Maintaining Ceramic Tile

By: Merle Henkenius (Page 1 of 4)

Photos: Merle Henkenius

Photos by: Merle Henkenius

USE A GROUT saw to scratch out any cracked, softened or badly stained grout from the joints between the wall tiles.

CUT AWAY THE old caulk from around the top of the tub. Then thoroughly clean the joint of all grime, dust and soap buildup.

FORCE GROUT into the joints with a rubber float. Work the float diagonally back and forth across the tiled surface.

WIPE OFF all the excess grout with a damp sponge. Rinse the sponge and repeat until only a milky residue remains on the tile.

SEAL THE JOINT along the top of the tub with silicone caulk. Apply just enough caulk to fill the joint without overfilling it.

ceramic tile

REMOVE THE small retaining screw that holds the shower handle in place. Then pull the round trim plate from the wall.

APPLY A THICK bead of silicone caulk to the rubber gasket on the backside of the trim plate. The caulk will block out water.

SEAL OUT WATER by running a thin bead of silicone caulk around the tub spout. Smooth the caulk with your fingertip.

Photo: Merle Henkenius

Protect the grout joints with a liberal coating of silicone sealer. Then wipe off any excess sealer with a soft cloth.

Photos: Merle Henkenius

Left: Use a grout saw to scratch out any cracked, softened, or badly stained grout from the joints between the wall tiles. Right: Cut away the old caulk from around the top of the tub. Then thoroughly clean the joint of all grime, dust, and soap buildup.

Photos: Merle Henkenius

Left: Force grout into the joints with a rubber float. Work the float diagonally back and forth across the tiled surface. Right: Wipe off all the excess grout with a damp sponge. Rinse the sponge and repeat until only a milky residue remains on the tile.

Photos: Merle Henkenius

Left: Seal the joint along the top of the tub with silicone caulk. Apply just enough caulk to fill the joint without overfilling it. Right: Remove the small retaining screw that holds the shower handle in place. Then pull the round trim plate from the wall.

Photos: Merle Henkenius

Left: Apply a thick bead of silicone caulk to the rubber gasket on the backside of the trim plate. The caulk will block out water. Right: Seal out water by running a thin bead of silicone caulk around the tub spout. Smooth the caulk with your fingertip.

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What You'll Learn:

Glazed ceramic tile is an ideal material for tub and shower walls. It's impervious to moisture, easy to clean and durable enough to withstand a lifetime of hot, sudsy soakings. Tile isn't maintenance-free, however. Every tiled wall is only as strong as the thin grout joints between the tiles. Once the grout starts to soften and crack, it's only a matter of time before water seeps in and damages the mortar and drywall behind the tile.

Don't wait for an entire wall of grout to fall out before taking action. The best way to avoid major wall repair is to regrout any joint when the first crack or stain appears. When it comes to maintaining grout joints, an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure. It's also easy and inexpensive.

Restoring a tiled wall requires only a few hours' work and about $35 for tools and materials. The four main steps of the tile repair are: regrouting the tile; recaulking between the tub and tile; caulking around the shower handle and tub spout; and protecting the grout joints with silicone sealer.