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Shit grout?

9uns

Autocross Champion
Location
92870
Car(s)
gti
Moved into my home about a year ago and had my kitchen completely redone prior to moving in. I've been noticing this shit happening every fucking where in my kitchen. Wtf is going on here? In case it's not clear by the pic, the grout is just falling off in chunks everywhere.

Anyone help an absolute noob in home diy work?
PXL_20220109_010647452.jpg
 
Last edited:

GTI Jake

Autocross Champion
Location
Charlotte, NC
Get what I paid for? But you don't even know how much I paid. Home came with a 1 year warranty but the work was done by a contractor that I hired who happened to be a friend of my old man.

It probably wasn’t mixed or applied properly?

Really the only two options are to find some that matches and fill the voids, or pull all the tile off and start from scratch.

I’ve only done tile once, and it was over six years ago. Sold the house shortly after so no clue how it’s holding up other than it’s still there in photos from the following owner reselling.
 

9uns

Autocross Champion
Location
92870
Car(s)
gti
It probably wasn’t mixed or applied properly?

Really the only two options are to find some that matches and fill the voids, or pull all the tile off and start from scratch.

I’ve only done tile once, and it was over six years ago. Sold the house shortly after so no clue how it’s holding up other than it’s still there in photos from the following owner reselling.
not down to pull all the tiles out so i'll try to find some matching grout. what where the backsplash meets the countertop? what would one use to join the two together? the counter is quartz and backsplash is marble.
 

Jose_Gti

Autocross Newbie
Location
Philadelphia
Sometimes vibrations in the house (even slamming a door) can provoke the grout to come out.
It’s an easy fix, just go to Home Depot and buy something like:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Daltile...Pre-Mixed-Urethane-Grout-9999574640/313176517
If possible at all take some of the grout that came out from your kitchen to the shop and ask if they have something similar to that color.
at home apply something small -3 or 4 inches- and leave it 24 hours to dry, check the color results.
Good luck!
 

GTI Jake

Autocross Champion
Location
Charlotte, NC
You don’t grout between 2 different planes, you caulk it.

This, be sure to use “wet rated” caulk or sealant. They should have a whole section near paint at Lowes/Home depot.

Be mindful of how you cut the tip as that determines how the bead will lay out. 45* angle cut and try to match the size of the grout line.

One thing I have trouble with is remembering a house is never going to be absolutely perfect like metal work. Best results are usually on the first attempt in my experience if you over think it and try to redo something it’ll result in a mess or not at nice as the first try. In the end a small imperfection will only be noticeable to you, not guests or whatever.
 

golfdave

Autocross Champion
Location
Scotland (U.K.)
Car(s)
Mk7 Golf GT Estate
Mould resistant silicon sealant for bathrooms/kitchens....best thing for internal corners...
 

9uns

Autocross Champion
Location
92870
Car(s)
gti
This, be sure to use “wet rated” caulk or sealant. They should have a whole section near paint at Lowes/Home depot.

Be mindful of how you cut the tip as that determines how the bead will lay out. 45* angle cut and try to match the size of the grout line.

One thing I have trouble with is remembering a house is never going to be absolutely perfect like metal work. Best results are usually on the first attempt in my experience if you over think it and try to redo something it’ll result in a mess or not at nice as the first try. In the end a small imperfection will only be noticeable to you, not guests or whatever.
Mould resistant silicon sealant for bathrooms/kitchens....best thing for internal corners...
Good advice. Thank you both. Another question, would I have to use a flathead or something similar to remove all the preinstalled grout.

Also @Diggs24, should I be using caulk where a horizontal and vertical slab of quartz meet?
 

Corprin

Autocross Champion
Location
Magrathea
Car(s)
A car
One thing I have trouble with is remembering a house is never going to be absolutely perfect like metal work. Best results are usually on the first attempt in my experience if you over think it and try to redo something it’ll result in a mess or not at nice as the first try. In the end a small imperfection will only be noticeable to you, not guests or whatever.

Holy crap you couldn’t be more right. With a house you need to realize nothing is square, nothing is plumb, and you can only do your best to camouflage the flaws. There have been countless times I’ve screamed “WHO THE FUCK BUILDS LIKE THIS?!?!?”

Take my staircase, striped to the stringers and rebuilt. There are 4 flaws I focus on that nobody ever notices.

image.jpg

This is my first tile job, I had to work with a wonky 50s house.

84E53302-B1E7-4CC7-BE2E-710961DCFA34.jpeg


OP - take a chunk of your grout to the local tile store. Not a big box, a legit tile shop. They will have a little grout color sample set, kinda like paint chip samples. Find the one that most closely matches what you have in indoor and outdoor light. Then grab a tube of the matched silicon/urathane sealant, grout removal tool, latex/nitrile exam gloves, and a roll of blue painters tape.

1. Remove remaining grout from the joint along that vertical to horizontal change.
2. run a bead of tape on the horizontal and vertical surfaces as close to 1/8” from the joint as you can be.
3. Run a bead down the joint
4. Using your finger smooth out the joint as you push the calk into the gap leaving a convex transition.
5. Carefully peel up tape as you pull away from the joint.
6. drink beer.
 

golfdave

Autocross Champion
Location
Scotland (U.K.)
Car(s)
Mk7 Golf GT Estate
Good advice. Thank you both. Another question, would I have to use a flathead or something similar to remove all the preinstalled grout.
Grout removal tool....or stanley blade (very carefully)
 

cb1111

Newbie
Location
Virginia, USA
Holy crap you couldn’t be more right. With a house you need to realize nothing is square, nothing is plumb, and you can only do your best to camouflage the flaws. There have been countless times I’ve screamed “WHO THE FUCK BUILDS LIKE THIS?!?!?”

Take my staircase, striped to the stringers and rebuilt. There are 4 flaws I focus on that nobody ever notices.

View attachment 235121

This is my first tile job, I had to work with a wonky 50s house.

View attachment 235122

OP - take a chunk of your grout to the local tile store. Not a big box, a legit tile shop. They will have a little grout color sample set, kinda like paint chip samples. Find the one that most closely matches what you have in indoor and outdoor light. Then grab a tube of the matched silicon/urathane sealant, grout removal tool, latex/nitrile exam gloves, and a roll of blue painters tape.

1. Remove remaining grout from the joint along that vertical to horizontal change.
2. run a bead of tape on the horizontal and vertical surfaces as close to 1/8” from the joint as you can be.
3. Run a bead down the joint
4. Using your finger smooth out the joint as you push the calk into the gap leaving a convex transition.
5. Carefully peel up tape as you pull away from the joint.
6. drink beer.
Step 6 actually comes before step 1
 

Diggs24

Autocross Champion
Location
de plains! de plains!
Car(s)
2015 GTI
Yup. Don't need to get every single piece and risk damaging tile. Chisel out as much as you can, vacuum it, tape it with painters tape, run a caulk bead. MOISTEN FINGER. Swipe it smooth. Immediately remove tape. Done.

Yes, anything that isn't on the same plane gets caulk. Color match if one of the surfaces isn't white. Or if they are close enough together use clear.
 
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