I plan to remodel my bathroom.
We do not like cleaning bathroom tile wall. The grout gap between tiles are
very difficult to clean. Can you recommend any better way for bathroom
walls?
I found replacing tile with marble is quite expensive.
Any idea? Thank you.

ajgy wrote:
I plan to remodel my bathroom.
We do not like cleaning bathroom tile wall. The grout gap between
tiles are very difficult to clean. Can you recommend any better way
for bathroom walls?
I found replacing tile with marble is quite expensive.
Any idea? Thank you.

Seal the grout?

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

On Fri, 02 Dec 2005 21:33:34 GMT, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:

ajgy wrote:
I plan to remodel my bathroom.
We do not like cleaning bathroom tile wall. The grout gap between
tiles are very difficult to clean. Can you recommend any better way
for bathroom walls?
I found replacing tile with marble is quite expensive.
Any idea? Thank you.

Seal the grout?


The same 2-part epoxy they use for poured epoxy flooring.
Do all exposed surfaces. Clean the room with a fire-hose.

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
...
ajgy wrote:
I plan to remodel my bathroom.
We do not like cleaning bathroom tile wall. The grout gap between
tiles are very difficult to clean. Can you recommend any better way
for bathroom walls?
I found replacing tile with marble is quite expensive.
Any idea? Thank you.

Seal the grout?

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

paint?

"ajgy" wrote in message
om...
I plan to remodel my bathroom.
We do not like cleaning bathroom tile wall. The grout gap between tiles
are
very difficult to clean. Can you recommend any better way for bathroom
walls?
I found replacing tile with marble is quite expensive.
Any idea? Thank you.






Cut Marble slab would be the MOST expensive route you could choose.
Cultured Marble is probably cheaper but I don't have a sense of how much.
Corian and similar also offer such products

I have seen "Shower Kits" at home centers that are made up usually of molded
fiberglas panels with minimal seams. Tub and shower stores will have a
wider selection. Steam room kits are virtually sealed units completely pre
plumbed and often fit in the same area as a corner shower.

Stone 12x12 or 16x16 or 18x18 tile can be set with no grout line. With
stone, you may not clean as much grout but you might use that time and money
stripping and sealing it regularly instead.

Bigger tiles = less grout lines

If ceramic tile, use a sanitary cove molding at the bottom of the wall to
eliminate the 90 degree angle and eliminate the usual caulk line.

IMO wide grout lines are easier to clean than narrow lines (at the bottom of
the curved tile edge)

Epoxy grouts are easier to clean and contain fewer ingredients tasty to
fungus.

With your existing installation, a good sealer (after cleaning and grout
patching) then use a spray on shower cleaner and you will need to clean
reletively infrequently.

"Epoxy grouts are easier to clean and contain fewer ingredients tasty to
fungus."


I really meant to say; Epoxy grouts are smoother and trap less crud on the
surface than sanded grout. They are somewhat self sealing.

We did seal the grout of current bathroom.
But in time, the tile gap grout just easily kept accumulating black stains.

Can you suggest any permanent solution? The grout sealer I got from Home
Depot is just too diluted. Is there any thicker and better epoxy grout
sealer?

We guess the single piece marble or artificial marble is best way to go, but
is there any compatible solution, but less in cost?

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
...
ajgy wrote:
I plan to remodel my bathroom.
We do not like cleaning bathroom tile wall. The grout gap between
tiles are very difficult to clean. Can you recommend any better way
for bathroom walls?
I found replacing tile with marble is quite expensive.
Any idea? Thank you.

Seal the grout?

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

We visited the cultured Marble show room in San Jose
www.americancustommarble.com
Their price for a 3 sided bathroom wall, shoulder height, is around $1600 to
$2500. That is much more than I want to spend.




Cut Marble slab would be the MOST expensive route you could choose.
Cultured Marble is probably cheaper but I don't have a sense of how much.
Corian and similar also offer such products

I have seen "Shower Kits" at home centers that are made up usually of
molded
fiberglas panels with minimal seams. Tub and shower stores will have a
wider selection. Steam room kits are virtually sealed units completely
pre
plumbed and often fit in the same area as a corner shower.

Stone 12x12 or 16x16 or 18x18 tile can be set with no grout line. With
stone, you may not clean as much grout but you might use that time and
money
stripping and sealing it regularly instead.

Bigger tiles = less grout lines

If ceramic tile, use a sanitary cove molding at the bottom of the wall to
eliminate the 90 degree angle and eliminate the usual caulk line.

IMO wide grout lines are easier to clean than narrow lines (at the bottom
of
the curved tile edge)

Epoxy grouts are easier to clean and contain fewer ingredients tasty to
fungus.

With your existing installation, a good sealer (after cleaning and grout
patching) then use a spray on shower cleaner and you will need to clean
reletively infrequently.

ajgy wrote:
We did seal the grout of current bathroom.
But in time, the tile gap grout just easily kept accumulating black
stains.

Can you suggest any permanent solution? The grout sealer I got from
Home Depot is just too diluted. Is there any thicker and better epoxy
grout sealer?

No. You will not find a permanent solution. Moisture and a food source
is all mold needs.

Keeping the area dry (good ventilation) and clean (no food) will greatly
help. If you see it starting to mold, then it needs to be cleaned and maybe
resealed. Sealing does not last forever. Household bleach is good for
killing mold. It can be removed once it is dead.


We guess the single piece marble or artificial marble is best way to
go, but is there any compatible solution, but less in cost?

