How to Regrout Kitchen Countertop Tile

If your old tiled countertop is looking dingy, stained and in need of a new surface, look closer and make sure it doesn't just need regrouting. Grout is the cement that sits between the tiles, and it tends to stain and discolor before the tile itself. You can buy a special grout extraction disk for your power drill to help take out the grout, and then it's just a matter of spreading new grout into the lines.

Things You'll Need

• Power drill
• Grout-removal disk bit
• Vacuum hose
• Grout
• Grout trowel
• Sponge

Instructions

1. Load the grout-removal disk bit into your drill.

2. Hold the drill sideways over the first grout line at one end of the countertop, so the disk is standing vertically over the line. Engage the drill, then slowly lower the edge of the disk into the grout.

3. Move the disk slowly forward along the grout line, letting it grind out the grout. Do the whole line. Repeat for each line in all directions, until all the grout is extracted.

4. Vacuum up the countertop with your vacuum hose, pulling all the pulverized grout out of the lines.

5. Spread new grout over the countertop with a rubber grout trowel. Start at one end of the countertop and work across, pressing the grout into the spaces between tiles and scraping it off the face.

6. Leave the grout sitting in the lines for about ten minutes. Wipe up the excess grout with a damp sponge.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear goggles when extracting grout.

References

• House Task: Regrouting