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	<title>Boston Grout &#187; Regrouting Showers</title>
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	<description>Regrouting and Grout Sealing</description>
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		<title>4 Problems With Unsanded Grout And How To Avoid Them</title>
		<link>http://www.bostongrout.com/regrouting-showers/4-problems-with-unsanded-grout-and-how-to-avoid-them</link>
		<comments>http://www.bostongrout.com/regrouting-showers/4-problems-with-unsanded-grout-and-how-to-avoid-them#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:16:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Grout Guy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Regrouting Showers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Regrouting Tub Surrounds]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bostongrout.com/?p=104</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Regrouting a shower usually means using unsanded wall grout, which generally ‘behaves itself’. But there are times when it drives you bonkers. These 4 problems are worth knowing in advance.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Regrouting a shower usually means using unsanded wall grout, which generally ‘behaves itself’. But there are times when it drives you bonkers. These 4 problems are worth knowing in advance.</p>
<p>First, make sure to read this link to an earlier post:</p>
<p><span style="color: #0000ff;"><a href="http://www.bostongrout.com/regrouting-showers/the-right-way-and-wrong-way-to-grout-wall-tile">HOW TO GROUT WALL TILE</a></span></p>
<p>which is all about the basics of using unsanded grout. But even if you do everything right, you can still have these problems:</p>
<ol>
<li>When you open the grout package, take a look at the grout and run your fingers through it. It should feel very dry and powdery, with no clumps or hard nuggets. Sometimes older packages of grout end up absorbing moisture through the paper bag and start to harden up a bit or form clumps where some of the moisture actually hardened the grout in chunks. Especially if you stored an old bag of grout in a basement, sitting on the floor. It can absorb the dampness and be useless within a few months.  Even if you just bought the bag from a store, it still may be old because it sat too long on the shelf. If you use this grout, those hardened clumps will show in the final job and you’ll need to regrout your regrouting job – no fun!</li>
<li>Excess grout haze:  after you have washed the grout 2 or 3 times, there will always be a thin film of grout haze that has to dry before you can buff it off with a dry cloth.  But sometimes you let too much haze remain and it doesn’t all come off with the cloth. Smeary hazy grout all over tile is not pretty. But this one is pretty manageable. If the tile is not marble, all you need to do is add some acid to water and scrub the haze off with the solution and fast dry it with cloth towels.  You can buy special grout haze removers which use phosphoric acid, or you can just use a 50-50 mix of vinegar and water. Both work fine. Do NOT use this approach if the tile is marble, onyx, travertine or granite. The acid can and will etch the stone. Instead, use either marble polishing powder or alkaline liquids only. On second thought, if you have this problem, call us so you don’t ruin the expensive stone. If you’re in the Boston area, we’ll do it for you and if you’re outside of Boston, we’ll talk you through it.</li>
<li>Pinholes. When the grout dries, you may notice tiny air bubbles that dried in place, leaving what looks like pinholes. This is an easy one, too. Scrape out the section that has pinholes and put some more on. It’s that simple. Problem solved.</li>
<li>Streaks of color. This one is not a problem with white grout, but complex colors like browns and oranges seem to get it more. We regrouted a shower in Wilmington, Mass with light brown grout and   then noticed streaks of red on several grout lines. What causes it is red pigment that didn’t get totally blended at the factory or even when mixing the grout in the bucket. Solution again is to scrape out a section and just re-grout wherever you see the streaks. They will probably be small so the fix won’t take long.</li>
</ol>
<p>Next post, we’ll talk about some of the less common but more serious problems with unsanded grout.</p>
<p>Of course, if you don’t want to deal with any of the above tasks and you just want us to do it for you, just give Boston Grout a call at 617-500-9271 and we’ll do the regrouting for you.  Then instead of scraping grout lines, you could be sipping a crisp glass of Chardonnay and realize that you were meant for more important things in life, as you watch us cheerfully grouting away!</p>
<p>For instant quotes, just fill in our handy dandy contact form below.</p>
<p><script src="http://forms.aweber.com/form/01/1051727201.js" type="text/javascript"></script></p>
<p>Towns where Boston Grout does grouting and regrouting : Boston, Brookline, Milton, Wellesley, Newton, Weston, Wayland, Dover, Concord, Acton, Lincoln, Lexington, Bedford, Westford, Cambridge, Somerville, Arlington, Winchester, Belmont, Woburn, Waltham, Ashland, Framingham, Sherborn, Holliston, Hopkinton, Medway, Millis, Norfolk, Walpole, Norwood, Westwood, Sharon, Stoneham, Foxborough, Foxboro, Canton, Stoughton, Needham, Ashland, Chestnut Hill, Natick, Sudbury, Maynard, Stow, Watertown, Dedham, West Roxbury, Roslindale, Jamaica Plain, Randolph, Weymouth, Cohasset, Scituate, Braintree, Holbrook, Quincy, Rockland, Hanover, Hingham, Medway, Franklin, Wrentham, Medford, Malden, Everett, Revere, Charlestown, Winthrop, Chelsea, Melrose, Saugus, Peabody, Marblehead, Ipswich, Swampscott, Lynn, Wakefield, Tewksbury, Woburn, Burlington, Reading, Lynnfield, Wilmington, Middleton, Wenham, Hamilton, Essex, Manchester, Gloucester, Topsfield, Boxford, Boxborough, Boxboro, Rowley, Georgetown, Andover, North Andover, Haverhill, Carlisle, Billerica, Ayer, Harvard, Lawrence, Methuen, Salem, Beverly, Salisbury, Amesbury, Newbury, Newburyport, Harvard, Lancaster, Bolton, Franklin, Mendon, Newtonville, Hopedale and Milford.</p>
<p>But, you cry, ‘what are the zipcodes that go along with those town names?? Don’t leave us in suspense!’</p>
<p>OK, OK, here they are!</p>
<p>02138, 02139, 02140, 02141, 02142, 02141, 02141, 02140, 02140,  02163, 02108, 02109, 02110,  02111, 02113, 02114, 02115, 02116,  02118, 02119, 02120, 02121, 02122, 02124, 02125, 02127, 02128, 02133, 02163, 02199, 02203, 02210, 02215, 02222, 02283, 02284, 02126, 02129, 02130, 02131, 02132, 02134, 02135, 02136, 02128, 02127, 02215, 02128, 02127, 02420, 02421, 02458, 02459, 02461,        02462, 02464, 02465, 02459, 02460, 02461, 02462, 02464, 02465, 02459, 02461, 02462, 02464, 02466, 02467, 02468, 02459,  02459,        02465, 02478, 02446, 02445, 02447, 02143, 02144, 02145, 01801, 01890, 02155, 02155, 02155,  02148, 01803, 01730, 01731, 01821, 01862, 01862, 01862, 01810, 01845, 01845, 01742, 01742, 01742,             01741, 01720, 01718, 01719, 01720, 01720, 01776, 01776, 01776, 01864, 01867, 01701, 01702, 01701, 01701, 01752, 02184, 02184, 02184, 02184, 02184, 02169, 02170, 02171, 02171, 02171, 02171, 02169, 02169, 02169, 02186, 02186, 02067<a href="http://www.bostongrout.com/regrouting-showers/the-right-way-and-wrong-way-to-grout-wall-tile"></a></p>

