What Can Be Used to Remove Old Grout Before Regrouting?

Grout

• Grout holds your floor and wall tiles in place. It's made of a combination of cement mixed with either unsanded or sanded grout. Smaller joints do better with unsanded grout while grouting lines between tiles wider than 1/8 inch apart do better with sanded grout. Either type comes in a powdered form that, when mixed with proper amounts of water and according to package instructions, creates the mixture for applying between tiles. Grout comes in a variety of colors.

Grout Saw

• Handheld tools equipped with carbide blades or saws are grout saws. The blades typically have teeth to scrape away old grout. Place the grout saw or blade into the grout line you're replacing, and scrape in a back-and-forth motion, which takes some effort, but just about anyone can do it. Take care with your movements so that you don't jerk the blade or saw across the tile, which may cause an irreparable scratch. Blow or sweep away accumulated grout dust from the grout line and the tile surface as you go. Steel-toothed grout saw attachments and blades are also effective in removing old grout. Some are designed for flooring while others are meant for wall tile grout removal. Check package instructions for guidelines.

Utility Knife

• A common utility knife fitted with a razor blade may also be used to scrape away old grout but may take more time than use of a grout saw, blade or other scoring tool. You may need to replace the razor blade more frequently, but you can get the job done with the utility knife. As with a grout saw or blade, blow away or dust grout dust particles away from the area you're working on for greater visibility and accuracy when scraping.

Grout Scraper

• A grout scraper is a diamond-shaped edge on the end of a screwdriver-type handheld tool that may also be used to scrape away old grout. Typically constructed with a carbide tip, the tool offers a triangle-shaped blade in various sizes that can be used for most grout removal jobs. Replacement tips should be purchased before you tackle your grout job for convenience.