Hi chaps

I'm having a new kitchen and the existing tiles
are fine for colour etc but they have black grouting
which makes them look a bit outdated.

How much of a job is re-grouting with perhaps a cream coloured grout?
Is there a danger of wrecking the existing tiles (I can't find any
matching ones and I only have about 8 spares)


Could I cheat and use a tile grout whitener over the top followed by
re-sealing?

I don't really want to have to re-tile the whole area as this would
considerably add to the cost of the project.

What does the team think of painting the tiles ?

advice and suggestions please.

thanks in advance.

dedics

ps the first person to suggest using an angle grinder was hubby!

"Ian & Hilda Dedic" wrote in message
...
Hi chaps

I'm having a new kitchen and the existing tiles
are fine for colour etc but they have black grouting
which makes them look a bit outdated.

How much of a job is re-grouting with perhaps a cream coloured grout?
Is there a danger of wrecking the existing tiles (I can't find any
matching ones and I only have about 8 spares)



A huge and laborious task is to use a stanley knife to hack the grout out
enough to give you a fillable channel.
another tool would be a large hacksaw blade broken in half so that the teeth
will act as a scraper,these are about as wide as a grout channel.

George wrote:
"Ian & Hilda Dedic" wrote in message
...

Hi chaps

I'm having a new kitchen and the existing tiles
are fine for colour etc but they have black grouting
which makes them look a bit outdated.

How much of a job is re-grouting with perhaps a cream coloured grout?
Is there a danger of wrecking the existing tiles (I can't find any
matching ones and I only have about 8 spares)



A huge and laborious task is to use a stanley knife to hack the grout out
enough to give you a fillable channel.
another tool would be a large hacksaw blade broken in half so that the teeth
will act as a scraper,these are about as wide as a grout channel.

Why do people do it the hard way. I use a bradawl, run it back and
forth a few times a second, increasing the pressure until the grout
starts breaking up. Never pick and pull with it. The point
concentrates enough pressure to break the grout up without
putting too much force on for the tiles. Degrouts tiles in seconds.
If the odd tile comes loose its restickable.


NT

wrote in message


A huge and laborious task is to use a stanley knife to hack the grout
out
enough to give you a fillable channel.
another tool would be a large hacksaw blade broken in half so that the
teeth
will act as a scraper,these are about as wide as a grout channel.

Why do people do it the hard way. I use a bradawl, run it back and
forth a few times a second, increasing the pressure until the grout
starts breaking up. Never pick and pull with it. The point
concentrates enough pressure to break the grout up without
putting too much force on for the tiles. Degrouts tiles in seconds.
If the odd tile comes loose its restickable.


NT

Hardway! I was going to suggest buying a cheapo dremel drill and use the
course disc's in it and that would have made it a doddle,alas it makes a
mess though.

Is that easier enough?

Ian & Hilda Dedic wrote:
Hi chaps

I'm having a new kitchen and the existing tiles
are fine for colour etc but they have black grouting
which makes them look a bit outdated.

How much of a job is re-grouting with perhaps a cream coloured grout? Is
there a danger of wrecking the existing tiles (I can't find any matching
ones and I only have about 8 spares)


Could I cheat and use a tile grout whitener over the top followed by
re-sealing?

I don't really want to have to re-tile the whole area as this would
considerably add to the cost of the project.

What does the team think of painting the tiles ?

advice and suggestions please.

thanks in advance.

dedics

ps the first person to suggest using an angle grinder was hubby!

A grout rake, or even an old bradawl, can be quite effective but, if the
grout hangs on to the glazed part of the tile edge, it will always show
through the cream. Sometimes it only bonds well to the unglazed bit, so
you might get lucky. A labour of love though, and almost certainly
quicker to re-tile the whole thing.
IMO painted tiles generally look awful because the texture is all wrong
and they no longer look like tiles. I've seen some nice effects with
tile transfers though
If this is hubby's cunning plan to justify a Fein Multimaster with 100
attachments, don't be fooled.