	Tags:<a href="http://www.bostongrout.com/tag/regrouting-showers" title="Regrouting Showers" rel="tag">Regrouting Showers</a>

	<h3>Related posts</h3>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://www.bostongrout.com/tile-repair/why-you-don%e2%80%99t-want-mastic-in-your-tile-shower-unless-you-want-tile-repair-bills" title="Why You Don’t Want Mastic In Your Tile Shower Unless You Want Tile Repair Bills! (November 7, 2009)">Why You Don’t Want Mastic In Your Tile Shower Unless You Want Tile Repair Bills!</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.bostongrout.com/regrouting-showers/what%e2%80%99s-the-right-type-of-caulk-to-use-for-showers" title="What’s the Right Type of Caulk to Use for Showers? (November 10, 2009)">What’s the Right Type of Caulk to Use for Showers?</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.bostongrout.com/regrouting-showers/the-right-way-and-wrong-way-to-grout-wall-tile" title="The Right Way And Wrong Way To Grout Wall Tile (November 11, 2009)">The Right Way And Wrong Way To Grout Wall Tile</a> (1)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.bostongrout.com/general/sample-post-for-new-blog" title="Get Boston Area Tile Showers Regrouted! (October 17, 2009)">Get Boston Area Tile Showers Regrouted!</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.bostongrout.com/regrouting-showers/can-marble-showers-be-regrouted" title="Can Marble Showers Be Regrouted? (November 9, 2009)">Can Marble Showers Be Regrouted?</a> (0)</li>
</ul>

]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Right Way And Wrong Way To Grout Wall Tile</title>
		<link>http://www.bostongrout.com/regrouting-showers/the-right-way-and-wrong-way-to-grout-wall-tile</link>
		<comments>http://www.bostongrout.com/regrouting-showers/the-right-way-and-wrong-way-to-grout-wall-tile#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:43:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Grout Guy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Regrouting Showers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Regrouting Tub Surrounds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[how to grout]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unsanded grout]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bostongrout.com/?p=98</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Unsanded wall grout is a very consistent product that will work for you every time and look great for years….if you don’t make a few common mistakes. Here’s what to do and what to avoid.

