Most of the time cracked grout is not a good sign, The only place where one might usually expect to see cracks in grout is in inside corners, or around the perimeter where the tile transitions to a foreign material. This is expected and is easily rectified by caulking with caulk.
Almost always, when grout is failing it's because of two different scenario's. The most common is that the tile or natural stone is not affixed to the substrate well. This could be either a failure where the adhesive marries the substrate or where the adhesive connects to the back of the tile.
Both could normally be avoided if the adhesive was keyed onto a dust free surface. Wet tile needs to be dried off after cut on a wet saw with a dry towel.
The reason the grout is failing is because the tile is not glued on solid and the vibrations of a loose tile separates the grout from the tile.
The second reason is, once again a failure to establish a stable solid substrate, This happens when the particular substrate is not attached well enough to what ever scenario is behind it. On floors? the cement needs to be glued and screwed solidly. The same holds true on walls, The cement board needs to be nailed or screwed solidly and taped and top coated at all the seems.
So. The answer to the question is you can try and tear out the failed grout but more often than not the same problem will return because the deeper problem has not been addressed. Usually the job needs to torn out and redone!
http://www.customtouchtile.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment