separate from the concrete base. The seams before machining are impregnated with warm water or soapy solutions. Cement-sand compositions and silicone varieties are softened with acids:

• vinegar;
• lemon;
• sulfuric.

They work slower than synthetic solvents, but cost a penny.

To prepare a homemade solution from vinegar essence is simple:

• Dilute 20 ml of the additive with 1 liter of water, stir.
• Put on rubber gloves, take a sponge and saturate the seams with the workpiece.
• Leave for 12 hours and then remove grout.

If there is no essence, nine percent table vinegar is suitable. The workpiece is diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 2. The solution will soften the grout after a day.

Vinegar has an unpleasant odor, so some people prefer emollients made from citric acid. You will need a concentrated solution, so for 1 liter of liquid take a bag of dry component. The water is heated to completely dissolve citric acid. The warm liquid is filtered through cheesecloth, cleaning from particles of crystals. Apply to grout with a brush or rags.Cement or silicone paste is liberally greased with a solution of citric acid, and after a day they are mechanically cleaned.

Sulfuric acid is diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 20. The synthetic substance is added to the liquid, not vice versa, otherwise the workpiece will begin to foam and will get on the walls or skin. The edges of the tiles before applying such a solution are sealed with construction tape. They impregnate the grout with a liquid, wait 5-6 hours. Apply the solution with a thin brush. Protect your hands from burns with tight rubber gloves.

Acids, especially hydrochloric, emit toxic fumes. After softening the grout, the room is thoroughly ventilated. Enter the room only in a respirator. After mechanical removal of the grout, the tile is wiped with damp rags to remove acid residues.

A safer solution for softening cement and silicone pastes is prepared from glycerol. 100 ml of the substance are mixed with a glass of hot water. Saturate the product with stitches and wait until the grout becomes soft and supple. Glycerin is not washed off with soapy solutions. Hot water will not help either. Remains of the substance are removed with a dry cloth, and then the ceramic surface is degreased with kerosene diluted with water.

Other formulations

Epoxy grouts that contain resins are more resistant. Such material will soften a special solvent, which is sold in construction stores. The most popular brands are:

• MONOMIX CLEANER GEL;
• Atlas Szop;
• Litoclean;
• PUFAS CEMENT-EX;
• KIILTO CLEAN.

Solvents are of the spirit of types: liquid and gels. The first variety is applied to the grout with a brush. The second is produced in tubes with special dispensers. Gels are designed to treat hard to reach areas.

Solvents are impregnated with seams. Tools are smoothed with rubber spatulas or fingers soaked in water. Synthetic solutions leave for several hours or a day, and then scrape off the remnants of the grout with wet rags or sponges. Softened epoxy compounds are cleaned with a spatula or paper knife.

Synthetic products do well with cement-sand pastes and silicone. They completely dissolve such grouts, so you do not have to clean off the remains with a spatula or drill. The seams after using chemicals are wiped with wet cotton buds and bristles with hard bristles.

Mechanical removal

The edges of the ceramic tiles are sealed with masking tape. Take a paper knife or tile binder. Another tool with a thin sharp blade will do. The tip of the knife is carried out in the center of the seam. They try to drive the tool as deep as possible so that it reaches the concrete base.

Grout soaked with acid or synthetic solution falls off in large pieces. The remains of cement or silicone paste are cleaned with a paper knife. The blade moves from the edge of the seam to the center. Care must be taken that the tool does not touch the ceramic surface, otherwise there will be scratches and cracks on the tile.

Removing grout with a clerical knife is a monotonous and boring task. You can clean the seams in 2-3 hours with a drill. Power tools are equipped with a thin needle-like nozzle. It should be less than the distance between the tiles. Recommend a drill for glass or ceramics. Too thick nozzles leave scratches on the facing material and lead to chips.

The drill is tightly gripped with one or two hands. Turn on at minimum speed to make it easier to control the tool. Seams are processed 1-2 times until the drill reaches the concrete base.

Instead of a drill, a grinder is used. But only a professional can handle such tools. It is difficult for beginners to remove grouting grinder without damaging the facing material, because the disks often slide off and touch the edges of the tile.

Seams after mechanical cleaning are sanded with sandpaper. Abrasive particles remove the remains of cement or epoxy paste from the concrete base.A metal brush or old toothbrush will come in handy. Dust off the seams and tiles with tools, remove particles of the dried solution.

It remains to wipe the wall and facing with a damp cloth. You can moisten it in a solution of detergent. Choose options that contain acids. The seams are cleaned of dirt with cotton swabs, and before applying a new grout, be sure to degrease. It is recommended to use a solution of water and kerosene or white spirit. For 500 ml of liquid, a tablespoon of the synthetic component.

Even a beginner who has never held a spatula in his hands can remove the old grout from the seams. Everything is very simple: soak, scrape, sand and degrease. It does not make sense to remove the grout if the tile is loose or loose against the wall. In such cases, you will have to start a full repair with a complete replacement of the facing material.

Video: how to remove epoxy grout from tile joints