First, make sure you are using the right type of grout for the size grout joint. Unsanded grout is made for [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_100" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://www.bostongrout.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Regrouting-around-jacuzzi-tub-tile.JPG"><img class="size-medium wp-image-100" title="Regrouting around jacuzzi tub tile" src="http://www.bostongrout.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Regrouting-around-jacuzzi-tub-tile-300x225.jpg" alt="Regrouting around jacuzzi tub tile" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Regrouting around jacuzzi tub tile</p></div>
<p>Unsanded wall grout is a very consistent product that will work for you every time and look great for years….if you don’t make a few common mistakes. Here’s what to do and what to avoid.</p>
<ol>
<li>First, make sure you are using the right type of grout for the size grout joint. Unsanded grout is made for thin joints, from miniscule up to 1/8<sup>th</sup> of an inch. It can go a bit larger, but it’s not recommended. Why? If it is put in wider joints, it shrinks too much as it dries. It can look ugly if it’s shrunken down.</li>
<li>Second, make sure you bought powder form grout, not the premixed kind. Premixed is a low end product that is not worthy of your attention. Mixing is not that hard. You add water and stir. Kind of like cake batter. Anyone can do it.</li>
<li>Most grouts sold today have an additive called polymers. Pure cement doesn’t have polymers, but they are an improvement. They force the cement to dry a bit slower, which makes it harder and more durable. Plus they permit some degree of better bonding and elasticity, which also helps the cement work better as grout. The only company around the Boston area that doesn’t have these polymers that we know of is Hydroment. Not that Hydroment is bad grout, just that you need to add your own polymers, which is also easy. It’s called a latex admix, and it’s sold by the same dealers as the grout. It is a liquid that looks exactly like milk, which is its nickname. When you use Hydroment grout, instead of water you just use their milk. Is this an unnecessary burden? No, technically Hydroment is making a slightly better product than the others. Reason is that liquid latex performs a bit better than the powder form the other manufacturers use. So by not adding the powder in advance, they allow you to mix a stronger batch on your own. Conclusion: if you buy Hydroment grout, also get the milk that goes with it.</li>
<li>Clean out the grout joints before grouting. If it’s a regrout, that is much harder. If it’s a new installation, then the only thing that needs to be cleaned out is the thinset cement that oozes up between the grout lines. A utility knife and vacuum should work fine.</li>
<li>Get 2 buckets – one for mixing and one for clean water. In the mixing bucket, add some water first and then the grout powder. The best thing to mix a small amount is a margin trowel. If you have less than a whole shower to grout, you’ll need less than a solid gallon of mixed grout to do the job.</li>
<li>It should mix up to the consistency of peanut butter, somewhat spreadable but not drippy. (How’s that for scientific language!)</li>
<li>After you mixed it the first time, let it sit for about 10 minutes to absorb the water better. This is called slaking the grout and it helps make it stronger.</li>
<li>Using a grout float to push the grout in to each joint. It takes a few passes at varying angles to force it in and pack it down well. 45 degree angles work best, but that won’t always work on corners and edges.</li>
<li>After you finish applying grout to an area about 2 feet by 3 feet,  stop and wipe it with a damp sponge. This has to be a tile sponge, not a household sponge. It will take at least 2 passes to get the majority of the grout off the wall. One important thing at this point: minimize the water content. Wring the sponge as dry as possible before wiping the wall. That means wring it twice after washing it in the clean water. The clean water will get cloudy almost immediately, but don’t worry, you can do a 50 square foot area easily with one 4 gallon bucket of water.</li>
<li>Flip the sponge so you don’t keep using the same surface. One clean sponge can get flipped 4 times, and then both sides are used and need a rinse.</li>
<li>If you’re doing this for the first time, you might find it surprising that you can’t get all the grout haze off with the first 2 wipings. Or 3. Or 4.  This can get annoying and make you think you gotta go at it like Godzilla and keep going till you win. Don’t bother. Each time, just use a bit less water till you’re barely dampening the surface. The key to getting the last part is; <strong><em>you let it dry</em></strong> for about 45 minutes and that last bit of haze comes off with a dry buff towel or even a paper towel. If you keep wetting it, you keep bringing more haze from the joints.</li>
</ol>
<p>The next post will cover problems that you may find during or after the process.</p>
<p>Of course, if you don’t want to deal with any of the above tasks and you just want us to do it for you, just give Boston Grout a call at 617-500-9271 and we’ll do the regrouting for you. Then you can relax and we’ll handle it for you while you sip hot chocolate and think how smart you are to avoid all this work!</p>
<p>For instant quotes, just fill in our handy dandy contact form below.</p>
<p><script type="text/javascript" src="http://forms.aweber.com/form/01/1051727201.js"></script></p>
<p>Towns where Boston Grout does grouting and regrouting : Boston, Brookline, Milton, Wellesley, Newton, Weston, Wayland, Dover, Concord, Acton, Lincoln, Lexington, Bedford, Westford, Cambridge, Somerville, Arlington, Winchester, Belmont, Woburn, Waltham, Ashland, Framingham, Sherborn, Holliston, Hopkinton, Medway, Millis, Norfolk, Walpole, Norwood, Westwood, Sharon, Stoneham, Foxborough, Foxboro, Canton, Stoughton, Needham, Ashland, Chestnut Hill, Natick, Sudbury, Maynard, Stow, Watertown, Dedham, West Roxbury, Roslindale, Jamaica Plain, Randolph, Weymouth, Cohasset, Scituate, Braintree, Holbrook, Quincy, Rockland, Hanover, Hingham, Medway, Franklin, Wrentham, Medford, Malden, Everett, Revere, Charlestown, Winthrop, Chelsea, Melrose, Saugus, Peabody, Marblehead, Ipswich, Swampscott, Lynn, Wakefield, Tewksbury, Woburn, Burlington, Reading, Lynnfield, Wilmington, Middleton, Wenham, Hamilton, Essex, Manchester, Gloucester, Topsfield, Boxford, Boxborough, Boxboro, Rowley, Georgetown, Andover, North Andover, Haverhill, Carlisle, Billerica, Ayer, Harvard, Lawrence, Methuen, Salem, Beverly, Salisbury, Amesbury, Newbury, Newburyport, Harvard, Lancaster, Bolton, Franklin, Mendon, Newtonville, Hopedale and Milford.</p>
<p>But, you cry, ‘what are the zipcodes that go along with those town names?? Don’t leave us in suspense!’</p>
<p>OK, OK, here they are!</p>
<p>02138, 02139, 02140, 02141, 02142, 02141, 02141, 02140, 02140,  02163, 02108, 02109, 02110,  02111, 02113, 02114, 02115, 02116,  02118, 02119, 02120, 02121, 02122, 02124, 02125, 02127, 02128, 02133, 02163, 02199, 02203, 02210, 02215, 02222, 02283, 02284, 02126, 02129, 02130, 02131, 02132, 02134, 02135, 02136, 02128, 02127, 02215, 02128, 02127, 02420, 02421, 02458, 02459, 02461,        02462, 02464, 02465, 02459, 02460, 02461, 02462, 02464, 02465, 02459, 02461, 02462, 02464, 02466, 02467, 02468, 02459,  02459,        02465, 02478, 02446, 02445, 02447, 02143, 02144, 02145, 01801, 01890, 02155, 02155, 02155,  02148, 01803, 01730, 01731, 01821, 01862, 01862, 01862, 01810, 01845, 01845, 01742, 01742, 01742,  01741, 01720, 01718, 01719, 01720, 01720, 01776, 01776, 01776, 01864, 01867, 01701, 01702, 01701, 01701, 01752, 02184, 02184, 02184, 02184, 02184, 02169, 02170, 02171, 02171, 02171, 02171, 02169, 02169, 02169, 02186, 02186, 02067</p>

