Re grouting

[highup]

Same kitchen as the Gypcrete question.
These pavers have been down for 25 years. The originally grouted looked like it wasn't heavy enough but regardless, a large portion could stand regrouting. This area could require removal and regrouting of a 5' by 25' area. A lot is totally missing.
This is a very high use kitchen in a very exclusive/ expensive restaurant.
They have all equipment out of the 37 by 40+ foot kitchen. Now it's getter done time.
Kitchens have grease. They get mopped, so we know where the grease goes....... Down into the joints and probably soaks into the Gypcrete a little bit.
The Gypcrete was well placed and looks to have had a good dealer coat put on before the tile was installed. It's brownish yellow or butterscotch colored. The Gypcrete is not crumbly or broken up and cracked.
(It might not even be the brand/product "Gypcrete")

They are still greasy anyway.
Being the tile is on Gypcrete and holding up really well......
How does one remove old greasy grout, prep the Gypcrete between the tiles so that it will accept the new grout? Epoxy will be preferred.
Anyway, any advice on the regrouting.... Removal process, and prepping/ priming before regrouting?
No, I'm not doing it...... I just want to add my two cents from your advice.

 

[havasu]

I'd use an oscillating tool with a grout remover attachment head and run it along the entire area, to at lease to get under the grease and to get to a clean surface. then apply epoxy grout, but keep the valley fuller (try not to remove too much when wiping down.)

 

[C.J.]

Yep^^^.

I’ve used a multi tool with a grout blade to remove all the grout. Be careful not to dig into the tile and have a shop vac right there to suck up the dust n crud. It takes some time but that’s what that looks like.

I would have the floor thoroughly cleaned and degreased before you start. You do know the trick to working with epoxy grout, right. You gotta work small sections at a time, maybe a 3’ x 3’ section. Grout it in, sponge it off, wipe it down with a micro fiber towel wrapped around a grout float and move on to the next 3’ x 3’ section. Make sure you have plenty of micro fiber towels cus you’ll need em.

Don’t forget to have multiple buckets of clean water and new sponges so you’re always working with clean water and a sponge.

 

[Incognito]

It's a VERY nasty job even with top of the line multi-tool/grout removal equipment and proper dust control. I did exactly one regrouting job in my life at age 18. In fact I think it was the first day out of high school. An olympic size swimming pool and 1" mosaic tiles at some high school in central CT. Me and the boss' son scrubbed sections of the pool that had been emptied with muriatic acid.

I didn't know anything whatsoever about what or why I was doing stuff. I didn't even question or wonder what or why. I didn't care. I just needed money for gas, beer and weed.

 

[highup]

Yep^^^.

I’ve used a multi tool with a grout blade to remove all the grout. Be careful not to dig into the tile and have a shop vac right there to suck up the dust n crud. It takes some time but that’s what that looks like.

I would have the floor thoroughly cleaned and degreased before you start. You do know the trick to working with epoxy grout, right. You gotta work small sections at a time, maybe a 3’ x 3’ section. Grout it in, sponge it off, wipe it down with a micro fiber towel wrapped around a grout float and move on to the next 3’ x 3’ section. Make sure you have plenty of micro fiber towels cus you’ll need em.

Don’t forget to have multiple buckets of clean water and new sponges so you’re always working with clean water and a sponge.

Naah, I don't do tile. Can't find a tile guy that will do this job. They could charge $1000 a day and nobody would care. I bet this golf course restaurant loses $4 to $6 grand a day being shut down. If John Daley showed up the bar alone would be out $10 grand.
I'm thinking they have 4 or 5 other restaurants in the same complex temporarily taking up the slack, but still ...a buck is a buck. It was raining sideways when I went to do the measuring.
It was a Monday, the parking lot was full and two guys in a Lexus SUV were loading clubs into a golf bag.
Man, those guys are determined..... they have balls.
....and obviously prepaid for their tee time.
Thinking that they don't want to dig into the Gypcrete but a miniscule amount. Grinding into this stuff to get rid of the grease and grinding too deep in a grid pattern might create the equivalent of controll joints every 6 inches in both directions. You'd want something with the precision of a router...depth wise.
I'm thinking primer could then be carefully poured into the joints to seal the Gypcrete where it had been ground out and exposed.... Maybe using plastic squeeze bottle.

 

[Incognito]

 

[highup]

Here's the problem. The tile is on Gypcrete which was of course sealed before tiling.... Was installed 25 years ago. Look close.
The grout isn't totally missing everywhere but in this area a fair amount is gone. If say a 5 or 6 foot wide area, 25 feet long needs re grouting.
Where the grout is gone, what would the acid do to the primer, or worse yet, if it soaked into the Gypcrete?
If this was on a concrete slab, I'd say chip off a the tile in the walk areas and just install new.
Im hoping the general contractor will get some janitorial outfit in there to get this clean enough so that a tile setter will agree to do the work.
Whoever agrees to do this will be a freeking hero.
Our entire county is under 60,000. The number of quality tile setters you could count on one hand. They're busy.
The acid would work good to discover the original grout color, so that does help. The gout has oil, grease coffee stains....it's a lot of different colors.
That said, it's a kitchen, do perfect color matching won't be required, not even with replacement tiles.
If I was a tile guy, I'd jump on this.

 

[havasu]

My other half is a fanatic for clean grout. She used bleach and a toothbrush in her bathroom for several hours, and got the grout as fresh as day one. Me, I'm a bit lazier. I'll mop with bleach, and it is just fine with me.

 

[highup]

My other half is a fanatic for clean grout. She used bleach and a toothbrush in her bathroom for several hours, and got the grout as fresh as day one. Me, I'm a bit lazier. I'll mop with bleach, and it is just fine with me.

Is she busy next week?
Does she like golf?
This photo alone is a hundred bucks.... but I bet if she likes greasy floors they'd toss I a few of these on to of whatever she'd charge.
I think they have $1600 bottles of wine there also..... She might need to negotiate on that.