Regrouting encaustic tiles

[kreyszig]

Hi there
We have a pretty nice set of tiles in our hall, which after some elbow grease and HG tile cleaner have for the most part come up quite nicely (if you ignore the carpet glue around the edges!)
However, there are a few places where there are large gaps in the grout, sometimes due to chipped tiles, in other places the tiles have lifted with the floor a bit, opening them up. A couple of pictures here:

http://flic.kr/p/jsecQm
http://flic.kr/p/jsceyB

We're not in a position to be able to pull these up and relay them, but have heard that re-grouting can help. I have no idea how to go about this, especially since there is usually a very small gap between tiles.
Any recommendations on material/process for me? I'm not even sure what colour I'd use..

 

[kreyszig]

<bump> is this a stupid question?

 

[plasticpigeon]

Traditionally it was pure cement slurry. I can scan in a page in an old book if you like.

 

[kreyszig]

thanks - any info would be good ... I'm coming up blank with google searches. I thought this would be pretty common!

 

[plasticpigeon]

People lay tiles with bigger gaps these days, but the old floors were laid with the tiles butting up to each other, so i think that is why pure cement without aggregate was used. I scan in some pages later.

 

[plasticpigeon]

Hope this is of some help.

 

[Zebra]

With a steady hoof and a very narrow pointing trowel, could you try mixing a little mortar and pointing it in the normal way, wiping off any excess as you go?

 

[kreyszig]

thanks all
Yep looks like a cement grout is the way forwards. I had thought there might be a special product to do this, and there's no way I would have tried cement on its own without this information.
Thanks again!

 

[plasticpigeon]

I hope it works, I must stress I haven't done this job myself, but plan to as I have a small area of geometric tiles in my front hall that need re laying. The gaps between them are far too small to put in any normal mortar/grout so I am planning to follow the method in the old book. Please let us know how you get on!

 

[kreyszig]

will do, could be a while though! still sorting leaks out :-(