	Tags:<a href="http://www.bostongrout.com/tag/how-to-grout" title="how to grout" rel="tag">how to grout</a>,<a href="http://www.bostongrout.com/tag/regrouting-showers" title="Regrouting Showers" rel="tag">Regrouting Showers</a>,<a href="http://www.bostongrout.com/tag/unsanded-grout" title="unsanded grout" rel="tag">unsanded grout</a>

	<h3>Related posts</h3>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://www.bostongrout.com/tile-repair/why-you-don%e2%80%99t-want-mastic-in-your-tile-shower-unless-you-want-tile-repair-bills" title="Why You Don’t Want Mastic In Your Tile Shower Unless You Want Tile Repair Bills! (November 7, 2009)">Why You Don’t Want Mastic In Your Tile Shower Unless You Want Tile Repair Bills!</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.bostongrout.com/regrouting-showers/what%e2%80%99s-the-right-type-of-caulk-to-use-for-showers" title="What’s the Right Type of Caulk to Use for Showers? (November 10, 2009)">What’s the Right Type of Caulk to Use for Showers?</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.bostongrout.com/general/sample-post-for-new-blog" title="Get Boston Area Tile Showers Regrouted! (October 17, 2009)">Get Boston Area Tile Showers Regrouted!</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.bostongrout.com/regrouting-showers/can-marble-showers-be-regrouted" title="Can Marble Showers Be Regrouted? (November 9, 2009)">Can Marble Showers Be Regrouted?</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.bostongrout.com/regrouting-showers/4-problems-with-unsanded-grout-and-how-to-avoid-them" title="4 Problems With Unsanded Grout And How To Avoid Them (November 13, 2009)">4 Problems With Unsanded Grout And How To Avoid Them</a> (1)</li>
</ul>