George wrote:
wrote in message

Why do people do it the hard way. I use a bradawl, run it back and
forth a few times a second, increasing the pressure until the grout
starts breaking up. Never pick and pull with it. The point
concentrates enough pressure to break the grout up without
putting too much force on for the tiles. Degrouts tiles in seconds.
If the odd tile comes loose its restickable.


NT

Hardway! I was going to suggest buying a cheapo dremel drill and use
the course disc's in it and that would have made it a doddle,alas it
makes a mess though.

Is that easier enough?

I'm fairly sure I have a grout remover attachment for my Dremel somewhere.
Never used it, so I can't comment on how well it works!

On 2008-05-04 10:28:22 +0100, Ian & Hilda Dedic
said:

Hi chaps

I'm having a new kitchen and the existing tiles
are fine for colour etc but they have black grouting
which makes them look a bit outdated.

How much of a job is re-grouting with perhaps a cream coloured grout?
Is there a danger of wrecking the existing tiles (I can't find any
matching ones and I only have about 8 spares)


Could I cheat and use a tile grout whitener over the top followed by
re-sealing?

I don't really want to have to re-tile the whole area as this would
considerably add to the cost of the project.

What does the team think of painting the tiles ?

advice and suggestions please.

thanks in advance.

dedics

ps the first person to suggest using an angle grinder was hubby!

It can be done quickly, easily and safely with a Fein Multimaster.

Painting tiles is not a good option

Pyriform wrote:
George wrote:
wrote in message

Why do people do it the hard way. I use a bradawl, run it back and
forth a few times a second, increasing the pressure until the grout
starts breaking up. Never pick and pull with it. The point
concentrates enough pressure to break the grout up without
putting too much force on for the tiles. Degrouts tiles in seconds.
If the odd tile comes loose its restickable.


NT

Hardway! I was going to suggest buying a cheapo dremel drill and use
the course disc's in it and that would have made it a doddle,alas it
makes a mess though.

Is that easier enough?

I'm fairly sure I have a grout remover attachment for my Dremel
somewhere. Never used it, so I can't comment on how well it works!

Painfully slow & piggin expensive when the bit snaps halfway through the
first job. BTDTGTTS.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

Andy Hall wrote:
On 2008-05-04 10:28:22 +0100, Ian & Hilda Dedic
said:

Hi chaps

I'm having a new kitchen and the existing tiles
are fine for colour etc but they have black grouting
which makes them look a bit outdated.

How much of a job is re-grouting with perhaps a cream coloured grout?
Is there a danger of wrecking the existing tiles (I can't find any
matching ones and I only have about 8 spares)


Could I cheat and use a tile grout whitener over the top followed by
re-sealing?

I don't really want to have to re-tile the whole area as this would
considerably add to the cost of the project.

What does the team think of painting the tiles ?

advice and suggestions please.

thanks in advance.

dedics

ps the first person to suggest using an angle grinder was hubby!

It can be done quickly, easily and safely with a Fein Multimaster.

I have a tile blade for my Bosch PMF180, but its too thick for the grouting
on wall tiles. Do Fein do a thinner one then?


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

Andy Hall wrote:


It can be done quickly, easily and safely with a Fein Multimaster.


Not quite catchy enough for an advertising slogan.

On 2008-05-04 13:19:51 +0100, "The Medway Handyman"
said:



Andy Hall wrote:
On 2008-05-04 10:28:22 +0100, Ian & Hilda Dedic
he first person to suggest using an angle grinder was hubby!

It can be done quickly, easily and safely with a Fein Multimaster.

I have a tile blade for my Bosch PMF180, but its too thick for the grouting
on wall tiles. Do Fein do a thinner one then?

Presumably. I worked for me OK.

On 2008-05-04 13:24:37 +0100, Stuart Noble
said:

Andy Hall wrote:


It can be done quickly, easily and safely with a Fein Multimaster.


