Hello,
We have moved to a house with a relatively newly renovated bathroom with a shower. However, there are 2 problems we've noticed:
1. The water is rich in lime, which doesn't go well with the dark grout:
http://i.imgur.com/1aehxWg.jpg
Here you can see that a lot of white lime has accumulated in some places. We've tried wiping and scrubbing it off with various products without much success.
http://i.imgur.com/dTBbjVx.jpg
Here we can see that there probably was leakage around the toilet previously.
The tiles themselves aren't hard to keep nice, but the grout is really a problem. Not only is there lime build-up in some places, but the grout is generally speckled. They probably failed during the installation, as it requires more attention when laying dark grout.
The question is whether the grout can be dyed light gray? And how would that fit in?
2. When I cleaned the shower, I noticed a small, small hole of 5 mm x 3 mm in the far corner. You can see that it's poorly filled there, and when you run water on the wall, it comes out through this hole. I know that tiles aren't meant to be waterproof; it's the layer behind that handles that part. The question is just what should be used to fill it in? Can some type of elastic sealant (the kind often used in bathrooms) be used, or should a similar grout be mixed and tried to fill it in?
We have moved to a house with a relatively newly renovated bathroom with a shower. However, there are 2 problems we've noticed:
1. The water is rich in lime, which doesn't go well with the dark grout:
http://i.imgur.com/1aehxWg.jpg
Here you can see that a lot of white lime has accumulated in some places. We've tried wiping and scrubbing it off with various products without much success.
http://i.imgur.com/dTBbjVx.jpg
Here we can see that there probably was leakage around the toilet previously.
The tiles themselves aren't hard to keep nice, but the grout is really a problem. Not only is there lime build-up in some places, but the grout is generally speckled. They probably failed during the installation, as it requires more attention when laying dark grout.
The question is whether the grout can be dyed light gray? And how would that fit in?
2. When I cleaned the shower, I noticed a small, small hole of 5 mm x 3 mm in the far corner. You can see that it's poorly filled there, and when you run water on the wall, it comes out through this hole. I know that tiles aren't meant to be waterproof; it's the layer behind that handles that part. The question is just what should be used to fill it in? Can some type of elastic sealant (the kind often used in bathrooms) be used, or should a similar grout be mixed and tried to fill it in?
Thanks, then I will try pouring some citric acid on it, as I know from before that it is effective in toilets.
Tile oil sounds like a good thing when it is newly laid and when the tiles do not have a lacquered surface, which these seem to have.
I probably have some grout left since we laid the floor down in the basement, that grout is somewhat darker but since it is only about 10 mm, it's fine.
I looked into coloring the grout a bit, there is a product called FUf: https://www.kakelspecialisten.se/produkter/oevrigt/rengoering/aendra-fogfaerg but I don't know how well it actually works. Otherwise, the recommendation seems to be to use a grout scraper and manually scrape off the grout and then apply new grout with the right color. However, I'm afraid that the tiles will get damaged at the edges from this as the joints are quite small. Furthermore, it sounds like a very big job even if the bathroom is small.
Tile oil sounds like a good thing when it is newly laid and when the tiles do not have a lacquered surface, which these seem to have.
I probably have some grout left since we laid the floor down in the basement, that grout is somewhat darker but since it is only about 10 mm, it's fine.
I looked into coloring the grout a bit, there is a product called FUf: https://www.kakelspecialisten.se/produkter/oevrigt/rengoering/aendra-fogfaerg but I don't know how well it actually works. Otherwise, the recommendation seems to be to use a grout scraper and manually scrape off the grout and then apply new grout with the right color. However, I'm afraid that the tiles will get damaged at the edges from this as the joints are quite small. Furthermore, it sounds like a very big job even if the bathroom is small.
That sounds reasonable, I wasn't planning on replacing it yet even though it's not the prettiest. There's only one really, and it's in the corner. My idea here is to use the citric acid on the floor. But surely there are seals and similar down in the drain? They might not be good with citric acid at all?Lexington said:
I use vinegar in my shower area and I have dark gray grout, almost black, against the black tiles as well as gray grout and gray tiles. Very hard water, about 18 German degrees. I spray a bottle mixed with a drop of dish soap, 1 part vinegar, and 9 parts water after each shower (I also have a glass wall that I want to keep really clean). It works perfectly, takes a minute when you wipe after the shower. Works really well "if you keep up with it" 
Good suggestion! Yes, I know vinegar is supposed to be effective, I used it in concentrated form when we cleaned a dishwasher and it seemed fairly effective. However, it seems more difficult once the lime has set, but I'll give it a try.
Found this thread: https://www.byggahus.se/forum/badrum/208971-hjalp-kalkflackar-pa-klinker.html apparently the limescale in the joints dissolves when using certain cleaning agents. Citric acid seems to be one of the strongest substances. To avoid the limescale being dissolved deeply, you should saturate the joints with water as much as possible beforehand. It's not a perfect solution but better than letting vinegar/citric acid sink into the joint and dissolve the limescale.
It occurred to me that this might be the perfect way to dye the joints light gray without actually dyeing or replacing the joint? That is, apply citric acid directly on the joints, let it work for a few hours and then hope that all the joints become light gray?
There is, of course, the risk that the limescale actually has a function in the joint and that the joint thus becomes weaker.
It occurred to me that this might be the perfect way to dye the joints light gray without actually dyeing or replacing the joint? That is, apply citric acid directly on the joints, let it work for a few hours and then hope that all the joints become light gray?
There is, of course, the risk that the limescale actually has a function in the joint and that the joint thus becomes weaker.