I installed honey onyx tiles around the deck of my whirlpool tub with gap about 1/4″ and used unsanded grout on them. However, I found out afterwards that I should have used sanded grout because the gap is greater than 1/8″. Should I remove all the unsanded grout and use sanded before the tub is installed? If I don’t re-grout with sanded it would be very difficult to remove the tub later if the unsanded grout cracks. Thanks.
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Replies
I assume this is fairly large tile, and not too large of an area, so removing all the grout is not a Herculean task. Except that if you used a "fortified" grout (which one should use in a wet area) the grout gets a lot harder to remove.
The best thing to remove the grout is an "oscillating multi-tool" with an abrasive blade. Beats the heck out of a manual "grout saw" for this job. You can purchase a multi-tool for anywhere from about $20 (at Harbor Freight) to $300 (for the top-of-the-line Fein tool).
Hard to say if the unsanded will perform more poorly in this situation. I think sanded is used in part for its appearance -- it just looks better in wider gaps -- but I believe it's also a hair more flexible, usually, and less apt to crack (or at least less apt to show cracks).
Tile did not adhere well to backerboard
Thanks for your reply. I decided to buy a rotozip and it worked very well removing the grout between the wall tiles. However, while I was using the tool under the schluter strip I cut 3 tiles (they are 12 x 12) and decided to remove them. However, while removing them they came off too easily except they adhered well where I had a put a piece of mesh tape along the top. If I don't remove the remaining tiles will they eventually come loose? Should I go ahead and replace them too? When I installed them I mixed the thinset to the consistency of peanut butter and let set for 10 minutes then applied with a trial - what did I do wrong?
Not clear (so to speak) -- did the tile separate from the mud or did the mud separate from the deck?
grout failure
You might want to post this question in the Tile Forum (john bridges)
They are the experts - not to say there are no experts in this forum but they probably run into this more often .
Did you use modified or unmodified mortar with your Schluter Kerdi?