I have read another discussion about this, but my situation is a little different, and I’m seeking to see if adding grout is a viable idea.
Two years ago large format wood plank style porcelain tile was professionally installed over Regepol accoustic mat which is over concrete. The existing grout is totally secure with no problem with disintegration. It was a latex enhanced grout and it has one coat of sealer over it. Unfortunately the professional installers ditched out the grout enough that I can actually see a white line on the inside edge of the tiles, and I have even tripped on a couple of tiles. Our condo has about 3000 sq ft of this.
My question is, could I have another installer use an epoxy grout over the existing successfully? Again, disintegration of the existing grout is not the issue. There is none. The floor is solid.
Replies
How wide are the grout joints and is it sanded or non-sanded? Also, what is the actual height discrepency between grout and tile edge you are tripping over? You may be tripping over "lippage" which is a seperate issue.
Regret over old grout
The grout seams are 3/16" with sanded grout. the ditching is very shallow, maybe the thickness of a credit card in most places. However, the rectified plank tiles are even at the top, so even this little bit shows a little white tile line above the gourt. The grout should have been finished as even to the top of the tile as possible with this type of tyle. With rounded edge, traditional tile this would not have been a problem.
And thanks for your help and advice!
addendum to regret
Please also consider that the existing grout is as solid as a rock. There is no flaking or breakage as this was over a concrete floor. I was hoping that an epoxy would adhere.
If the tiles are laid even and the grout joints only 3/16, how have you managed to trip? I wouldn't think that the depth of the grout lines would affect this.
No, the new tile would be too
No, the new grout would be too thin and would flake out pretty quickly. You'd need to remove a lot of the old grout to get a good bond with new.
You asked about using an epoxy grout to cover.
As others have mentioned, regrouting usually requires the joint to be dug out a bit so the new grout will have some depth as well as width.
What you could consider is using a grout colorant. It's not going to do much in the way of being a grout fill, but it will "color" the white tile edges that you are seeing. A product like Aquamix Grout Colorant is an epoxy "paint" or film so to speak. It can be tedious to apply. Sanded grout has some texture and visual variation in it. The epoxy colorant will be uniform in color, that may be good, or it may be bad.
Definitely do some research before you jump in. It may not be right for your situation.
Thanks everyone for your responses. I think the tripping occurrs when a corner may be just a fraction high. Since the tile edges are not rounded at all, believe it or not, it can actually catch a shoe heel. I'm not thrilled with having to have grout removed and then going through the huge mess (and expense) of doing that. I have been a do it yourselfer all my life, and years ago would have placed this tile myself. It absolutely disgusts me that I paid tens of thousands of dollars to have this floor professionally done and now face these issues. We had a great tiler who did the bathrooms, and then the vendor switched horses on us, guaranteeling that the new guy would do just as well as the former. The entire process with the floor (with Jack Laurie Flooring) was a nightmare. I found that the great salesman ("don't worry about the results, you will get great results or we will work until you are satisfied.") was more of a damage control guy than a customer satisfaction guy. I had to battle to get a fireplace surround and backsplash replaced, and at that time, the salesman said the flooring was "normal." We were scraping gllue and cement off walls, doors, everything for weeks. Had to repaint the entire condo. I just gave up. Should have immediately had several vendors look at and evaluate the job then should have sought legal help. It's just sad now that our beatiful floor is marred by this lousy grout job. It's going to require some thought before I decide to either live with it or go through the ordeal of fixing it.