How to regrout shower tiles?

JackOLantern13

Hi team!

Tiled shower has the grouts falling off in a few places, unsure whether I can just gap-fill those damaged sections, or a whole shower regrout is in order?

Never done a regrout before, so unclear on effort level (have read it is labour intensive?), can anyone give some insights? My concern is I don’t have the power tools and will likely stick to manual tools (is that practial?), and the grout spacing is very narrow in some sections around the niche (0.5-1mm) - how do I squeeze the grout into those spaces?

Any help is very much appreciated!! Thank you!

JacobZ

Hi @JackOLantern13,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is wonderful to have you with us.

From what I can see, a full regrout probably isn’t necessary as the floor grout seems to be the main area affected, so you could just focus on repairing it rather than doing the whole shower. The section around the niche is actually silicone, which is much easier to replace anyway.

Removing grout manually can be a bit labour intensive, but it’s not overly difficult using a grout saw such as this https://www.bunnings.com.au/qep-professional-grout-saw_p0393523 . Just apply some force and run it back and forth along the grout lines, then use a vacuum to remove the dust and material. For the narrower gaps, a utility knife can be used but note that the blade will blunt relatively quickly. Make sure to wear gloves to protect from lacerations and wear a mask while doing this as some airborne dust is likely.

For those really narrow joints, it can be a bit fiddly, but using a rubber grout float such as this https://www.bunnings.com.au/qep-home-pro-grout-float_p6659942 and working the grout in diagonally usually does the trick. You can also use your finger or a small tool to help press it into tighter spots if needed.

For the areas of silicone around the niche, use your utility knife to cut away the old silicone, then replace it with some new wet area silicone in the colour of your choosing. This https://www.bunnings.com.au/sika-300ml-white-sikaseal-kitchen-and-bathroom-silicone-sealant_p1210308 would likely be a good option.

Check out https://www.bunnings.com.au/diy-advice/diy-skills/tiling/how-to-remove-grout , https://www.bunnings.com.au/diy-advice/diy-skills/tiling/how-to-grout-tiles and https://www.bunnings.com.au/diy-advice/diy-skills/tiling/how-to-silicone-a-gap for further guidance.

Overall, definitely doable as a DIY job without power tools, it just takes a bit of patience.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob