How can we regrout our shower?

mich1972

Morning friends. There is moisture coming through the wall from our shower. We recently had two quotes to get it re grouted and they are very expensive. Would it be something my hubby and I could fix ourselves ? If not we will get it done. They checked the pipes in the wall with that special machine to see if they are leaking and they are not so that’s good. Apparently it’s the grout. We would appreciate your advice please 😊

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Accepted answers

MitchellMc

Hi @mich1972,

My concern here would be that even though there is missing grout, the walls should have a waterproofing membrane that captures this water and sheds it down to the drain. If you are experiencing dampness on the back of the wall, it might indicate there is an issue with the membrane. In order to resolve your missing grout issue, it's a reasonably straightforward job. Cut out the damaged and missing areas with a grout saw until you reach solid grout. You can then fill the areas with grout. Once you have repaired all the areas, I'd recommend going over the tiles and grout with a tile and grout sealer. Here's a guide on How to refresh tile grout and our Best Advice article on How do you repair tile grout?

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

All comments

mich1972

@EricL are these photos helpful ? There are bits of grout missing on the floor tiles.

MitchellMc

Hi @mich1972,

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

mich1972

Hi Mitch. Thank you for replying so quickly mate. Ok , I am going to show this to my hubby so we can buy what we need to fix it. We stopped using the shower as of this morning and using our ensuite shower instead so we can let it dry out. How long do we wait for the shower to dry and then we can start repairing ?

EricL

Hi @mich1972

I believe three days should be more than enough to dry out the shower. I recommend having the doors and windows open to promote air circulation in the room. I also suggest taping the shower door open so that any residual moisture in the room will be carried away.

One other method you can do to dry off the bathroom is to point an electric fan into the room and leave it running for a few hours.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

mich1972

Hi @MitchellMc @EricL and to all of the Workshop Community out there. I wanted to send a massive shout out to you both !!!!!

I shared a post to ask for friendly advice on how to fix some cracked / missing grout in our shower and moisture issues.
Straight away Mitch and Eric replied with great advice and lots of info to read up on.
You both gave me the confidence to have a go at doing the repairs myself and guess what, I did !!!!!!!
I even told my hubby that I am going to repair the shower myself and I didn’t want him to help, I wanted to learn how to repair it as I have NEVER done this before.

It’s nearly finished, just waiting for the sealer to dry out and the last thing I need to do is the silicone.

Luckily we have our ensuite shower to use as the main bathroom is off limits 😆 and also this has been about a week between drying times ect. I have learnt so much and still learning more. I am so grateful for the workshop to be able to ask for help and advice.
P.S Thanks Eric for the tip to use a fan to help with drying as it’s been really wet and cold here in Perth at the moment.

mich1972

Here’s a few photos of the process so far , everything purchased from Bunnings 😊

EricL

Hi @mich1972

Thank you very much for sharing this update on your regrouting project. It's looking very good, just remember to give the sealer enough time to cure before you start using the shower.

If you need further assistance, please let me know.

Eric

mich1972

Thank you @EricL

We won’t touch the shower until next week or so, is that ok ? We will leave it as long as we can.

I now want to paint the ceiling and walls in that bathroom so I will need advice for that please as I have never painted before.
Also there are a few cracks in the walls due to movement over the years from what my hubby said. From what we know the house was built in 1994. We are the second owners. There are a lot of cracks like this throughout the house , I want to concentrate on the bathroom first.

Jason

Making great progress @mich1972. Well done.

Here's some guides you'll find helpful:

How to repair a cracked cornice?

How do you repair ceiling cracks?

How to repair a water-damaged ceiling?

Jason

mich1972

Good morning Jason. Thank you 😊

I have just been looking for information and found a few that are really helpful for my next project !!!!! Thank you for sharing them.

mich1972

I’ll tell you what Jason, all of these step by step instructions with photos makes it so much easier to understand and the videos on using the products as well.

mich1972

I was so nervous with applying the Wet Area Silicone. It’s not perfect but I hope it is good enough to seal. This is the very first time I have ever done this 😆 I took my time with it. Just got the bottom of the shower screens and floor base. I certainly could not have done it without the masking tape guidelines.

EricL

Hi @mich1972

Thank you very much for posting your progress on the silicone application in your shower. It looks excellent, you've used the recommended procedures perfectly. Your silicone line looks great. The best part is that you've added an extra skill in your D.I.Y. toolbox. Next time you have to apply silicone to a gap, you'll know exactly what to do!