]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>What’s the Right Type of Caulk to Use for Showers?</title>
		<link>http://www.bostongrout.com/regrouting-showers/what%e2%80%99s-the-right-type-of-caulk-to-use-for-showers</link>
		<comments>http://www.bostongrout.com/regrouting-showers/what%e2%80%99s-the-right-type-of-caulk-to-use-for-showers#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:34:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Grout Guy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Regrouting Showers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bostongrout.com/?p=94</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are two different types of caulks that you can use for showers and bathtubs. Pick the wrong one, and you will have an ugly mess that looks like it was created by a drunken handyman. Pick the right one, along with some practice using it, and you can have a professional look and a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There are two different types of caulks that you can use for showers and bathtubs. Pick the wrong one, and you will have an ugly mess that looks like it was created by a drunken handyman. Pick the right one, along with some practice using it, and you can have a professional look and a watertight seam.</p>
<p>The confusion comes from the fact that both types have silicone in them. Silicone is a rubbery, waterproof, durable adhesive. It’s a good thing.</p>
<p>But pure silicone caulk has two problems about it, despite its durability. One is that that it comes in a very limited range of colors. Black, white, dark brown and maybe gray. That’s it. If you are planning a custom shower installation, you don’t want to be told that your color choices are that limited.</p>
<p>The second problem is that it’s very, very, VERY difficult to use correctly and make it look good. The only guys I’ve seen who consistently manage to make it look sleek and professional are the shower glass door installers. They use it all day every day and usually get it right. The average homeowner….not so much!</p>
<p>Trust me, the really truly ugly caulk jobs you’ve seen were usually homeowners who wandered into the hardware store, asked for caulk, bought pure silicone and went out and tried the stuff themselves. It can’t be ‘tooled’, touched in any way after you dispense it from the caulk gun. If you try, you just make it worse. It’s so horribly difficult, we don’t even try. There are special techniques for using it, but they are awkward and time and money consuming.</p>
<p>The kind the store should sell you, the kind we use and almost every professional tile company uses, is sold at tile stores. It’s called siliconized latex caulk. Much, MUCH more user friendly.  It’s water soluble before it dries, so you can sponge it to look smoother and smoother until it looks perfect. And it comes in every color of the rainbow, to exactly match the grout color.  And clean up is easy with water. It still has silicone in it, to make it waterproof after drying. But it has enough latex to make it ‘workable’ and clean up-able, if that’s a word.</p>
<p>Unlike pure silicone, it also comes in two varieties (sanded and unsanded) to match the texture of the nearby grout. Tile stores sell both sanded and unsanded latex caulk. Big Box stores like Home Depot and Lowes usually only have a small selection, but most real tile stores have the full line of colors and textures to match your tile the best.</p>
<p>If you live in the general Boston area and want a recaulking or regrouting job done, you can do it yourself or have us do it for you.  For instant quotes, just fill in our handy dandy contact form below. Or if you prefer to talk to us directly, our phone number is 617-500-9271.</p>
<p><script src="http://forms.aweber.com/form/01/1051727201.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br />
Towns where Boston Grout does re-caulking : Boston, Brookline, Milton, Wellesley, Newton, Weston, Wayland, Dover, Concord, Acton, Lincoln, Lexington, Bedford, Westford, Cambridge, Somerville, Arlington, Winchester, Belmont, Woburn, Waltham, Ashland, Framingham, Sherborn, Holliston, Hopkinton, Medway, Millis, Norfolk, Walpole, Norwood, Westwood, Sharon, Stoneham, Foxborough, Foxboro, Canton, Stoughton, Needham, Ashland, Chestnut Hill, Natick, Sudbury, Maynard, Stow, Watertown, Dedham, West Roxbury, Roslindale, Jamaica Plain, Randolph, Weymouth, Cohasset, Scituate, Braintree, Holbrook, Quincy, Rockland, Hanover, Hingham, Medway, Franklin, Wrentham, Medford, Malden, Everett, Revere, Charlestown, Winthrop, Chelsea, Melrose, Saugus, Peabody, Marblehead, Ipswich, Swampscott, Lynn, Wakefield, Tewksbury, Woburn, Burlington, Reading, Lynnfield, Wilmington, Middleton, Wenham, Hamilton, Essex, Manchester, Gloucester, Topsfield, Boxford, Boxborough, Boxboro, Rowley, Georgetown, Andover, North Andover, Haverhill, Carlisle, Billerica, Ayer, Harvard, Lawrence, Methuen, Salem, Beverly, Salisbury, Amesbury, Newbury, Newburyport, Harvard, Lancaster, Bolton, Franklin, Mendon, Newtonville, Hopedale and Milford.</p>
<p>But, you cry, ‘what are the zipcodes that go along with those town names?? Don’t leave us in suspense!’<br />
OK, OK, here they are!<br />
02138, 02139, 02140, 02141, 02142, 02141, 02141, 02140, 02140,  02163, 02108, 02109, 02110,  02111, 02113, 02114, 02115, 02116,  02118, 02119, 02120, 02121, 02122, 02124, 02125, 02127, 02128, 02133, 02163, 02199, 02203, 02210, 02215, 02222, 02283, 02284, 02126, 02129, 02130, 02131, 02132, 02134, 02135, 02136, 02128, 02127, 02215, 02128, 02127, 02420, 02421, 02458, 02459, 02461,	 02462, 02464, 02465, 02459, 02460, 02461, 02462, 02464, 02465, 02459, 02461, 02462, 02464, 02466, 02467, 02468, 02459,  02459,  	02465, 02478, 02446, 02445, 02447, 02143, 02144, 02145, 01801, 01890, 02155, 02155, 02155,  02148, 01803, 01730, 01731, 01821, 01862, 01862, 01862, 01810, 01845, 01845, 01742, 01742, 01742,	01741, 01720, 01718, 01719, 01720, 01720, 01776, 01776, 01776, 01864, 01867, 01701, 01702, 01701, 01701, 01752, 02184, 02184, 02184, 02184, 02184, 02169, 02170, 02171, 02171, 02171, 02171,<br />
02169, 02169, 02169, 02186, 02186, 02067</p>

