For tile and stone floors, grout will be necessary for holding the actual tiles and stones in place. Unfortunately, this can be a part of the floor that will be neglected by homeowners. Whether it is being uninformed about the exact types of maintenance that grouting will need or the types of repairs that you can be required to do to it, a homeowner will want to correct this lack of information so they can effectively maintain their floor.
What Can Cause Your Grout To Become Damaged?
There are many potential causes for grouting failing. However, one of the most common reasons will be due to using extremely acidic cleaning products. Over repeated use, these substances can weaken the grout so that it can crack. Unfortunately, homeowners that have attempted to apply their own grout may greatly increase the risk of it becoming damaged in the future. Often, this will be the result of applying a layer of grout that is simply too thin or by incorrectly mixing their grout.
Does The Entire Floor Need To Be Replaced If The Grouting Is Compromised?
The amount of repair work that will be required when your grouting has suffered damage will largely depend on the scale of the problem. If the damage to the grouting is limited to one or a few tiles, it can be possible for a professional to repair this problem by only removing the effected grout and reapplying it. Unfortunately, damage that is more widespread than this can require far more extensive repairs. In these cases, the entire floor may need to be replaced, but this will need to be assessed on an individual basis.
Is It Effective For You To Put New Grout Over The Damaged Layer Of Grout?
When a homeowner notices that their grouting has suffered some damage, their first instinct may be to try to repair the damage by applying another layer of grout over the damaged area. Unfortunately, this repair is unlikely to be a durable solution as it can be extremely difficult to apply a new layer of the grout without removing the previous layer. This can result in the new grout failing to properly bond to the previous layer. If this problem occurs, the grout patch could actually completely detach from the rest of the grout. Due to this threat, it is usually advisable to remove all of the damaged grout so that a new layer of grout can be applied.
To learn more, contact a company like Archway Brick and Tile.