Again, thank you very much for sharing this project.

Eric

mich1972

Morning @EricL Thank you 😊. I am going to have a go at painting the ceiling and walls, filling in cracks ect now in this bathroom so the shower will have even longer to dry out.

mich1972

Well the ceiling is done. I can’t believe I did it myself !!! I used Zinsser for the undercoat as there was a massive water stain and the Dulux Bathroom Ceiling paint.

Now to paint the walls 😆

EricL

Hi @mich1972

Thank you so much for posting photos of your ceiling painting project. It looks excellent and not a hint of the water stain coming through. Your bathroom project is coming along nicely, please make sure to post plenty of photos so that each project is documented thoroughly. I'm sure our members who are planning on doing a bathroom revamp are keenly watching your progress.

Eric

mich1972

Ok @EricL I will do that 😀

mich1972

I found a cracked grout line around the bathtub and fixed it. I can’t believe when you actually start fixing things up, what else you find that needs fixing 😆

MitchellMc

You've opened a massive can of worms now, @mich1972. Unfortunately for you, it's just the beginning, as the more skills you develop, the more items that you'll come across that can be fixed. Soon you'll be adjusting your roof's pitch as it has just never been quite right. 🔨 🏠 😂

Great work.

Mitchell

mich1972

Well @MitchellMc I blame the Workshop for all the amazing projects, advice, step by steps and inspiration to give me the confidence to have a good go at fixing something, even if it is something small like using silicone or grouting 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

mich1972

Good morning Workshop Community Friends. The main bathroom is finished for now and back to normal. It’s nothing fancy and it’s not perfect but it’s had a good refresh and clean.
Shower - grout fixed where it was needed. Silicone removed and replaced. The whole shower walls and floor Sealed. Fingers crossed it works.
Bathroom Ceiling painted and the Zinsser worked a treat as the undercoat covering that massive water stain. Dulux wash and wear bathroom / kitchen as the top coat.
Bathroom walls re painted way over due ( since 1994 🤣 previous owners ) again with Dulux - Lexicon Half. So happy with the Choice, feels like there’s even more light in the bathroom during the day !!
Bathroom counter and bathtub - old silicone removed and replaced, along with another tile re grouted above the bathtub 😆 also all the movement / settlement cracks repaired throughout the walls above. It’s not a major renovation or anything but what a difference it makes. Keeping it simple so it is easy to keep clean and tidy. 😊

EricL

Hello @mich1972

Thank you for sharing those photos of your beautifully refreshed bathroom. Sometimes a full-on renovation is not necessary to bring the shine back into your bathroom. New grout lines and silicones seals does wonders, plus a new coat of paint will always give an area a fresh new look. Not only did you manage to refresh your bathroom, but you've gained new D.I.Y skills that will let you attempt bigger projects in the future.

Again, thank you for sharing such a wonderful project.

Eric

mich1972

Thank you @EricL I have just finished painting the toilet 🤣🤣

EricL

Hello @mich1972

Thanks for that update, your toilet is looking nice and bright! It's good to see that you've been using drop sheets in your projects. This single act of preparation will save you so much effort in trying to clean your floor from paint splatter coming off your roller. Will you be painting the window frame as well?

Eric

mich1972

Thanks @EricL I learnt, PREPARE and COVER before painting !!!!!!!!
Well I was wondering that. Now it’s painted, the window looks crappy 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️Eric I would like to paint the window frames in the bathroom and toilet I think you gave me advice for that, to spray paint it ? I must reread the post.

EricL

Hi @mich1972

Go check and see if it has a timber frame, if it does, then painting it would be just like painting your wall. You'll need to take the same steps in preparation for painting. However, if it is aluminium, it will be necessary to spray paint it.

If you need further assistance, please let me know.

Eric

mich1972

@EricL This is the timber window sill in the toilet.

The window frame in toilet and bathroom is aluminium

EricL

Hi @mich1972

In regards to the timber windowsill, I suggest following the same procedure you used when painting your walls. I also suggest having a look at this discussion - How to paint 80s aluminium doors? by @KingStreetReno. You'll find plenty of suggestions on how to paint aluminium frames.

Here is a link to our best advice: What is the best way to paint aluminium windows?

If you need further assistance, please let me know.

Eric

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