Not quite catchy enough for an advertising slogan.

I prefer to use things that work and get jobs done. That doesn't need
any advertising.

Andy Hall wrote:
On 2008-05-04 13:24:37 +0100, Stuart Noble
said:

Andy Hall wrote:


It can be done quickly, easily and safely with a Fein Multimaster.


Not quite catchy enough for an advertising slogan.

I prefer to use things that work and get jobs done.

You'll never make a Mad Man with copy like that

George wrote:
wrote in message


A huge and laborious task is to use a stanley knife to hack the grout
out
enough to give you a fillable channel.
another tool would be a large hacksaw blade broken in half so that the
teeth
will act as a scraper,these are about as wide as a grout channel.

Why do people do it the hard way. I use a bradawl, run it back and
forth a few times a second, increasing the pressure until the grout
starts breaking up. Never pick and pull with it. The point
concentrates enough pressure to break the grout up without
putting too much force on for the tiles. Degrouts tiles in seconds.
If the odd tile comes loose its restickable.


NT

Hardway! I was going to suggest buying a cheapo dremel drill and use the
course disc's in it and that would have made it a doddle,alas it makes a
mess though.

Is that easier enough?

I dont see how thats going to get the grout off the tiles, would just
cut a slot. And it sounds extremely slow - though I've not tried it.
Its
also a good way to damage the tiles I would think.

I wont repeat my question People seem to want to do anything
but a quick effective option. But I would suggest the whole idea is a
lot of work for not a lot of result.


NT

On 2008-05-04 13:51:45 +0100, Stuart Noble
said:

Andy Hall wrote:
On 2008-05-04 13:24:37 +0100, Stuart Noble
said:

Andy Hall wrote:


It can be done quickly, easily and safely with a Fein Multimaster.


Not quite catchy enough for an advertising slogan.

I prefer to use things that work and get jobs done.

You'll never make a Mad Man with copy like that

No need. There are enough around me.

The Medway Handyman wrote:

ps the first person to suggest using an angle grinder was hubby!
It can be done quickly, easily and safely with a Fein Multimaster.

I have a tile blade for my Bosch PMF180, but its too thick for the grouting
on wall tiles. Do Fein do a thinner one then?

Depends on the tile spacing really. The carbide segment saw:

http://www.internode.co.uk/temp/carbide-ss-face.jpg

Is thin enough to get in to a tile spacer width grout line:

http://www.internode.co.uk/temp/carbide-ss-side.jpg

However if you have very closely spaced tiles then you may be able to
use a scrap HSS plunge cut steel blade. You can nick the edge from time
to time to provide new "teeth".


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

Andy Hall wrote:
On 2008-05-04 13:51:45 +0100, Stuart Noble
said:

Andy Hall wrote:
On 2008-05-04 13:24:37 +0100, Stuart Noble
said:

Andy Hall wrote:


It can be done quickly, easily and safely with a Fein Multimaster.


Not quite catchy enough for an advertising slogan.

I prefer to use things that work and get jobs done.

You'll never make a Mad Man with copy like that

No need. There are enough around me.

Anyway, I've seen the aquamix products has anyone got any experience of
this?

I guess painting is out cause it will look naff,
but maybe a re-coloured grout surface will spruce them up a bit,
also a good clean-up to get rid of the grease first!

Thanks for the suggestions.

The fein tool looks wonderful but expensive, Is the bosch multitool as good?

dedics

"Ian & Hilda Dedic" wrote in message
...
Andy Hall wrote:
On 2008-05-04 13:51:45 +0100, Stuart Noble
said:

Andy Hall wrote:
On 2008-05-04 13:24:37 +0100, Stuart Noble
said:

Andy Hall wrote:


It can be done quickly, easily and safely with a Fein Multimaster.


Not quite catchy enough for an advertising slogan.

