Im replacing the tiles in my bathroom and i have cast iron enamel
bathtub with old tile grout and mortar mix on the top edges.
Ive tried using warm soapy water and a nylon brush but its not coming off.

Whats the best way to remove this old grout/mortar from the enamel
surface without scratching it?

Sleepy-Tom wrote:

Im replacing the tiles in my bathroom and i have cast iron enamel
bathtub with old tile grout and mortar mix on the top edges.
Ive tried using warm soapy water and a nylon brush but its not coming off.

Whats the best way to remove this old grout/mortar from the enamel
surface without scratching it?

There is a tool for this, its a grout scraper. It has a triangle head made
of some kind of carbide and just about lasts forever. Be careful not to
scratch the tub surface. I'm sure there is a cleaner but make sure it does
not damage the surface.

--
"You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK"
Running Mandriva release 2008.0 free-i586 using KDE on i586

I have no clue. I think, maybe, there is a special tool for grout
removal. You might call a tile store.


Mark wrote:

"Sleepy-Tom" wrote in message
u...
Im replacing the tiles in my bathroom and i have cast iron enamel
bathtub with old tile grout and mortar mix on the top edges.
Ive tried using warm soapy water and a nylon brush but its not coming
off.

Whats the best way to remove this old grout/mortar from the enamel
surface without scratching it?

If soap and water would wash grout away it would have done so long ago.
Grout, particularly the older stuff, is largely portland cement. Once
it's dried and cured there isn't much that will cut thru it that
wouldn't also damage the enamel on the tube. Your best bet is to scrape
at it gently with a tool designed for this.

Another thing to consider is where your new tile and grout will fall. If
it will cover the old, then I wouldn't waste the time cleaning it
completely, just where it may interfere with the new installation

there is a special tool to remove grout but it involves scrapping of some
sort. The tool you are referring to is like a small saw tipped in carbide
grit its thin so you can abrade the grout between the tile and it will do a
number on the tub.




"Paul Oman" wrote in message
m...
I have no clue. I think, maybe, there is a special tool for grout removal.
You might call a tile store.


Mark wrote:

"Sleepy-Tom" wrote in message
u...
Im replacing the tiles in my bathroom and i have cast iron enamel
bathtub with old tile grout and mortar mix on the top edges.
Ive tried using warm soapy water and a nylon brush but its not coming
off.

Whats the best way to remove this old grout/mortar from the enamel
surface without scratching it?

If soap and water would wash grout away it would have done so long ago.
Grout, particularly the older stuff, is largely portland cement. Once
it's dried and cured there isn't much that will cut thru it that wouldn't
also damage the enamel on the tube. Your best bet is to scrape at it
gently with a tool designed for this.

Another thing to consider is where your new tile and grout will fall. If
it will cover the old, then I wouldn't waste the time cleaning it
completely, just where it may interfere with the new installation