Lightening grout color

Q. We recently had a glass/stone backsplash installed in our kitchen. We are not happy with the colour of the grout and wondered if there is anyway we can lighten it up. The stone tiles really absorbed the grout and instead of keeping their off-white/beige colour they look almost orange.
Thanks so much!

Tracy

A.

Hello and thank you for contacting The Grout Dye Company.

Dear, Tracey;

Q. The color of the grout can make or break the look of any tile installation. In the past the only way to resolve this problem with the grout color would have been to cut or grind out the grout from between the tiles and then re apply the grout, but this is a very long and painful process.

With the advent over the past few years of grout recoloring products, changing grout colors is now made very easy. There are numerous grout restoration companies offering this material in multiple colors online. I would recommend that you do a  google type search using key words "grout stain colorants" and read up on some of there literature. A good reference is www.groutdye.com, www.tile-grout.net, etc.

Also, the stone tiles that you refer to as being stained by the grout should have been pre sealed before application, to protect the stone from staining. It might be very hard to remove these stains, you might try using a little vinegar, if that doesn't work try using some Sulfamic acid crystals. Please do a test area first since some natural stones are very sensitive to acids, but an acid based cleaner will be the only thing that will remove this grout residual.Or you can look for a poultice or paste to lift the staines.


Thank you;

Michael C. Malizia
The Grout Dye Company
http://www.groutdye.com/  
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888-249-0240