I prefer to use things that work and get jobs done.

You'll never make a Mad Man with copy like that

No need. There are enough around me.

Anyway, I've seen the aquamix products has anyone got any experience of
this?

I guess painting is out cause it will look naff,
but maybe a re-coloured grout surface will spruce them up a bit,
also a good clean-up to get rid of the grease first!

Thanks for the suggestions.

The fein tool looks wonderful but expensive, Is the bosch multitool as
good?

dedics

I've just come back from Aldi and they had a few Multi tool drills at £15,
would be worth paying a visit to your local branch?

maybe a re-coloured grout surface will spruce them up a bit,

Not easy to hide black though

Ian & Hilda Dedic wrote:
Andy Hall wrote:
On 2008-05-04 13:51:45 +0100, Stuart Noble
said:

Andy Hall wrote:
On 2008-05-04 13:24:37 +0100, Stuart Noble
said:

Andy Hall wrote:


It can be done quickly, easily and safely with a Fein
Multimaster.

Not quite catchy enough for an advertising slogan.

I prefer to use things that work and get jobs done.

You'll never make a Mad Man with copy like that

No need. There are enough around me.

Anyway, I've seen the aquamix products has anyone got any experience
of this?

I guess painting is out cause it will look naff,
but maybe a re-coloured grout surface will spruce them up a bit,
also a good clean-up to get rid of the grease first!

Thanks for the suggestions.

The fein tool looks wonderful but expensive, Is the bosch multitool
as good?

I have a Bosch & it does everything I want it to. Don't have a Fein so I
can't compare.



--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On 2008-05-04 16:13:36 +0100, Ian & Hilda Dedic
said:

Andy Hall wrote:
On 2008-05-04 13:51:45 +0100, Stuart Noble
said:

Andy Hall wrote:
On 2008-05-04 13:24:37 +0100, Stuart Noble
said:

Andy Hall wrote:


It can be done quickly, easily and safely with a Fein Multimaster.


Not quite catchy enough for an advertising slogan.

I prefer to use things that work and get jobs done.

You'll never make a Mad Man with copy like that

No need. There are enough around me.

Anyway, I've seen the aquamix products has anyone got any experience of this?

I guess painting is out cause it will look naff,

Precisely.

but maybe a re-coloured grout surface will spruce them up a bit,

Not really - it will also look naff.


also a good clean-up to get rid of the grease first!

Always good.



Thanks for the suggestions.

The fein tool looks wonderful but expensive

It is an excellent tool that does what it says. It's one of my most
used tools and in its long lifetime will pay for itself many times over.



, Is the bosch multitool as good?

I've looked at and played with one, and no it isn't, in my view.

Stuart Noble wrote:
maybe a re-coloured grout surface will spruce them up a bit,

Not easy to hide black though
yep that was what I was afraid you would say!

mind you, black grout doesn't show up mould!(Sorry can't work out how to
get emoticons)

I might try changing the grout colour somewhere unobtrusive and see what
it looks like.

then probably re-tile....

I'll let you know what results I get, then maybe it'll be useful to some
other benighted diy-er

dedics

Ian & Hilda Dedic wrote:
Stuart Noble wrote:
maybe a re-coloured grout surface will spruce them up a bit,

Not easy to hide black though
yep that was what I was afraid you would say!

mind you, black grout doesn't show up mould!(Sorry can't work out how
to get emoticons)

Colon dash close brackets or colon dask open brackets.

:-)


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

The Medway Handyman wrote:
Ian & Hilda Dedic wrote:
Stuart Noble wrote:
maybe a re-coloured grout surface will spruce them up a bit,

Not easy to hide black though
yep that was what I was afraid you would say!

mind you, black grout doesn't show up mould!(Sorry can't work out how
to get emoticons)

Colon dash close brackets or colon dask open brackets.

:-)


Sounds liek a disae a carpnetr has got.

