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Need help after grouting tile...Grout color covered white tile...

Yvette W
6 years ago

I need help. The marble tile below was grouted with biscuit grout. The top photo is before the grout. The bottom photo is after the grout. Well, as you can see the white twirly lines or vines have disappeared. The grout hasn't dried yet. It was just grouted a couple of hours ago. How do I get those white twirly lines back?



Comments (27)

  • kats737
    6 years ago

    There might be two things at hand here. First when you use a grout color that closely matches the tile color, there is a lot less contrast in the resulting grout lines. Second, there might be grout haze on the marble tiles that is making them blend more in with the grout.

    Either way, you should let your grout cure properly to mfr's specs, and then explore the idea of a haze remover and/or grout colorant.

  • jellytoast
    6 years ago

    Wow, that doesn't even look like the same tile now! Not sure if it's the lighting, but it looks like a lot of haze and/or grout left on the tile. If there is excess grout left on the tile, I'd be more inclined to try to get it off now rather than wait for it to cure. May be too late for that at this point.

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  • janecalle
    6 years ago

    What is the material (the tile)? Looks like a stone but what kind?

  • PRO
    Dragonfly Tile & Stone Works, Inc.
    6 years ago

    You need to wait and see what you have tomorrow morning and repost.

  • Yvette W
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    The tile is a marble mosaic made of crema marfil and thassos marble

  • PRO
    Dragonfly Tile & Stone Works, Inc.
    6 years ago

    Repost a picture tomorrow. It will absorb moisture. What type of grout was used?

  • Yvette W
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    I used Mapei Unsanded grout in Biscuit.

  • hcbm
    6 years ago

    Is this a DIY grout job or a pro job?

  • Yvette W
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    A pro job. I don't know what they did or what happened.

  • thatsmuchbetter
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Put some faith in your pro if indeed you hired one which we never know here on the screen, and as dragon said let it start to cure. Grout =panic. Stone =panic , $=panic . Microfiber cloth = haze removal

    You chose A color now let it cure and lighten up. DO NOT touch the tilers work until theyre done and tell you so......:):)

  • Yvette W
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Good morning, I have attached 3 photos. The first two are the photos I took this morning. The white twirly lines are starting to show through, faint though but more than yesterday. There seems to be spots where the biscuit grout is more pronounced. The third photo is how it should look after the grout.

  • Yvette W
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Oh, it hasn't been 24 hours since it was grouted. I have 9 more hours to go.

  • kats737
    6 years ago

    Can you share what brand and color of thinset was used and how long the tiles were set before they grouted?

  • Yvette W
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    They used aquamix white thinset. They let the tiles set for a day and half.

  • Yvette W
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    My mistake. It set for a week before it was grouted.

  • thatsmuchbetter
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    aquamix ? was it in a premix bucket or a powder mix? grouted by who? and when do they return for a final clean wipe? are you in a scenario where your panicked because you dont trust who you hired? who chose the grout color and who installed the grout.

  • Yvette W
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    It was powder mix. They returned today and took a cloth and wiped it. Not much change. He said it is the lighting. It's not the lighting. I chose the grout color same as was on the store display. No I don't trust the person I hired.

  • thatsmuchbetter
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Yvette Im sorry your upset, It does look lighter in todays photos to me. You have very poor photo quality and in truth you are comparing a Showroom floor with white marble or glass contrast relfecting and a complete different lighting schematic to your tub alcove. There is some solice in lighting.

    This is repeated on these forums time and again. Stone itself comes in dye lots and VERIES drastically. Stone wicks moisture, from thinset substrate and grout as it cures it gets darker before it lightens. Some thinsets can take 30 days to fully cure, some portland grouts do normalize over 7-10+ days. and there is a dozen things that can go wrong with hand mixed and installed grout.

    I cannot see close enough the details of your install but I can tell you I have had to watch sales people at tile shops like a hawk in that they are usually not a person to take advise from. Can you be 100% certain they sold you the proper color/brand or did they sell you something similar to sell you something. ? You should have more recourse if you Payed a tile professional to source and purchase the materials themselves grout included and if you have a contract and stayed hands off.

