What should I do about my bathroom tile floor?

[Night Elf]

We have 8 in. square white shiny tiles on our bathroom floors. I don't know what the person was thinking when they put those in. Even worse, the grout and sealer look so bad. The sealer wasn't applied carefully and it was spread onto the tiles. I've tried chipping the mess away and it's really, really hard!

 

Is there any way to regrout without smashing up the floor and starting over again? When we first moved in, I got a triangular tool that was supposedly going to let me scrape the grout from between the tiles so I could regrout. That was a colossal waste of time and energy. I only got 2 sides of one square partially done. I gave up.

 

My options appear to be:

 

1. Deal with it.

 

2. Smash the floor with a sledgehammer and put down new tile. We have such a great transition piece between the bathroom and hall that I'm worried we won't know how to replace and the floor to floor transition will look really bad.

 

3. Lay vinyl stick tiles over the current ones and leave the mess for much later, or even for the next owner. No, we don't have any plans to move any time soon!

[TengoFive]

I saw a grout remover tool recently, I can't remember where at the moment, that was a power tool. I think it was a saw of some sort. Do you think that would work to removed the grout? Another option that may work is regrouting on top of the old grout and have it flush with the tile. I however would ask on http://www.johnbridge.com/vbulletin/ before doing anything else! Those guys know their stuff.

[hornblower]

There's a dremel attachment for removing grout which will solve the problem for you. If you don't have a dremel, that will be about 40-60 for a basic one + you need the attachment. That's still way cheaper than retiling.

 

But you're saying it's the sealant that's the problem? You may be able to dissolve it & clean it off. Go to a tiling place - not HD or another big box. A place with tiles & see what they recommend. I think there are things you can put on which will re-emulsify the sealer and let you take it off & reapply. I'm hesitant to recommend things but I think there may be a chemical way to attack this - I was reading a lot about sealants recently & this came up.

 

I like white floors though the bathroom we just finished has a very light green marbly look tile..... I wanted a white but they were out of stock & I couldn't really wait :-)

[TengoFive]

Oh, oh, oh, this just reminded. I know I've read on the John Bridge forum to start with vinegar to dissolve sealant. Then there's a list that you work your way up. However, the vinegar might be worth a try before you get more involved.

 

 

But you're saying it's the sealant that's the problem? You may be able to dissolve it & clean it off. Go to a tiling place - not HD or another big box. A place with tiles & see what they recommend. I think there are things you can put on which will re-emulsify the sealer and let you take it off & reapply. I'm hesitant to recommend things but I think there may be a chemical way to attack this - I was reading a lot about sealants recently & this came up.

 

I like white floors though the bathroom we just finished has a very light green marbly look tile..... I wanted a white but they were out of stock & I couldn't really wait :-)

[Night Elf]

I like white floors though the bathroom we just finished has a very light green marbly look tile..... I wanted a white but they were out of stock & I couldn't really wait :-)

 

White is fine with me, it's neutral. But the shiny slippery surface bugs me. I've slipped trying to step out of the tub. I would have put down a tile with a slightly rougher surface.

 

Thank you all so much the suggestions! I might just redo the sealant. It's such a weird yellowish color and isn't even lined up on the grout. It looks like they slapped it down in a hurry. Ugh.

[PeterPan]

I have white shiny tile like that, hehe! I like mine, but my grout is clean. I understand your frustration. If you can't resolve it easily, have you tried bath rugs?? You could get 3 or 4 and cover your floor pretty nicely. At least get one for where you get out of the tub, so you don't slip. I have a really thick one with long, cotton yarns. Actually I have 2 of it (got them on clearance). The white shows dirt and just anything badly, so I rotate them and wash weekly.

[LibraryLover]

How large of an area is it? It if doesnt feel overwhelming to you, I would take a hammer and get rid of it. When my contractor tiled my old bathroom, that's exactly what he did to the old tile. That is also how they took my old tub out...in smashed pieces. Wear goggles and protection and make it go away. Then you can put down a rougher, nicer tile with a good grout job. :)

[Night Elf]

If you can't resolve it easily, have you tried bath rugs??

 

I have a dog that used my bathroom rug as a toilet. After the first couple of incidents, I bought a new one hoping a lack of smell would deter her. Unfortunately, it didn't stop her and I haven't had a rug down since then. But maybe it's been long enough to try again. I'm still looking at reapplying the sealant though, if I can find something to strip it.

[Dobela]

I have a dog that used my bathroom rug as a toilet. After the first couple of incidents, I bought a new one hoping a lack of smell would deter her. Unfortunately, it didn't stop her and I haven't had a rug down since then. But maybe it's been long enough to try again. I'm still looking at reapplying the sealant though, if I can find something to strip it.

We use old towels on the floor to step on after showers. As soon as I am dry, I hang it up so the room doesn't look tacky. If the towek wantrs to slip, you could get a small section of grippy stuff to hold it and pick uit up each time as well. Even those plastic grippy things to help open jars would help hold a towel in place.

[PeterPan]

Ew, the dog thing is a problem! We use towels when I forget the rug in the wash. You could also drape the rug over the side of the tub so it's not convenient to the dog.

 

You can paint/stain grout. Wouldn't get rid of the messy sealer job, but it might look better till you can make a bigger change.

[MBM]

I would try to remove the sealant as TengoFive suggested, and then I'd clean the grout with Finazzle. Works like a charm. I use it about twice a year on the grout in my bathroom, which is also white.

 

You can also paint grout with grout paint. I've done that before, but if you scrub the floor too hard, it can remove some of the paint. Plus, it's a royal pain to apply.

 

Target has some thick bathroom towel-like rugs, the kind hotels often have. Or, you could use a synthetic rug with loops that has a non-slip surface underneath. This type dries quickly in humid weather, too. I use both and drape them on the side of the tub to dry like Elizabeth suggested.