How to Easily Regrout Your Bathtub Walls

One way we are saving money on this bathroom remodel is to use what we have in place and give it a budget friendly update.  Here’s how to easily regrout your bathtub walls without spending a lot of time or money! A huge thank you to Dremel for sending us the tools to try!

This bathroom was such an eyesore. And it was the one that greeted you if you were a guest in my home.

Dated, ugly tile with mildew issues.

For the past 5 weeks, we’ve been renovating this bathroom and it is slowly becoming a showpiece.

I have a secret weapon.

And today I’m sharing this with you!

When we researched ways to save money on this bathroom remodel, our grout issues concerned us.

It had the typical issues of mold and mildew, which I knew I could fix, but I also noticed that some of the grout had worn away.

The dangers of water seeping into those cracks and allowing mold to grow were serious, so we had to make this repair a priority.

I have to admit I got a bit discouraged when I read the methods out there to remove existing grout.

Then I found Dremel.

Now I have been a Dremel fan for years and called to see if they could recommend a tool that would work for this.

They agreed to send me their Multi-max tool and diamond bit attachment to give it a try and I was wowed!!

How to Easily Regrout
Your Bathtub Walls

Before we began, we taped off a line where we would work. The grout on the top half of the shower was in great shape, so there was no need to remove that.

We started right away by attaching the Carbide Grout Blade to our Dremel Multi-Max. We opted for the 1/16th inch thick since our grout was so tight.

It was like butter! We set the speed to about 6. I loved the variable speed options. The lower speed didn’t seem to work without more pressure, and the the highest setting was a bit difficult to control and I was afraid I would knick the tile.

Finding that sweet spot was key. If you are tackling this DIY, find a speed that works for you and your tub surround.

Here’s what it looked like immediately after.

We found that as we removed grout, small chunks remained in the cracks.

One tool that helped clean that out was a utility knife.

Simply run the knife down the grooves and it cleans out the broken up grout pieces.

The next thing we wanted to tackle were the ceramic fixtures.

Again, this handy dandy tool came to the rescue.

The Dremel Multi-Max blade was able to reach into the tight spots were the fixtures and grout met.

Be care not to grind the tile while you are removing the pieces.

We removed 2 towel racks and one ceramic toilet paper holder.

Luckily, we saved some tile from raising the roof of the shower and filled in those missing spots.

Once we removed all the grout and replaced the missing tiles, it was time to regrout!

We had some grout leftover from our Master Bathroom Remodel, so I mixed a small batch together.

The key is to add a little water at a time.

Too much water means adding more grout. It’s better to start small and mix thoroughly.

You want it to be the consistency of a Frosty from Wendy’s.

Thick enough to stay on the blade, but thin enough to start running off in a few seconds.

Next, load it onto your float.

We opted for a rubber based float. I find it easier to work against the tile.

Then you simply push the grout into the spaces.

Work along the lines of the tile spacing. You will have to alter your direction to ensure good coverage.

It does get messy and a few clumps will fall. But have a drop cloth in place to collect those clumps of grout and you’re good to go.

Another important thing to do is to remove any grout that may have fallen where the tub and tile meet.

This area is intended for caulk to create a block for any water to seep in.

So after you have all your grout in place, it’s time to wipe away any excess.

Using a bucket filled with warm water and a big sponge, lightly wipe away the grout until it’s smooth.

But you may have to make a few passes to ensure that all the haze is removed from the tile.

And here’s what it looks like once it’s dry!

And now we are ready to wet sand the tile and get the tile painted to a bright white.

So, with the help of a handy tool, we were able to get this knocked out very quickly.

The Dremel Multi-Max MM50 has 5.0 amps of power making it easy to tackle any project you have.

We even used the Multi-Max for sanding the vanity base and also to cut nails to raise the frame of our shower ceiling! We even used it for removing carpet in our basement!

So if you want to read more about the specs of this must have tool, you can find all the details about the Multi-Max MM50 over at Dremel.com.

So, as you can see, it’s a great tool with lots of attachments to help you tackle many projects!

We had the honor to try Dremel’s Ultra-Saw as well and it came in handy when we removed the top to our vanity.

We were also able to swap the blades and use a grinding disc to remove some old thin set above the vanity.

It’s like having a mini circular saw that helps get into those hard to reach spaces. You can read all about the Ultra-Saw’s specs here.

So, I hope this helped you learn how to easily regrout your bathtub walls. You don’t have to knock out all the tile to get the job done.

But having the right tools for the job is key.

So stay tuned for the final reveal of this bathroom makeover. We are in the final stretch and can’t wait to show it off! Sign up for my newsletter so you don’t miss it!

If you have any questions, be sure to leave me a comment below and I’d be honored to help out in any way possible.

Click Here To See How the
Bathroom Looks Now!

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Don’t miss the other posts
in this Bathroom Makeover!

THE BEFORE
RAISE THE ROOF: HOW WE MADE THE BATHROOM CEILING TALLER
DIY SHOWER DOOR UPDATE
HOW TO MAKE A BATHROOM VANITY TALLER
REGROUTING BATHROOM TILE
INSTALLING AND LIMEWASHING BRICK VENEER
DIY CEILING PLANKS FROM LAMINATE FLOORING
HOW WE CHANGED OUR BATHROOM TILE FOR $150
HOW TO MAKE CEDAR FRAMED MIRRORS
THE BIG REVEAL!