Advice sought: removing grout with grinder WITHOUT tile chip

[Doraemon72]

Many thanks for reading this.

Having seen a few online videos about removing old grout from bathroom wall tiles with an angle-grinder and a diamond disk/blade (mine is 2mm thick), I thought I'd give it a whirl on some grout in a tile area of only between 9 tiles in my bathroom in an area out of sight.

Well, the grout certainly came out quickly, but even trying to keep the angle-grinder steady, a slight deviation by the odd millimetre off-line has resulted in a few chips and, on one tile, shaving off some of the tile itself.

Does anyone have any tips for how to NOT chip/shave off bits of tile if using a grinder to remove old grout? I mean, is there a way of keep the grinder dead straight as you go? Or should I be using a 1mm blade -- I've heard Bosch do such blades for metal work, so wondered if there was something similar for grout/mortar?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[Burnerman]

There's going to be a risk either way here, but personally I'd give the diamond disc a miss and go for the thinner (1mm) flexible type. Sure it won't last as long as the diamond one but they are pretty cheap. Do look out for a black edge that it may leave, though.
Its always going to be difficult to do what you need due to the torque of the angle grinder, which prefers to take a course of its own!
John

 

[Doraemon72]

There's going to be a risk either way here, but personally I'd give the diamond disc a miss and go for the thinner (1mm) flexible type. Sure it won't last as long as the diamond one but they are pretty cheap. Do look out for a black edge that it may leave, though.
Its always going to be difficult to do what you need due to the torque of the angle grinder, which prefers to take a course of its own!
John

THANKS A LOT, JOHN, FOR THE ADVICE. And you're right about grinders having a mind of their own!

 

[Doraemon72]

Do look out for a black edge that it may leave, though.

Hi John, I took your advice and have used a 1mm disk and, just as you said might happen, the removal process has left the odd, small black mark. Do you mind me asking if you have any advice for getting these marks off tiles? Sorry to ask! Many thanks, Simon

 

[Burnerman]

The black marks seem to be carborundum Simon, or whatever the cutting medium is on the disc. I've had some success shifting them with either aluminium oxide paper (white abrasive) folded and scraped in the grout line, or you could try a grout rake.
Either way, its a bit of a task you've undertaken here......grout removal isn't the most rewarding thing you've ever done!
Good luck with your project!
John

 

[Doraemon72]

The black marks seem to be carborundum Simon, or whatever the cutting medium is on the disc. I've had some success shifting them with either aluminium oxide paper (white abrasive) folded and scraped in the grout line, or you could try a grout rake.
Either way, its a bit of a task you've undertaken here......grout removal isn't the most rewarding thing you've ever done!
Good luck with your project!
John

Great advice, John! I will give that a whirl for sure.

And you're not wrong -- it feels about as rewarding as forced labour in a Siberian camp.