Hi Your pebble shower floor is beautiful! We just got finished installing something similar. Sorry, but I can't help you with the grout problem. We haven't even started using ours yet . . . can't wait till it's finished.

I have a unique "problem". When we built our house in 2007 I picked out the grout to use with our tile - which of course they didn't use. I had picked out the grout to use which would "blend" with the tile, so the tile would be the focus, instead of the grout. My husband was away the weekend they installed the tile (of course) and by the time he got back over the weekend, the tile & grout was installed - the grout being quite whitish, against Continental Slate - Egyptian Beige tile. The effect being, the grout was very noticeable instead of blending in with the tile like I had picked. Having said that....now 2 years on....the grout in the main usage areas has "weathered" to the point that it is now the color I wanted it to be, but there are still areas that are "whitish", which doesn't look so uniform now. Guests don't notice it (or maybe they don't say anything?), but I do. And it bugs me. So I have 2 questions: 1) What can I do to color the remaining grout so that it is more uniform? (No treatments have been applied to the grouting) 2) Once I get the coloring to the uniform effect that I want, I have heard varying comments on sealants. Experts have told me it's not worth it; laymen swear by it. Who is right? I don't mind the effort: Down on my knees with a toothbrush to apply; thank god it's only 700 sq ft on 18x18 tile LOL Your advice is sincerely appreciated!

Hi, as a retired tiler of 25 years experience I can tell you of three grout discolour problems. Firstly however I observe that there are a number of different types of tile grout out there, and each has to be mixed, applied and cleaned up in its own way. If your tiler is an experienced tradesman he or she will know how to mix and apply the product selected. For instance, conventional portland cement based grouts can me mixed either thick or thin - from tooth paste like consistency to pourable like cream, and can be cleaned up without over concern about how much water you use or whether the clean up water is kept fresh or not. These grouts are probably the most fool proof, but will allow efflorescence to develop over time on say shower walls and floors. Grouts based on an aluminum version of cement must not be mixed too thin, rather like tooth paste, and MUST NOT be cleaned up with lots of water - the dryer the better on the sponge. Two problems I have encountered with these grouts is that if mixed too thin so as to allow troweling on rather than applying with blades and spatulas the resultant grout will be chalky and weak. I also had one job where the grout (a light grey) was patchy on drying. Consultation with the importer threw up a number of suggestions such as contaminated mix water (but why did every batch show strong variation within each batch, rather than a consistent discolouration for each batch) and inadequate mixing (definitely not as I had used the same procedure with a very great number of jobs over many years without this colour variation). Tried using store bought water - same outcome. Dud batch possibility, but the grout colour is a very popular one and the importer had had no other complaints, or so he said. Then took notice of a very stubborn waxy coating on the tiles. This was a Chinese practise to prevent the tiles being damaged in transport and handling. Tile suppliers variously reported problems getting this wax off on completion of the job, but that is another issue. The possibility was that the wax was interfering with the grout, in some way. Provided samples of the "contaminated" grout to three firms who all swore they could find out what the contaminant was, but all subsequently ran for cover and provided no analysis. In the end I cut all the old grout out (130 sq meters of it) and replaced it all with epoxy grout. Problem gone - happy customer - wiser tiler. This brings me to the third type of grout I am familiar with and that is the epoxy grouts. They are two part, need precision in mixing, and must be applied with steel blades rather like say putty. Clean up is with ample water - the more the better. Most tilers hate epoxies because they are considerably more work to apply. They have the virtues however that the colour as applied is the colour you wind up with, and they are waterproof and so will not cooperate with efflorescence and will not harbour moulds or stains. Great for bathrooms and kitchens. Ideal? Not quite. The white version of everyone's epoxy slightly yellows with age, and not uniformly. All other colours seem to be "colour fast". As to your problem I suggest you try one of the paint on epoxy grout colourants. These can work really well but you need a test area to see if it does OK over the old grout. An easy job for a home owner to do - just follow the instructions. The epoxy colourant will also help with efflorescence because it helps close up the porosity in conventional grouts. Failing this the only fix it to remove all the old grout and replace with epoxy grout. That definitely is not a home owner's job. Sorry. Hope it all works out.

I'm no tile expert, but my best guess is that the bucket caused that area to dry at a different rate than the other grout. How long has it been since the grout was finished? Does the grout color you chose match the dark color that is on the majority of the tile? It's pretty amazing that you actually happen to have photos of the bucket sitting there...lucky you! There is no way they can deny that! I'm sure whatever happened, it'll get fixed.