This is the question worth answering before you spend anything. The difference in cost between the two is significant, so it is worth knowing which one your bathroom genuinely needs.
Grout fails long before tiles do. When the joints in a shower start discolouring, crumbling or pulling away at the corners, the tiles themselves are usually still perfectly sound. Regrouting deals with the problem at a fraction of the cost of pulling everything off the wall and for the majority of Perth bathrooms it is all that is actually needed.
The tiles are intact and firmly bonded to the wall or floor. The grout is discoloured, stained, cracking or missing in places. There is mould in the joints that will not clean off. The silicone at the corners has shrunk, split or gone black. In these situations the failure is in the joints, not the tiles or the surface behind them and replacing the joints resolves it.
Tiles sound hollow when tapped, indicating they have lost their bond. Tiles are lifting, drummy or cracked across the face. The floor feels soft underfoot. There is a persistent damp patch on a ceiling or wall on the other side of the bathroom. These point to a problem behind the tiles and new grout over a failing substrate or membrane just hides it for a while.
Cement based grout is porous. In a shower that runs every day it takes on moisture constantly and gives it back slowly. Over years that cycle breaks the surface down. Cleaning products accelerate it. Anything acidic strips the surface faster again. Movement in the structure opens hairline cracks along the joints and once water has a path through, it works its way behind the tile. None of this means the original job was poor. Grout is a consumable part of a wet area and eventually it needs replacing.
Assessment
The tiles get checked for bond and the joints for the extent of the failure. If regrouting will not fix what is wrong, you get told that at this point rather than after the invoice.
Old grout removed
The failed grout is raked out of the joints properly rather than skimmed over. Grout painted or smeared on top of old grout looks acceptable for a few months and then fails in exactly the same places.
Joints cleaned out
Dust and residue come out of the open joints. New grout will not bond into a joint that has debris sitting in it.
New grout packed in
Grout rated for wet areas goes in and gets worked fully into the depth of the joint, not just across the surface. The face is then cleaned back before it cures.
Silicone replaced
Every internal corner and the perimeter where tiles meet the base, the screen or the benchtop gets stripped back and new silicone is applied. Silicone belongs at every junction where two planes meet because grout has no flexibility and will crack there every time.
Regrouting restores the water resistance of the joints and takes a tired looking shower back to something close to new. What it cannot do is repair a waterproofing membrane that has already failed underneath the tiles or re bond tiles that have come away from the substrate. Anyone offering to solve a serious leak with grout alone is either guessing or selling you something. Where the problem sits behind the tiles, the tiles have to come off.
Floor grout in wet areas takes traffic as well as water. Joints around floor wastes and along the base of walls tend to go first.
Grout behind a cooktop takes heat, steam and grease. Discolouration there is very visible because the splashback sits at eye level all day.
The sun and rain break outdoor grout down faster than most people expect, particularly around pool surrounds where pool chemistry is a factor as well.
Plenty of people contact GIB Tiling convinced they need a whole new bathroom because the shower looks awful. Frequently they do not. Equally, some jobs get looked at and the honest advice is that regrouting would be a waste of money because the real problem is behind the tiles. Either way the assessment comes first and the recommendation follows from what is actually there. Two decades of repeat customers and referrals across Perth have been built on giving people that answer rather than the more profitable one.
Garry finished a luxury bathroom for me , i am glad i found him i am absolutely happy with the results Highly recommend GIB TILING
Timor JafariQuick response from Garry after my initial request for quote. He was so helpful and had some great ideas when our initial plans needed tweaking. Alan the tiler did a... read more
Louise JonkerRecently used GIB Tiling for a full Reno on my bathroom. I could not be happier with the result. Quality workmanship, great communication, competitive pricing, fast completion with clear guide... read more
Faye OliverI would definitely recommend Gary from Gib Tiling Perth, he did an excellent job with tiling my main living/dining area. I am very happy with the job he has done,... read more
Amy JodrellGarry and his crew did a wonderful job at a reasonable price. I would highly recommend GIB Tiling!
Keith AndesI wouldn’t hesitate to recommend GIB Tiling. Gary and his team were professional, knowledgeable and completed all work to a high standard. Thanks especially to Carl Murray for doing such... read more
Dale McPheeHave had Gary do multiple projects over the years and always happy with the results. Great guy Great service and quality finish. Thanks mate
Alex MelvilleGarry and the team did a great job.
