Regrouting Commercial

[ampinkerton]

Hello all,
I have the opportunity to regrout about 1500 sqft in the kitchen area of a restaurant. I am wondering if anybody can give me tips on the type of grout to use and how much time per sqft to remove the existing grout.
As for the grout it needs to set up fast (we are doing the job at midnight and they will be walking on it at 5 am). The joints vary from 1/2" to 3/4" around 6x6 tiles. Any comments would help. I have done a lot of residential but this would be my first commercial application.

[John Bridge]

Hi Michael,

I have walked away from every restaurant kitchen I've seen. They never want to let the grout dry, and that is if you can dry up the water before you start. Won't shut down for even a day. I don't know how you'll do it.

[ampinkerton]

I plan on covering the floor with masonite and taping all seams. them throw down the rubber mats with holes to keep folks from slipping. Luckily we can do it in 250 sgft stages during the night when no one is there. I hear a lot of folks don't like these jobs, so I plan on quoting it to make it worth the hassle.

[bigd777]

$10.00 per foot

[kurgon]

Use to do a few of these in my hay day for chain restaurants back when I was out on my own.

Your best bet is to use a rapid setting grout like Mapei Ultracolor Plus. They stand by allowing foot traffic in 3 to 4 hours but I can tell you from personal experience that once you put that stuff on the floor you better be ready to WORK as it goes "off" quickly. Also, I would bring in as many people as you possibly can and still be productive.. this is the kind of job I love to do from the simple stand point that its pure chaos. You need to have people and I can't stress that enough. You need to have people switching water out for you, mixing, spreading and washing. There is no time to be messing around in environments like this.

As far as grout removal goes.. double up some diamond blades on your 4" angle grinder holding a wet sponge against the blade to keep the dust down but not too much to excessively soak the floor.

Ah... so much fun these jobs are. I love 'em. ;o

[ampinkerton]

Wow! this is the first time I have used a forum and you guys are being extremely helpful. Thank you. And Bigd, was $10.00 a sqft for removal and install of grout including materials?

[silvercitytile]

Like JB said. I wouldnt touch it.

Good luck

[evan1968]

Originally Posted by silvercitytile

Like JB said. I wouldnt touch it.

At first looking at commercial kitchen regrouts, that was my first reaction.
Are they messy? YES! Are they hard work? YES! Is there money to be made? YES!

Not many guys get into that type of work. Thats where you can make some money doing them. Your first might be a bit daunting but if you get a system going you will be fine. Took me 3 to find out really how to do them and be productive and profitable. As far as how long to get the grout out...depends on how many guys with grinders you will have.

Originally Posted by kurgon

Your best bet is to use a rapid setting grout like Mapei Ultracolor Plus. They stand by allowing foot traffic in 3 to 4 hours but I can tell you from personal experience that once you put that stuff on the floor you better be ready to WORK as it goes "off" quickly. Also, I would bring in as many people as you possibly can and still be productive.. this is the kind of job I love to do from the simple stand point that its pure chaos. You need to have people and I can't stress that enough. You need to have people switching water out for you, mixing, spreading and washing. There is no time to be messing around in environments like this.

As far as grout removal goes.. double up some diamond blades on your 4" angle grinder holding a wet sponge against the blade to keep the dust down but not too much to excessively soak the floor.

The above is great advise. Let me just add that you need to get the grease off the floor. That's very important. Use an industrial de-greaser like Zep Purple. That has worked very well for me in the past. Get some wet/dry vacs to suck everything up really good. Plastic off the equipment.

[cx]

Welcome, Michael. You'll find it works even better if you'll put some information into your User Profile so the other members can look in there and see what kinda fella they're having the discussion with.

[kurgon]

There is plenty of money to be made off of these. I know first hand. One thing you have to realize is, they WANT this done without closing their store.. so it will cost them and their willing to pay in most cases. No reason to run unless you're scared of making money fellas. :-)

[PetrH]

When I bid re-grouts I price them the same as a new install. It seems to work out about right. So it you charge $5/sq ft. to install floor tile you should charge $5/sq ft to re-grout ( or a little more if you ca afford to lose the bid). Also add on the cost of having the floors professionally de-greased by a janitorial company.

[tilelayer]

I use permacolor and mix it super stiff, when you mix it stiff it fires off fast. Did a commercial kitchen 2 weeks ago, did half one night half the other, demoed it tiled with 253r and grouted with perma each night, came back the next and the previous nights install was fine.

[MNTileGuy]

I agree, charge like it was a trip to the moon if you're gonna do it.

I'd run too. Of course I run from pretty much all things commercial. Not much money to be made on it in these parts unless you have a decent sized crew of illegals.

[Sprung831]

Another option for "dustless" removal is with a tool called the Grout Grabber. There is a video attached so you can get an idea how it works. Blades can be added or subtracted depending on the width of the grout joint.

As for the grout, you could also use Laticrete Spectralock 200 IG. Sets up in about 4 hours in 80-90 degree temps.