Grout recolouring: same tile, completely different room.

Grout that has gone dark, patchy, or a colour it was never supposed to be is almost always a surface problem, not a structural one. Staining sits in the top layer of porous, unsealed grout. Clean it out properly and apply a colourant that bonds to the surface, and the grout looks the way you want it to look from that day on.

Penetrating colourant versus surface paint

The single most important distinction in grout recolouring is what goes into the joint after cleaning. A penetrating grout colourant soaks into the cleaned grout surface and bonds there. A surface paint or opaque coating sits on top. The penetrating product is the correct choice: it does not peel, chip, or crack the way a surface coating does in a wet shower environment. A recolouring job that fails inside a year is almost always a surface product applied without adequate cleaning first.

How grout recolouring works

• Steam cleaning first. Commercial steam and an alkaline solution pull years of embedded soap scum, mineral deposits, and mildew out of the joint before the colourant goes in. Skipping this step is the reason recolouring jobs fail inside a year.
• Colourant application. A penetrating grout colourant is worked into every joint. It soaks into the grout surface and bonds there, not just painted on top.
• Sealing. Once the colourant has cured, a grout sealer goes over the top. Future staining sits on the sealed surface instead of soaking into the grout, which means cleaning the bathroom actually works.
• Colour choice. Any grout colour can be restored to its original tone, or changed. White grout that has gone permanently grey can become bright white again, or switched to charcoal for contrast. Ask to see samples before the work starts.

Why Niagara bathrooms stain faster

Homes built between the 1950s and 1980s in Confederation Heights, Thorold South, and Port Robinson were tiled with ceramic and grout that was never sealed at installation. That was standard practice at the time. Niagara's year-round humidity from the nearby lakes keeps those bathrooms damp, which feeds mildew in an unsealed joint for decades. A recolour-and-seal job stops that cycle and makes the room look like a renovation without the cost of one.

What recolouring costs

Recolouring runs roughly $3 to $7 per square foot of tiled surface, depending on how much pre-cleaning the grout needs and the colour. A typical Niagara master shower is 80 to 120 square feet; illustratively $300 to $700 all in. Full ranges are on the cost page. Confirm pricing with a licensed local contractor before any work begins.