	Tags:<a href="http://www.bostongrout.com/tag/regrouting-showers" title="Regrouting Showers" rel="tag">Regrouting Showers</a>

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	<li><a href="http://www.bostongrout.com/tile-repair/why-you-don%e2%80%99t-want-mastic-in-your-tile-shower-unless-you-want-tile-repair-bills" title="Why You Don’t Want Mastic In Your Tile Shower Unless You Want Tile Repair Bills! (November 7, 2009)">Why You Don’t Want Mastic In Your Tile Shower Unless You Want Tile Repair Bills!</a> (0)</li>
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		<title>Can Marble Showers Be Regrouted?</title>
		<link>http://www.bostongrout.com/regrouting-showers/can-marble-showers-be-regrouted</link>
		<comments>http://www.bostongrout.com/regrouting-showers/can-marble-showers-be-regrouted#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:22:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Grout Guy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Regrouting Marble]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Regrouting Showers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bostongrout.com/?p=88</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you have a marble shower, you may want to have the grout replaced. But since marble is different than ceramic, will regrouting work on marble??
The short answer is yes; marble tiles can be successfully re-grouted and add years of life to the shower or bathtub shower.  In the Boston area where we work, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you have a marble shower, you may want to have the grout replaced. But since marble is different than ceramic, will regrouting work on marble??</p>
<p>The short answer is yes; marble tiles can be successfully re-grouted and add years of life to the shower or bathtub shower.  In the Boston area where we work, we’ve worked on hundreds of marble showers over the years.<br />
<a href="http://www.bostongrout.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Marble-shower-with-2-corner-shelves-regrouted1.JPG"><img src="http://www.bostongrout.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Marble-shower-with-2-corner-shelves-regrouted1-200x300.jpg" alt="Marble shower with 2 corner shelves regrouted" title="Marble shower with 2 corner shelves regrouted" width="200" height="300" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-90" /></a><br />
There are a few special concerns, of course, but not too many, so let’s show what they are:</p>
<p>1.	Normally tile installers use unsanded grout for marble installations, with fairly skinny grout joints, maybe 1/8 of an inch or less. This is the kind of grout that works well with regrouting – sanded grout with fat joints is much, much more difficult. If you’ve had a shower installed with much fatter joints and the grout feels rough and scratchy to the touch, that’s going to rule out regrouting, since there’s too much damage to the wall during the sanded grout removal process. If you’re not sure, don’t feel bad. It’s not always easy to tell one from the other.<br />
2.	Since most marble scratches fairly easily, the contractor doing the work has to be more careful to avoid having his tool slip and scratch the tile. Of course, you always want to be careful, but even more so with marble tile.<br />
3.	With most ceramic tile, the grout sealer we use after the process does little to help seal the tile itself, mostly the grout. But with marble, the stone itself is also porous, not just the grout. So the marble itself benefits from the sealer. This makes sealer application even more important than with a ceramic or porcelain tile shower.<br />
4.	When cleaning the marble shower, it’s important to use a cleaning product that has absolutely no acid in it. When we clean the tiles before grouting, we make sure the product we use is non acidic so no acid etching happens with the stone. Even with lots of sealer applied, marble still can etch if exposed to acid. </p>
<p>Those are the items that we think of when someone wants a marble shower regrouted. </p>
<p>Can it be done? Absolutely! </p>
<p>If you’re in the general Boston area and you’d like a price quote on the cost of regrouting a marble shower, all you need to do is fill out this handy dandy form below and we’ll instantly email you one immediately, so you don’t have to wait to get the pricing. If you’d like to move forward and get the work done, all you need to do is email us back and say so or you can just call us at 617-500-9271 and we’ll schedule it on the phone if you prefer.</p>
<p>Don’t worry – we’ll take very good care of your marble!</p>
<p><script type="text/javascript" src="http://forms.aweber.com/form/01/1051727201.js"></script></p>