Martin TrumanBig thanks to Garry and his team for a great job with our tiling job, we look forward to working with you again.
Fatima DelaneWe are so grateful we found GIB Tiling. We received EXCELLENT, honest customer service from Garry with our initial phone consultation to John who grouted our 2 showers, which now... read more
Andy KGIB Tiling recently tiled a bathroom (floor to ceiling), laundry and toilet (floor, skirting and splash backs) and a kitchen splash back. Lovely job carried out by Eric. Garry scheduled... read more
Marie KingTiling job was great, communication solid and easy to deal with at a good price. Filling this out months after my job after someone else asked for Gary and his team’s... read more
Matt LucasGarry GIB Tiling did a great job on re-grouting my shower, also at a great price.
Debbie KennedyGIB Tiling provided a very reasonable quote and the splash back looks amazing. Highly recommend
Melissa Wilmott⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Excellent service! After struggling for weeks to find someone for a small tiling job, I reached out to Gary. He was able to fit me in within a few... read more
William bessentGarry and his team are easy to communicate with and do a great job. Wouldn’t hesitate to have them back!
Cameron HalvorsonAlan and Muhammad did an amazing job when they worked on our bathroom renovation last month. The work done was immaculate, they cleaned up after themselves and they were both... read more
SuperStrawbearGary arranged to get our shower retiled quickly after we had leak repaired. Dave (the tiler) was prompt, courteous and did a wonderful job....you can see he takes pride in... read more
Stephen AinsworthGreat service. Garry was very knowledgeable and helpful and answered all my questions for our first bathroom renovation. Would highly recommend and hope to use in the future when we... read more
Kelly NewsomeWas an absolute pleasure engaging Garry and the GIB team to tile my bathroom. Garry is an excellent operator who is very knowledgeable, reliable and keeps good communication leading up... read more
Ben mcnamaraAllan from GIB tiling did a first class job of tiling the kitchen splashback and the new laundry ,toilet and bathroom. We are very pleased with the result, Geoff from... read more
Geoff MooreThank you to Garry for organising his tiler Allen to tile our ensuite. The finished work was of exceptional quality. We are extremely happy with the tiling and will definitely... read more
Mae WGary and his team have just completed the tiling of our bathroom.From first contact to completion, Gary has been very helpful, contactable and timely .The standard of workmanship is excellent... read more
Thelma KellyVery accommodating with our requests. Tiles were placed beautifully and seamlessly. Would recommend their services.
Kelsey HatherlyWe contacted Garry after our tiler who had been booked months ago was unable to attend. He provided a quote quickly and was able to help us out of a... read more
Sarah WatsonGarry is the man. I found him online due to the amazing online review and rating and he lived up to it. He promised to work on it and delivered. Further... read more
Andy WongI highly recommend GIB Tiling! All of my shower tiles were badly damaged by a previous worker/re-grouter from another company and needed replacing. I didn’t think I would find someone... read more
donelle munroFantastic service, workmanship and pricing. Highly recommend these guys.
Nav MFriendly tiler, fast service, looks good
Lance O apostrophe NeillRe-grouting and silicone for the showers was great, in a timely manner, and way less pricey than competitors! Thanks for a great job
M KnausenbergerTap the tiles. A hollow sound means the tile has lost its bond and regrouting will not help. If the tiles are solid and only the joints have deteriorated, regrouting is the appropriate fix.
Grout paint and colour sealers cover discolouration temporarily but do nothing about joints that have cracked or crumbled. Water still gets past. Once the old grout has failed structurally it needs removing, not coating.
A single shower is generally a one day job. Larger areas or floors take longer. Allow curing time before the shower goes back into use, which will be explained when the work is booked.
Grout colour is chosen at the start. Matching existing grout elsewhere in the room is straightforward, however some people take the opportunity to change the colour entirely.
There is no fixed interval. It depends on use, ventilation, cleaning products and the original installation. Rather than working to a schedule, look at the joints and act when they start cracking or staining in a way that will not clean off.
Considerably cheaper because there is no strip out, no substrate work, no new waterproofing and no new tiles. That is exactly why it is worth having someone determine which one you actually need.
Send through a description of what the grout is doing, along with a photo if you have one and you will get a straight answer on whether regrouting is the right fix before anything is booked in.
