Grout dries quickly

I've learned lots of things from regrouting my tub.

In addition to "grout dries quickly" I've learned:
 - a fine sandpaper (150 grit or higher) does wonders at smoothing rough spots. Use fine sandpaper so you don't scratch the tiles and because lower grit sand paper wouldn't smooth as well.
 - clean tools quickly. Mine have some dried grout stuck to them, but I'm going to use the sandpaper method on them since I didn't clean them well enough with water when the grout was still wet.
- a 10lb box of grout is a LOT of grout. I used a 1/3 of the box... maybe? probably not even that much. They don't give cup measurement mixing instructions (it's no bisquick box) so the art of proportions will be needed to get the right consistency. But better that, then to waste a lot of grout.
- my "weekend projects" are never just a weekend :)

Spreading the grout... with help from the younger bro!

   This is not the proper method for spreading grout, but it is actually a good way to get the grout ready to spread with the grout float. We had a pretty good method where my younger brother would spread the grout out and I would use my finger to smooth it in the grooves. He was a little too quick though. I'll need to go back over some spots that dried before I could smooth them well enough. A little work with the dremel or some fine sand paper should do the trick. It's looking much better though.

My tips are:

1. Smooth the grout with your finger because only using a damp sponge method isn't as good. You'll need a bowl to wet your finger so that it smooths the grout instead of removes it.
2. Use a damp sponge to clean up the tiles 20-30 minutes after the grout has set.
3. Do one section at a time (spreading and smoothing) mixing the grout frequently to keep it soft and taking breaks b/c the hands get pruney/wrinkly really quickly.
4. Cheesecloth is great for taking off the haze. Wipe the surface with it a couple hours after letting the grout dry. And wear a mask b/c it's dusty.

I'm sure to have more pictures and tips by the time I'm done with this project, but I really needed the break and wanted to share this silly picture.

Getting there...

Cardboard-free and the tiles are back in place. I put a proper backing behind the missing tiles and used ceramic tile adhesive to reinstall all of the tiles. I used 6 of the new tiles - - can you tell which? Thanks again to ReStore for having a good tile supply!

I have to let the adhesive dry and need to do a little more cleaning of the old grout today, but I'll be ready to put in the new grout tomorrow.

Can't say I'm surprised - - Regrouting Bathtub

I have removed the tiles that do not match all of the others in the tub and what did I find behind them?
Surely not a piece of cardboard attached with caulk!?!?!? You betcha.

Must get back to work!

Weekend Project - Regrouting bathtub

I'm going for it. After much deliberation I have decided to keep the tile in my bathroom. However, the tub walls desperately need to have the grout and some unmatching tiles replaced (what were they thinking with that tile combo?! - - see picture). This is going to be my weekend project.

I went to Habitat ReStore to find "white tiles."  There are so many shades of white, it took a long time to match my existing tiles to a set of ones from the thrift store, but I really lucked out! The best match was a box of over 40 tiles! I wanted to have more than the 2 that MUST be replaced just in case I break some... now I have a lot of flexibility to replace old tiles. The best part is that I got the box for $3.

The rest of the project is a little more pricey since I needed to buy a dremel attachment, the grout, a grout float, a grout remover (which I might return if the dremel is sufficient), a bucket for mixing, tile cleaner, grout sealant. My justification is that I'm building my tool supply. The total cost of items that I won't be able to use again was around $30 ($12 for grout, $10 for sealant, $5 for cleaner). I suppose I should add a couple more dollars for the caulk that I'll need to finish the job, but I've had it for so long I don't really remember how much it was.

I'll try to post more this weekend as the project progresses. So far I've just done a thorough cleaning of the tiles. Next steps - protect the tub and start removing old grout!