	Tags:<a href="http://www.bostongrout.com/tag/regrouting-showers" title="Regrouting Showers" rel="tag">Regrouting Showers</a>

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</ul>

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		<title>Why You Don’t Want Mastic In Your Tile Shower Unless You Want Tile Repair Bills!</title>
		<link>http://www.bostongrout.com/tile-repair/why-you-don%e2%80%99t-want-mastic-in-your-tile-shower-unless-you-want-tile-repair-bills</link>
		<comments>http://www.bostongrout.com/tile-repair/why-you-don%e2%80%99t-want-mastic-in-your-tile-shower-unless-you-want-tile-repair-bills#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:29:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Grout Guy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Tile Repair]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[broken tiles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mastic in showers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Regrouting Showers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bostongrout.com/?p=71</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The evils of mastic being used in showers and why it creates tile repair bills for homeowners! How to recognize the evil product if your tile guy uses it.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Here at Boston Grout we get the same situation happen almost every week – someone’s tile shower is falling apart and needs repair. The other day we were at a nice home in Newton (that’s a nice suburb of Boston, for those who might not know the area). The reason we were there was to regrout and caulk the shower. The lady of the house literally pulled a tile off the shower wall with her bare hands and said:  Is the tile <em>supposed</em> to come off that easily?</p>
<p>How should we answer?</p>
<p>Something on the order of “NO, NO, NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”</p>
<p>Bear in mind, this is in very nice house easily worth millions in a very nice neighborhood and they had recently finished a $60,000 renovation. Maybe the contractor would use premium materials, just maybe?? Maybe he’d hire a tilese<span id="more-71"></span><!--more-->tter who knows what to use and what not to use? Just maybe?</p>
<p>It gets us mad when tilesetters who are supposed to know their trade use a material that creates this sort of problem. It’s the same material, time after time. It should be outlawed, in my opinion, or at least have huge warning labels all over the bucket.</p>
<p>What is this nasty, shower-destroying, money burning, evil stuff called?</p>
<p>Mastic. It also uses the alias ‘pre-mixed thinset’.</p>
<p>What’s so bad about it?</p>
<p>Simple. It’s not real cement – it has more in common with glue. And it’s water sensitive. Meaning that over time when water seeps through the grout lines, the mastic gets weaker and weaker and the bond between the tile and wall gets looser and looser. At some point, you can actually have tile fall off the wall or pull them off yourself using your hand. Make no mistake, water always get through grout lines.</p>
<p>This is true even if the tiler used real cement board walls. Glue just can’t handle the amount of moisture that showers create. If it’s a steam shower, it’s doubtful the shower might even last a few months of normal use.</p>
<p>How can you recognize this evil compound? Simple: it comes all premixed up for your convenience in a tub or bucket and you just scoop some out and smear it on the wall. If you are hiring a tile contractor to retile a shower and he hauls out a bucket of stuff to stick the tile on, and it’s all ready to use instantly, it’s mastic. What he should be using is real thinset cement, which is always a powder in a bag that he has to mix with water first before it’s usable.</p>
<p>Can a mastic shower be saved if tile are coming off the wall? It depends. If you have more of the original tile, we might be able to replace some of the broken or cracked ones, or maybe even scrape off the back and re-use some if that’s feasible. Tile repair is tricky and takes more skill than original installation, so we do charge extra. When we finish a repair, we almost always regrout the shower so the new grout on the repair won’t ‘stand out like a sore thumb.’ The repair part of the job might be under a hundred dollars if it’s a few tiles, or it can and has run over a thousand dollars for more extensive repairs. What a waste for the homeowner because the tile setter was too lazy to use the right thinset cement and used mastic instead!</p>
<p>We’ll do a post on why mastic is used and where it’s OK to use it, maybe later next week. Meantime, if you’re having tile installation or a tile shower built, just call the builder or tile guy and insist that he or she brings no mastic in your house. You’ll be better off and hopefully a mastic manufacturer will go out of business.</p>
<p>If you live in any of the towns listed below, and you suspect you’re a victim of mastic tile work, and you need either tile repair or regrouting, give us a call at 617-500-9271 or fill out this form below and we’ll get right back to you with an instant quote and any help we can offer. I should note that our repairs are done the way mechanics work: since most of the important issues are hidden, we work by the hour to fix them. Meaning we can’t always know the final bill before we start, but we can estimate it based on other similar repairs we’ve done.</p>
<p><script src="http://forms.aweber.com/form/01/1051727201.js" type="text/javascript"></script></p>
<p>Towns where Boston Grout does tile repair: Boston, Brookline, Milton, Wellesley, Newton, Weston, Wayland, Dover, Concord, Acton, Lincoln, Lexington, Bedford, Westford, Cambridge, Somerville, Arlington, Winchester, Belmont, Woburn, Waltham, Ashland, Framingham, Sherborn, Holliston, Hopkinton, Medway, Millis, Norfolk, Walpole, Norwood, Westwood, Sharon, Stoneham, Foxborough, Foxboro, Canton, Stoughton, Needham, Ashland, Chestnut Hill, Natick, Sudbury, Maynard, Stow, Watertown, Dedham, West Roxbury, Roslindale, Jamaica Plain, Randolph, Weymouth, Cohasset, Scituate, Braintree, Holbrook, Quincy, Rockland, Hanover, Hingham, Medway, Franklin, Wrentham, Medford, Malden, Everett, Revere, Charlestown, Winthrop, Chelsea, Melrose, Saugus, Peabody, Marblehead, Ipswich, Swampscott, Lynn, Wakefield, Tewksbury, Woburn, Burlington, Reading, Lynnfield, Wilmington, Middleton, Wenham, Hamilton, Essex, Manchester, Gloucester, Topsfield, Boxford, Boxborough, Boxboro, Rowley, Georgetown, Andover, North Andover, Haverhill, Carlisle, Billerica, Ayer, Harvard, Lawrence, Methuen, Salem, Beverly, Salisbury, Amesbury, Newbury, Newburyport, Harvard, Lancaster, Bolton, Franklin, Mendon, Newtonville, Hopedale and Milford.</p>

