Full regrout: when the grout is past recolouring.

Cracked joints, missing sections, grout that has shrunk away from the tile face. When the grout is structurally gone, a full regrout removes the old material and puts in new grout that will hold. The tile stays.

Got cracked or missing grout in a Thorold or Niagara bathroom? Here is when a full regrout makes sense versus recolouring.

Grout does not last forever. An original 1970s installation has forty to fifty years on it. When joints crack, crumble, or pull away from the tile face, recolouring over it does not help and sealing over it is cosmetic. The grout has to come out, and fresh grout has to go in.

When full regrout is the right call

Cracked joints. Cracks run the length of the joint, often along the wall-floor transition where movement is highest.
Missing sections. Grout that has physically fallen out, leaving an open joint where water enters directly.
Loose or hollow-sounding tile. Grout failure often means the thinset below has also let go in spots. A contractor can check this during the assessment.
Grout more than 20 years old in a wet shower. Older unsanded grout absorbs moisture for decades. Once it is saturated and stained through, it cannot be cleaned back to a usable state.

How a full regrout job goes

The old grout is removed from every joint with an oscillating tool and carbide blade, carefully enough not to chip the tile faces. The joints are vacuumed clean. New grout is mixed and applied, pressed into the joints, tooled smooth, and cleaned from the tile faces. After curing, a penetrating sealer goes in. Start to finish on a standard shower: one to two days depending on size.

Grout colour options

New grout can match the original colour or upgrade it. A white original that has never looked right can become a true bright white, a warm linen, or a sharp charcoal. Ask to see samples and confirm the colour before the first joint comes out. Contractors who work regularly with older Niagara tile stock often have samples for the most common original tones from that era.

What it costs

Full regrout runs illustratively $8 to $16 per square foot. The range covers prep time, how tight the original tile spacing is, and whether the caulk joints at corners and transitions also need replacing, which they usually do. A 100 square foot shower typically runs $900 to $1,400. Confirm scope and pricing with a licensed local contractor. Full ranges are on the cost page.

Caulk is always part of a full regrout. The corners, the floor perimeter, and the fixture penetrations all need fresh caulk because those are the highest-movement joints in the room. Grout does not belong in those joints regardless of the original installation.

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Hiring a tile and grout restoration contractor in Niagara

Before any work starts, confirm the contractor carries liability insurance and WSIB coverage. Ask for references and, where possible, photos of completed tile and grout restoration work in the Niagara area. A contractor who cannot produce either is worth skipping.

Insist on a written, itemized estimate that clearly separates grout recolouring from full regrout and caulk replacement. That distinction matters: recolouring over cracked or structurally failed grout is cosmetic work that will not hold. The estimate should tell you which joints are recolour candidates and which require full removal and replacement.

Ask the contractor whether the tile substrate behind the wall shows any signs of water infiltration before quoting restoration. An honest contractor will tell you when a shower is a straightforward restoration and when soft drywall or failed cement board behind the tile makes it a different scope entirely. The written quote should separate those two scenarios so you can compare them clearly.