    One thing homeonwers dont consider when they get involved with these things is the importance of putting all the liability in the contractors hands to afford recourse. People that do the shopping finding deals choosing materials, and then hiring labor have little to no recourse so i hope thats not you.. I suggest further patience and see how it lightens, play with lighting and start to focus on other aspects of your room..

  • PRO
    Colin O'Neill Professional Kitchen & Bath Designer
    6 years ago

    Was the tile sealed before it was grouted? If not, it could be the white marble taking on the color of the grout slightly...

    I also agree with the commenters who mentioned the lighting. The picture of the showroom display is way brighter than the lighting in the actual space.

    With the intricacy of the tile pattern, I'm not sure how you would fix this. I believe there are acid-based products that can bring back the color, but it's a lot of work. If your installer truly knew what they were doing, they should have known to seal the tile first.

    In any case, good luck. Where there's a will, there's a way!

  • thatsmuchbetter
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    "I believe there are acid-based products that can bring back the color,
    but it's a lot of work. If your installer truly knew what they were
    doing, they should have known to seal the tile first."

    In absolutley no case DO YOU USE ACID ON marble thassos please.. on mosaics that small and that expensive... you also risk the entire installation and "grout bond" to the sides of every crevice by attempting a sealer before grout. On larger tiles you can yes but i would not have done that here and its not needed if you know what youre doing when grouting.. :) you can however us an impregnator sealer as a final cleanup with the right grouts in conjunction with microfiber to help pull haze out.

  • Yvette W
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    This is a picture of a sheet of the marble mosaic that wasn't used. It was left over when they finished tiling the wall. See how white the lines are.

  • thatsmuchbetter
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Nobody can advise you here with these poorly photographed pics as to how much of it is moisture/curing or if you indeed have a serious amount of grout residue on the tile. While grouts can stain some green/ming marbles its rare and especially if the white stone itself is polished and not honed.

    How did the job initiate and finish. Did you buy the tile and then find your own tiler? did the store sell you everything and then refer you to a Pro tiler?

    If you do end up with a seriously expensive issue. You are gonna need recourse in the form of contracts and paper trail. How did it all come about?

    Lastly I will repeat you can use an impregnator sealer ( as directed by the MFG of both tile and sealer) if no other chemicals and sealers are involved already) to help further remove grout haze as a final cleanup, after the grout cures and the MFG says its time for final cleanup I often use 511 impregnator to remove residual grout haze but it should have been done by your tile Professional and it needs be done in a timeframe associated to the grout MFG instructions. . You do have contracts and Hired a licensed Professional crew right?

  • Yvette W
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Do I use the 511 impregnate and when I am finished do I use Aquafix Sealers Choice?

  • PRO
    Creative Tile Eastern CT
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    If it's not a grout haze and no other sealers were applied possibly using a enhancer to bring out the color is a option to be considered and tested first on a mock-up!! Personaly I don't see a big issue here. Your photo with the light splitting the wall looks not to far off on the upper section. Perhaps try different light bulbs before doing anything.

  • User
    6 years ago

    Marble is porous. It absorbs moisture from the thin set, and changes color. It can take weeks to release that moisture fully. You need to just STOP obsessing until you have given it time. Plenty of time. And trust your installer. If he had enough skills for you to hire him to work with stone like that, then you need to trust that he is doing this correctly. Take a weekend getaway. Go for a walk. Read a book. Leave it alone!

  • MongoCT
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Agree.

    If there's a grout haze, get it removed. Sooner rather than later.

    Then sit back and wait. Let the thinset and grout fully cure, let the tile dry.

    An enhancer can be used to pop the color/contrast, but do exactly as was mentioned...try it on a sample first. AFTER allowing the installation to dry.

    It's not uncommon for people to chase solutions and throw added product on the installation when the best solution is patience.

    Lastly...it's a pretty pattern. Congrats!