Ooh, me colon! Must dash - close them brackets for me, mate ;-)

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
The Medway Handyman wrote:
Ian & Hilda Dedic wrote:
Stuart Noble wrote:
maybe a re-coloured grout surface will spruce them up a bit,

Not easy to hide black though
yep that was what I was afraid you would say!

mind you, black grout doesn't show up mould!(Sorry can't work out how
to get emoticons)

Colon dash close brackets or colon dask open brackets.

:-)


Sounds liek a disae a carpnetr has got.

Ooh, me colon! Must dash - close them brackets for me, mate ;-)

no I meant the proper picture ones like you have.

dedics

Ian & Hilda Dedic wrote:
The Natural Philosopher wrote:
The Medway Handyman wrote:
Ian & Hilda Dedic wrote:
Stuart Noble wrote:
maybe a re-coloured grout surface will spruce them up a bit,

Not easy to hide black though
yep that was what I was afraid you would say!

mind you, black grout doesn't show up mould!(Sorry can't work out how
to get emoticons)

Colon dash close brackets or colon dask open brackets.

:-)


Sounds liek a disae a carpnetr has got.

Ooh, me colon! Must dash - close them brackets for me, mate ;-)

no I meant the proper picture ones like you have.


Try it!

When I type colon hyphen close bracket - I "see" (on my screen) just
those characters.

When I later view my own post in the newsgroup, I see a nice little
yellow smiley. This is because Thunderbird notices the colon hyphen
close bracket and chooses to display a smiley instead! :-)

Not all news readers work the same but you do appear to be using
Thunderbird as I do.

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

Oh ok, here goes :-)

dedics

Rod wrote:
Ian & Hilda Dedic wrote:
The Natural Philosopher wrote:
The Medway Handyman wrote:
Ian & Hilda Dedic wrote:
Stuart Noble wrote:
maybe a re-coloured grout surface will spruce them up a bit,

Not easy to hide black though
yep that was what I was afraid you would say!

mind you, black grout doesn't show up mould!(Sorry can't work out how
to get emoticons)

Colon dash close brackets or colon dask open brackets.

:-)


Sounds liek a disae a carpnetr has got.

Ooh, me colon! Must dash - close them brackets for me, mate ;-)

no I meant the proper picture ones like you have.


Try it!

When I type colon hyphen close bracket - I "see" (on my screen) just
those characters.

When I later view my own post in the newsgroup, I see a nice little
yellow smiley. This is because Thunderbird notices the colon hyphen
close bracket and chooses to display a smiley instead! :-)

Not all news readers work the same but you do appear to be using
Thunderbird as I do.

Rod wrote:



Try it!

When I type colon hyphen close bracket - I "see" (on my screen) just
those characters.

Me too.


When I later view my own post in the newsgroup, I see a nice little
yellow smiley. This is because Thunderbird notices the colon hyphen
close bracket and chooses to display a smiley instead! :-)


All I see is a box with a red cross in it (if I view in html) or just the
charachters if I view in plain txt. I'm using OE6 - is that why I only see
the box & cross?


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

The Medway Handyman wrote:
All I see is a box with a red cross in it (if I view in html) or just
the charachters if I view in plain txt. I'm using OE6 - is that why
I only see the box & cross?

I'd be surprised if OE does that on its own. I get the same because I
installed OE-quotefix years ago (Microsoft being congenitally incapable of
making a news/email client that can handle quoting properly). As well as
fixing (mostly) Microsoft's quoting screw-ups, that application also added
graphical rendering of smilies etc. Or it did, until Microsoft beefed up OE
security to not download "external" images by default. That had the
side-effect of losing the smilies (even though they aren't coming from the
Interweb). My guess is that you also have some 3rd party app (perhaps even
the same one) that is caught out by this setting. You could switch it back
on in tools/options/security but I don't recommend that you do that
permanently!

I really ought to use proper software, but somehow I just can't be arsed to
switch!