Cuda, grout film removal question ???

[Lenny]

Well, after a few scrubs and dries, it seem as though the next step to clean these things up might be a bomb... :(

Seriously, how do you finish cleam the film off entirely on tile 'Cuda. I used "sanded Grout" Natural Grey, Poly-Blend, by Custom Building Products.

[yeller]

I just did my bathroom and had to ask a tile guy the same question. The answer was wash, wash and wash some more, making sure you rinse the sponge often. He said he wipes down the tile 10~12 times. It's going to be a lot harder if you already let the grout dry.

[Cuda]

Vinegar.

[Cuda]

If the vinegar doesn't do it (which I bet it will), Home Depot has sulfamic acid. It's in the tile area in a small yellow jar. Just mix with water. You can't make it too strong, because the water will only hold a certain amount in solution, and the excess will fall out in the bottom of the bucket. DO NOT use muriatic acid. It will tarnish stainless steel, brass, and other metals.

[Cuda]

I just did my bathroom and had to ask a tile guy the same question. The answer was wash, wash and wash some more, making sure you rinse the sponge often. He said he wipes down the tile 10~12 times. It's going to be a lot harder if you already let the grout dry.
We rub the sponge in a circle, to even out the grout, use both sides, then rinse the sponge, lay it down flat, putting slight pressure on the sponge, drag it by the edge closest to you, flip the sponge over, and do it again. Put the sponge arms length away from you. You only get two drags, one on each side, then rinse the sponge again. Do the whole floor, then let it haze up for about half an hour to an hour, then rinse it one more time. It's not as critical to drag the sponge on each size once you let it dry out a bit. If you keep washing the grout over and over while it's wet, you end up dragging out too much grout.

If we had to wash the floors 10 or 12 times, we'd never get done.

[Lenny]

Vinegar here we come... :)

I have the Sulph stuff, just do not want to use it...yet... ;)

[Lenny]

WOW
THAT'S what I'm talking about !!! This is a pic of a hair-dryer dry tile in about 10 seconds...
Thanx Joe :yes:

[Cuda]

Glad to be able to help. Btw, that's my favorite color grout to use. There are no dyes in that grout, it all comes out uniform, and doesn't stain the tile. When we do a restaurant kitchen, if they don't specify a grout, they get natural greay. Unfortunately, McDonald's almost always specs black grout, and it stains the chit out of quarry tile, which is much more pourous. Sometimes I'll even seal the quarry before grouting, but always have to acid clean it anyway.

[f_inscreenname]

Cuda is a tile guy?
Man we are brothers from another mother. 20+ years in the flooring business for me. When it come to ceramic tile I am not a expert buy a long shot but I can do it when needed.
One of our newest and biggest sellers this year is Duraceramic. http://www.congoleum.com/res-duraceramic-home.php
Have you ever played with that stuff? Easy as crap to do and looks and feels great. Its 1/4+" thick vinyl tile that uses a acrylic based grout. The best part is you can heat the tile up a little and bend it in any direction you want. Hell you could wrap a pole in the stuff. Then use their pre mixed grout as you would normally grout tile. The grout not being cement based and porous is insanely resistant to staining also. We have even grouted real ceramic tile with it in our bathroom at the shop. Its been a year in a commercial application and the white grout on the floor still looks.....well white.:wink: If you haven't seen it yet you will soon.

[Cuda]

I've been a license tile contractor since 1984. I only do ceramic, porcelain, marble, etc. I used to do epoxy flooring too, but it's so expensive, I couldn't sell it. I've done some VCT, but only if I had to to get the tile contract.

[Cuda]

I just check that Congoleum product. It looks a lot like VCT, what are the differences? How much does it run per sf? The thing is, for the last ten years we've done all commercial work, mostly McDonald's and other fast food restaurants, and they would rather stay with the known evil (quarry tile), than the unknown (epoxy flooring) which I tried for years to talk them into trying. :(

We've been dead as hell, so we may get back into residential work, where I can kind of steer the customer towards what I think they should use. I hate doing residential work though. :(

[yeller]

We rub the sponge in a circle, to even out the grout, use both sides, then rinse the sponge, lay it down flat, putting slight pressure on the sponge, drag it by the edge closest to you, flip the sponge over, and do it again. Put the sponge arms length away from you. You only get two drags, one on each side, then rinse the sponge again. Do the whole floor, then let it haze up for about half an hour to an hour, then rinse it one more time. It's not as critical to drag the sponge on each size once you let it dry out a bit. If you keep washing the grout over and over while it's wet, you end up dragging out too much grout.
If we had to wash the floors 10 or 12 times, we'd never get done.Wish I knew this 3 weeks ago. Washed the chit out of mine. :(

[f_inscreenname]

Its just like VCT but a lot thicker and with a beveled edge. You cut it the same and install it the same but use tile spacers for different size grout lines. Then grout as normal. Also if you have to cut a tile you just heat up the cut edge with a heat gun and use a seam roller on it and you now have a factory edge again. Also the stuff is awesome on wood floors. Just a 1/4" subfloor (lauan) and its ready to go. No reason to build up super thick floors because its flexible and wont break or the grout lines pop out.
Cost is around 3.50 a foot. It may not be the biggest in FL with everything being concrete but here where we still have wood houses its a god send.

[thriller]

Hey Cuda...
Maybe a dumb question but where my tile meets my fiberglass soaker tub...should I caulk it with 100% clear silicone or does it need to be open to allow any moisture to seep out? Originally I caulked it and let it set up overnight now after 6 months I noticed some moisture behind the silicone so I yanked on it and pulled the works out 6 feet..Maybe I used the wrong stuff?

I am certain there are no leaks from above just from and around the joint..

Mike

[Cuda]

Hey Cuda...
Maybe a dumb question but where my tile meets my fiberglass soaker tub...should I caulk it with 100% clear silicone or does it need to be open to allow any moisture to seep out? Originally I caulked it and let it set up overnight now after 6 months I noticed some moisture behind the silicone so I yanked on it and pulled the works out 6 feet..Maybe I used the wrong stuff?
I am certain there are no leaks from above just from and around the joint..
Mike
I hate silicone, and never use it. I'd get a high quality 50 year latex caulk. Cheaper calk will turn black in a year or two, and it's a bitch to get it back out. I doubt a little moisture will hurt anything. What's the tile over, a cementious wall board, or MR drywall?

[thriller]

The backing was done right using a cementious backboard. Sold in 4x4 sheets. All joints were done using a fiberglass roven tape with some kind of black tar type goo. All screw holes were sealed with the same..
I'll check for some of that 50yr latex caulk...

So I gather I need to seal the bottom and corners? My tub has a lip that the backer board goes over before the tile goes on...I had Luigi do it. Speaks little English but is amazing at his work:)

MM

ps Thanks:wink:

[Cuda]

The backing was done right using a cementious backboard. Sold in 4x4 sheets. All joints were done using a fiberglass roven tape with some kind of black tar type goo. All screw holes were sealed with the same..
I'll check for some of that 50yr latex caulk...
So I gather I need to seal the bottom and corners? My tub has a lip that the backer board goes over before the tile goes on...I had Luigi do it. Speaks little English but is amazing at his work:)
MM
ps Thanks:wink:
I'm sure you'll be fine.