How To Regrout Tiles: A Guide to Regrouting Tiles

Grout is the cherry on the cake of a tiled wall or floor and can really make a difference in the home. But over time it can start to fade, get dirty or even start to flake away. However, rather than tiling the whole surface again, regrouting tiles can give the room a fresh new look. Here’s how to regrout tiles…

How to Regrout Tiles: What you will need

Here are a few essentials when it comes to regrouting tiles…

Some new tile grout

Spare grout rake blades (if it’s a big job)

Dust sheet (if tiling a wall)

Suggested: Protective goggles, dust mask, protective gloves

Optional: An electric grout rake (easier to use – available from Screwfix)

How to Regrout Tiles: Preparation

Before you start regrouting tiles, we suggest putting on some protective gloves, eye protection and a dust mask, as the grout will create lots of dust and debris.

If you’re tiling a wall, put a dust sheet down.

Top tip: If you are working in a bathroom put all the plugs in as it stops any dust and old grout clogging up your drains.

1) Remove the old grout

The first thing to do is make sure you don’t have any of the old grout in the joints. This is done by scraping away the old grout. This can be done with a grout remover/grout rake.

This is the part of the job that requires a bit of elbow grease, so it is advisable to have a couple of spare blades, especially if you have a large area you want to re-grout. But a bit of persistence and you can clear out all the old grout.

Make sure you only drive the blade one way – work in the direction of the hooks on the blade and make sure you don’t miss any grout. It is also advisable once you are done wipe the surface with a damp cloth or sponge to get rid of any leftover grout and dust.

Top tip: If the idea of manually scraping all the grout outputs you off, you can use an electric grout remover. This is much quicker and easier – but it does carry more risk of scratching the tiles as you work.

2) Regrouting tiles: Re-apply your tile grout

Once you have cleared away the old grout and cleaned your surface you are free to apply fresh grout to your tiles. If you want to create an exciting new look, you could try a different colour – we have lots of tile grout shades to choose from.

Top tip: For a really interesting look, try glitter grout.

Once you’ve chosen your tile grout, it’s time to start grouting. Using a bucket trowel, mix your powdered grout in a mixing bucket according to the instructions on the pack. Be mindful of the drying times so that the grout does not set before you are finished.

Use the bucket trowel to apply some grout onto your grout float. Then, push it onto your surface. There’s no right or wrong place to start, so long that you work in a logical order so that no tile joints are missed.

Holding the float at a 45-degree angle, push the grout around the surface of the tiles; working it into the joints as you go. Collect larger amounts of surface grout on the float, and work this into joints elsewhere.

3) Cleaning up and finishing off

Once the joints are filled, wipe the surface down with a sponge and cold water. Wait between 5 and 10 minutes to allow the grout to set more before further cleaning with a sponge and cold water to remove any haze from the tile face.

Top tip: Remember to keep cleaning the sponge so that you’re not just spreading the grout around.

To finish off, use a clean, soft cloth to wipe off and polish down the faces of the tiles once the grout is dry.

And there you have it – a guide to regrouting tiles! If you found this tutorial on How To Regrout Tiles useful, show it to a friend! For more helpful tips and how to’s, visit our Help and advice section – it’s the Wikipedia of tiling information!

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