Grout has a shelf life of up to 1 year after it’s made if unopened AND stored in a proper place. Once opened it’ll go bad in a short while. Problem is that it often looks OK even after a few years.
Another frequent question is “Can grout expire?”.
Both powder and pre-mixed forms of grout expire 6 months after opening. Before you go to use old grout, think back to when you purchased and used it. If the grout is more than 12 months old, or it has been more than 6 months since you opened it, toss your old grout and buy new.
Grout that is too old or that is installed incorrectly, however, deteriorates quickly and may never lock tiles in place as intended. Generally, powdered grouts expire after one year, while sealed epoxy grouts have can be stored indefinitely as long as they are not exposed to freezing temperatures.
What happens if you add too much water to grout?
Adding the right amount of water is critical to a grouting job. Too much water makes grout runny and prevents it from ever drying and curing properly. Grout should be mixed to the consistency of cake batter and should never be refreshed by adding more water.
If your grout powder has clumps or small, hard lumps in it, the powder has likely been exposed to water or humidity and should not be used. Lumpy grout is either bad already or well on its way. Sometimes a grout job can go wrong even when the grout is fine. Adding the right amount of water is critical to a grouting job.
Can I use Grout left over from tiling my house?
Trying to save them money, I used a grout that I’d had left over from tiling my own house two years prior. I’d sealed it up well, and when I opened it up, it felt nice and powdery, just like new grout. Within a week after grouting, it was all powdering back out again.
This is what our research found. safe for most types of stone, ceramic tile, and grout. No-sheen, non-slippery finish. Safe in food-prep areas.
Another frequent question is “Should I stain or grout tiles before grouting?”.
Take your point timeless on the staining thing. I was going to seal the tiles before grouting will probably seal the tiles with a proprietary sealer first (saw it on you tube done like that) so should be ok but will also do a couple of test tiles first. Half of the tiles are black anyway so only need to worry about the red ones I guess.
How to regrout tile without removing old Grout?
Grout is mostly comprised of cement, so it has a tendency to become discolored and to deteriorate over time. You understandably want to enjoy long-lasting results from your current project. The perfect solution is to use epoxy grout. This is easy to apply and durable.
Another thing we wanted the answer to was: how to regrout old tile?
Some authors claimed regrouting is a two-step process by which you first remove the hardened old grout from the seams, or joints, between tiles with an oscillating tool (ideally) and some manual scraping. Then, you mix up some new grout and apply it to the tile with a grout float and clean it up with a sponge.
How to regrout tile?
In some cases, the grout might just be stained or dirty, particularly if you are dealing with a floor that gets a lot of traffic. If the color of your grout is simply outdated or faded, you may want to use a grout colorant to make it look new again.
How long do tiles last once opened?
If they don’t have a shelf life once they’re opened, I thought I’d either give them to my tilesetter or see if Habitat for Humanity would have use for them. Unless it’s in water-tight containers, shelf life is about a year.