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
...
ajgy wrote:
I plan to remodel my bathroom.
We do not like cleaning bathroom tile wall. The grout gap between
tiles are very difficult to clean. Can you recommend any better way
for bathroom walls?
I found replacing tile with marble is quite expensive.
Any idea? Thank you.

Seal the grout?

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

The permanent solution I recommend is airing out the humidity after
showering and bath about 15 minutes and
taking out the upper rubber of your bathroom window. So you will
surely have enough dry air and the air humidity can come out
permanently. The next would be a permanent heating of the room to
hinder the cooling off of the walls by night.

All seals on surfaces and in the wall will make things worse, if you
get not rid with the moistured air.

Only to open the window some minutes after showering will not be
enough, what you can see at the pic. The region near the window will
cool off, heating air stream will not come enough to these regions
near the wall-ceiling corner and so the wall sucks a lot of
condensate. Painted with an plastified latex coating, the air
humidity comes in, but the wet condensate in the pores never out:

http://www.konrad-fischer-info.de/SCHIM2.JPG

More info on the link:
Mold attack - A
Guide

We did seal the grout of current bathroom.
But in time, the tile gap grout just easily kept accumulating black stains.

Can you suggest any permanent solution? The grout sealer I got from Home
Depot is just too diluted. Is there any thicker and better epoxy grout
sealer?

We guess the single piece marble or artificial marble is best way to go, but
is there any compatible solution, but less in cost?


"PipeDown" wrote in message
ink.net...

"Epoxy grouts are easier to clean and contain fewer ingredients tasty to
fungus."


I really meant to say; Epoxy grouts are smoother and trap less crud on
the
surface than sanded grout. They are somewhat self sealing.

We visited the cultured Marble show room in San Jose
www.americancustommarble.com
Their price for a 3 sided bathroom wall, shoulder height, is around $1600 to
$2500. That is much more than I want to spend.

"PipeDown" wrote in message
ink.net...

"ajgy" wrote in message
om...
I plan to remodel my bathroom.
We do not like cleaning bathroom tile wall. The grout gap between tiles
are
very difficult to clean. Can you recommend any better way for bathroom
walls?
I found replacing tile with marble is quite expensive.
Any idea? Thank you.






Cut Marble slab would be the MOST expensive route you could choose.
Cultured Marble is probably cheaper but I don't have a sense of how much.
Corian and similar also offer such products

I have seen "Shower Kits" at home centers that are made up usually of
molded
fiberglas panels with minimal seams. Tub and shower stores will have a
wider selection. Steam room kits are virtually sealed units completely
pre
plumbed and often fit in the same area as a corner shower.

Stone 12x12 or 16x16 or 18x18 tile can be set with no grout line. With
stone, you may not clean as much grout but you might use that time and
money
stripping and sealing it regularly instead.

Bigger tiles = less grout lines

If ceramic tile, use a sanitary cove molding at the bottom of the wall to
eliminate the 90 degree angle and eliminate the usual caulk line.

IMO wide grout lines are easier to clean than narrow lines (at the bottom
of
the curved tile edge)

Epoxy grouts are easier to clean and contain fewer ingredients tasty to
fungus.

With your existing installation, a good sealer (after cleaning and grout
patching) then use a spray on shower cleaner and you will need to clean
reletively infrequently.

"ajgy" writes:
I plan to remodel my bathroom.
We do not like cleaning bathroom tile wall. The grout gap between tiles are
very difficult to clean. Can you recommend any better way for bathroom
walls?
I found replacing tile with marble is quite expensive.
Any idea? Thank you.

Another option is to have teh tile refinished. The refinishing also
makes a lovely coat over the old grout into a smoother easier to clean
surface. I had this process done, and have been very happy with the
results:
http://kottkoatings.com/koated_gallery.html

There are similar competing processes. Look for tub and tile
refinishers in your Yellow Pages.

This in concert with moisture elimination in your bathroom (do you
have a properly functioning vent that works well enough to keep your
mirror from steaming up? If not, that could be most of the problem).
Also consider wiping down the walls after a shower. All these will
help.

Best Regards,
--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/

Out bathroom do have a window opens to the outside.
I have seen this tile coating commercial before. I thought it was just some
kind of spray painting to add a coat of something.
We are pretty sure want to remodel the bathroom, and take out the plastic
floor. The biggest problem seems to be selecting the right kind of wall. I
am thinking of large tiles. But wish to do something with the gap grout to
make cleaning easier.

"Todd H." wrote in message ...
"ajgy" writes:
I plan to remodel my bathroom.
We do not like cleaning bathroom tile wall. The grout gap between tiles
are
very difficult to clean. Can you recommend any better way for bathroom
walls?
I found replacing tile with marble is quite expensive.
Any idea? Thank you.

Another option is to have teh tile refinished. The refinishing also
makes a lovely coat over the old grout into a smoother easier to clean
surface. I had this process done, and have been very happy with the
results:
http://kottkoatings.com/koated_gallery.html

There are similar competing processes. Look for tub and tile
refinishers in your Yellow Pages.

This in concert with moisture elimination in your bathroom (do you
have a properly functioning vent that works well enough to keep your
mirror from steaming up? If not, that could be most of the problem).
Also consider wiping down the walls after a shower. All these will
help.

Best Regards,
--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/

"ajgy" writes:

Out bathroom do have a window opens to the outside.
I have seen this tile coating commercial before. I thought it was just some
kind of spray painting to add a coat of something.

It's professionally installed. It's not something for DIYer by any
stretch. It is a sprayed on product, but there is chemical adhesion
involved so the resulting coating turns out to be be quite durable.

I was skeptical as well, but I was very happy with that spending of
$350. If the tile isn't struturally sound to beginwith, don't
bother, though.