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annsayre · May 4, 2012, 09:02 PM

I have a table with a tile top. I left it in the rain and some of the grout dissolved so I took off the tiles and now each one has some grout left on it. I want to clean each tile and then install them on a piece of plywood to make a new table top.
1. How do I remove the old grout? Is there a way to do it without buying a tool?
2. When I re-tile, is there a grout that is waterproof so that I can leave the table outside in the rain?

joypulv · May 5, 2012, 03:36 AM

Grout comes off easily; do you mean the adhesive? A chisel. You don't have to get every speck off. You may find that it isn't easy to leave a tile table outdoors without some deterioration. Use concrete backer board (Durarock etc) instead of plywood.

You can buy redi mix grout with latex in it, and apply a silicone sealer to the grout after it's dry. But there's probably an outdoor concrete-based grout that I don't know about such as for concrete patios, a type with wider spacing between tiles, such as you see in Italian mosaics. Someone else may know or ask at your hardware store.

ma0641 · May 5, 2012, 09:14 PM

The problem with your design is the use of plywood as the base. It contracts and expands too much for a tile base. If you want to keep the table outside, use a concrete backerboard and a sealed sanded grout.