	Tags:<a href="http://www.bostongrout.com/tag/broken-tiles" title="broken tiles" rel="tag">broken tiles</a>,<a href="http://www.bostongrout.com/tag/mastic-in-showers" title="mastic in showers" rel="tag">mastic in showers</a>,<a href="http://www.bostongrout.com/tag/regrouting-showers" title="Regrouting Showers" rel="tag">Regrouting Showers</a>,<a href="http://www.bostongrout.com/tag/tile-repair" title="Tile Repair" rel="tag">Tile Repair</a>

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</ul>

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		<title>Get Boston Area Tile Showers Regrouted!</title>
		<link>http://www.bostongrout.com/general/sample-post-for-new-blog</link>
		<comments>http://www.bostongrout.com/general/sample-post-for-new-blog#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:06:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Grout Guy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Regrouting Showers]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Feel free to call us for a free instant quotes for tile regrouting and grout color sealing!
We&#8217;ll make your tile beautiful again!
Our number is 617-500-9271 or you can use our contact form, which we try to put on almost every page of our website.



	Tags:Regrouting Showers

	Related posts
	
	Why You Don’t Want Mastic In Your Tile Shower Unless [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Feel free to call us for a free instant quotes for tile regrouting and grout color sealing!</p>
<p>We&#8217;ll make your tile beautiful again!</p>
<p>Our number is 617-500-9271 or you can use our contact form, which we try to put on almost every page of our website.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.blogged.com/blogs/boston-grout.html"><br />
<img src="http://www.blogged.com/icons/vn_bostong_1518096.gif" border="0" alt="Boston Grout - Blogged" title="Boston Grout - Blogged" /></a></p>

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</ul>

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