How Often to Regrout Shower Tile
One of the most popular questions homeowners ask is how often they need to regrout their shower tile. The answer depends on several factors, including where you live and what type of grout was used in your shower when it was first installed. If you are unsure, call a professional for an inspection or consult with your local building department.
This blog post will cover some general guidelines about how often to regrout shower tile based on different situations. There are many reasons why one might need to regrout their tiles but before we get into those, let’s start by looking at the basics.
Five Reasons Why Should You Regrout Shower Tile?
1. To Prevent Mold:
If you want to take good shower pictures, it is important to have good lighting. This is because the person in the shower will be wet and often have soap on them, making it difficult to get good lighting. If you want an underwater effect, you can try using a flashlight or other small light source as a backlight.
2. To Fix Broken Tiles:
Loose, broken, or dirty tiles are not only unsightly but dangerous. Loose tiles can fall off and cause someone to slip and fall. Dirty shower tile collects germs that invite disease-causing bacteria when stepped on or sitting in the dirt for days. Treat it early before someone gets hurt.
3. To Improve Aesthetics:
Mold, algae, dirt, and mildew are unattractive. Even if you grout the shower tile every year to keep it free of dirt, these contaminants can find their way back into the grout lines in between tiles. Once there, they will be much harder to remove all by yourself with cleaners that you’ve got lying around your home.
4. To Save Money:
Even if you manage to avoid the pitfalls of mold, algae, dirt, and mildew, regrout shower tile is still an excellent idea because it will make the tiles last longer. Since grout lines are spaces between tiles,
they are especially vulnerable to damage from foot traffic and other wear and tear. Sealing the tiles will help them remain free from dirt, grime, and water damage that erodes at grout over time.
5. To Improve Overall Bathroom Appearance:
If you take a close look at your shower tile, you will probably notice some staining or discoloration on the tile itself. This is not dirt on the tile but minerals from water seeping through the grout and depositing minerals on the tiles themselves.
Sealing your shower tile will prevent this problem and give you a more uniform appearance all around, including inside showers, where most people will see it if they enter your bathroom.
6 Factors That Determine How Often to Regrout Shower Tile:
Below are some factors that determine how often to regrout shower tile.
1. Type of Tile Used:
The type of tile used will determine how often to regrout shower tile. Each manufacturer provides a coating on the tiles that determines the life and performance of the tile. This coating affects how clean and smooth your grout lines stay and how easy they are to keep clean.
For example, ceramic tiles often come with a glaze finish that will resist water and stains better than porcelain or natural stones. However, because of this coating, you must maintain the tile with special care.
2. Number of People Using the Shower:
The more people in your house who use the shower, the less chance there is for dirt, body oils, and soap to build upon the tiles. If more than one person uses the shower daily, you should regularly use tile maintenance services to clean your tile.
3. Use of Shampoo Bottles:
Shampoo bottles can leak over time under the kitchen or bathroom sink. The leaked shampoo often contains chemicals that will stain the grout lines between your tiles. This usually happens when homeowners leave these bottles under their kitchen or bathroom sinks for long periods without cleaning them properly.
4. Type of Flooring in the Room:
There are several types of flooring that you can use in your shower room, including linoleum, carpet, the tile. For this reason, you will need to regrout more often in high-traffic areas like the shower floor or directly under the showerhead. In addition, when you share your shower with others, it is best to clean it daily and invest in special cleaners designed for tiles like TSP.
5. Type of Grout Used in the Shower:
Other grouts have different lifespans, so you should choose carefully when selecting your grout color and texture for your shower. The most common grouts are sanded grouts that are often available in gray, white, blue, black, cream, brown, and beige.
These groups often have a smooth, finished texture that will not absorb water quickly, so it is best to use them in showers that are used less frequently.
Unglazed tiles contain some sand particles that remain on the tile’s surface and unsanded grout, which contains more sand particles. Unglazed tiles are often small in size, making them difficult to clean.
Unsanded grouts are porous and absorb water quickly because they have more sand particles. Still, when sealed with grout sealant, these types of grout can be effective when used in higher traffic areas like the shower floor or directly under the showerhead.
6. Design of the Bathroom:
If you have a bathroom flooded with natural or artificial light, it makes your tile sparkle. However, if you have any tiles located in dark areas, they will quickly grow dirty as time passes. In this case, you should regularly contact professional cleaners to clean and regrout these tiles.
Some Tips When Regrouting the Shower Tile:
1. Various products are available for regrouting shower tiles, so the best way to find the right product is to ask at your local home improvement store.
2. The process of grout removal can be complex because it is time-consuming and messy. The grout must be scraped out by hand or with a special tool.
3. The tile or grout should be wet before regrouting, so the new grout will stick to it correctly. Allow your shower to remain unused for 24 hours after regrouting. This will allow time for the shower walls to dry completely before using again.
4. A special acid-based cleaner is often used when regrouting to make the job easier.
5. A primer should be used before regrouting, especially on very porous tile or grout.
Conclusion:
In this article, we have covered the answer on how often to regrout shower tile. However, if you are looking for a way to clean your shower tile, consider regrouting. Regrouting is the act of removing old grout and replacing it with new grout to restore the appearance of ceramic tiles, stone or marble surfaces.
You can do this yourself if you have some experience laying tile or working with masonry materials; otherwise, contact an experienced professional who will be able to advise on what type of adhesive sealant should be used for your specific needs.
Angela Ervin
Angela is the executive editor of DIY quickly. She began her career as an interior designer before applying her strategic and creative passion to lifestyle and home. She has close to 15 years of experience in creative writing and online content strategy for housekeeping, home decorations as well as other niche efforts. She loves her job and has the privilege of working with an extraordinary team. She lives with her husband, two sons, and daughter in Petersburg. When she's not busy working she spent time with her family.
