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Fixtures & Small Plumbing

Tile & Grout Repair in Ottawa

Grout is the part of a tiled surface that fails first, and it is the part that matters most — once it goes, water reaches the substrate and a cosmetic problem becomes a structural one. Most of these calls are caught in time. The ones that are not turn into a much bigger conversation about what is behind the wall.

$190–$455 depending on area and tile match

Common problems we fix

What actually turns up on these calls in Ottawa homes, and what each one really means.

Grout is cracked or crumbling out

Raked out to a consistent depth and re-grouted. Filling over failed grout traps the void underneath and it comes back within months.

A tile is loose or sounds hollow

Tap-test the surrounding area first — a single loose tile is often the visible edge of a larger debonded section. Lifted, substrate checked, re-set.

There is a crack running through tiles in a line

That is movement below, not a tile failure. Re-tiling without addressing it just repeats the crack. Worth diagnosing properly before anyone buys tile.

The corner joint keeps splitting

Inside corners and the tub-to-tile joint should be flexible sealant, not rigid grout. Grouted corners crack every time because that is where movement concentrates.

Grout is stained or discoloured

Sometimes a cleaning and sealing job rather than a repair. We will say so rather than sell you a re-grout you do not need.

How the work is done

  1. 1

    Sound the area

    Tapping across the surface to find every debonded tile, not just the obvious one.

  2. 2

    Rake and clean

    Failed grout removed to depth, joints vacuumed clean.

  3. 3

    Re-set and grout

    Loose tiles re-bedded, joints filled and tooled.

  4. 4

    Seal the movement joints

    Corners and changes of plane get flexible sealant, colour-matched.

What it costs

A shower re-grout typically runs $300–$455. Individual tile replacement or a small floor section is $190–$300. Colour-matching grout on an older installation is the main variable — new grout beside old often reads slightly different even when the colour is nominally the same.

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Frequently asked — Tile & Grout Repair Ottawa

Can you match my existing grout colour?

Closely, usually. Existing grout has aged and picked up soap and mineral deposits, so a fresh match will look slightly cleaner. Re-grouting a whole wall avoids the issue entirely.

How do I know if water has got behind the tile?

Hollow-sounding tiles, grout that stays dark long after the shower, or a soft spot in the wall. If any of those are present we will open a small area and look rather than guess.

Should the corner be grouted or caulked?

Caulked — every inside corner and the joint where tile meets tub or floor. Those planes move relative to each other and rigid grout cannot accommodate it.

Need this done?

Answer four quick questions and we'll call with a real number — usually the same business day.

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