Green Grouting

[user123]

AHA x2, ... trying to think back if I used that old copper bowl I have in my workshop for anything....also when I put an old silver knife in the dishwasher by mistake the handle came loose and green deposit collected around the new gap, so it may not need to be pure copper at fault...may be a combination of something in the grout, or cleaner, mixing tools and the water/pipes...?:thinking2:

 

[BDS]

its due to oxidation of the soldered joints or something along them lines,

 

[Jimpad]

Sherlock Holmes is alive and well and posting on TilersForum

 

[user123]

Sherlock Holmes is alive and well and posting on TilersForum

:lol: Yes we are a clever lot aren't we :lol:, especially Doug Dominus of course, and BDS! - just a slight sense of trepidation now in case Cathy comes back and says, no, no new copper pipes....reckon she should tell her tiler about the tilers forum...

(JP, that Guiness looks good!)

 

[Jimpad]

About five minutes later that pint was helping me build a decent Gunniness gut..(Dortherty and Nesbitt Gunniness, you cant just have one)

 

[Cathy]

Thanks Nige123, Doug Boardley and BDS, there are new copper pipes, as the old lead piping was removed. I have tried neat toothpaste, that hasn't worked- maybe Sensodyne Gentle whitening is too gentle! I tried bicarbonate of soda diluted to make a paste, that hasn't worked either. Any other suggestions?...

 

[user123]

I'd have it redone, Cathy, but filling the buckets from another tap in the house that hopefully hasn't new pipes leading to it yet, or maybe even ask the neighbours?
Treating only the surface of the grout wouldn't really be enough if the whole mix is involved. Saying that I'm aware that only part of the grout is affected, which may mean that at some point your pipes were flushed through enough, wouldn't risk that though.
I think I'd also make sure that only non metallic tools + buckets are involved, just to be on the safe side.

 

[White Room]

This is about concrete turning green may add some substance to the grout Slag Cement Association - Slag Cement Creates Concrete At Its Best - Why does slag cement concrete sometimes temporarily turn green?

 

[user123]

This is about concrete turning green may add some substance to the grout Slag Cement Association - Slag Cement Creates Concrete At Its Best - Why does slag cement concrete sometimes temporarily turn green?

oh wow, thanks whitebeam, more knowledge! you can get 6% hydrogen peroxide in the chemist, which is used as a bleaching agent for allsorts of things, but is safe on many dyes (my Mum ws a pharmacist, I know about hydrogen peroxide!) But when using it you must be careful with skin contact, it causes temporary tiny burning white pinprick type burning spots on the skin, so wear gloves, and don't get it into your eyes. The first hairbleach really, that caused that yellow whade of blond... 3% solution is much gentler and often used to clear ear wax and infections also used in over the counter eardrops.(Used on its own it makes an enormous crackling fizzy sound in the ear, quite perturbing when new to you, but wonderfully effective and soothing when administered by someone in the know. Only explaining this to give an idea of the action of it.)

Poor Cathy's tiler won't know what hit him with all this knowledge...but good she has even more options available now.

 

[White Room]

Next time I get a strange rash on the skin I'll know where to come Mosaic Girl, That was educational

 

[user123]

Next time I get a strange rash on the skin I'll know where to come Mosaic Girl, That was educational

Spent ten years of my professional life as an osteopathic, herbalist & homeopathic practitoner, after other patient related professions, and now I just want to play with mosaics and tiles, much less draining than people in pain....big change....and you can see a permanent result by the end of the day! The odd rash? Easy peasy... Greening grout? Perfect research opportunity - my forte....:yes:

 

[user123]

Cathy, if you want to try and see if hydrogen peroxide works, get the 6% solution from the chemist, it's very cheap, 100ml usually in a dark brown bottle. Put some gloves on, pour a little into the lid or an eggcup and apply with a well soaked cotton wool bud. If it works on your grout you should see it almost immediately, don't leave on longer than ten minutes, rinse it off thoroughly, pour the used solution down the sink (perfectly safe) followed by water, rinse the lid or the eggcup well, and keep the rest in your medicine cabinet as a throat gargle (instructions usually on the bottle) and to remove fruit juice stains etc. Don't dip the cotton wool bud directly into the bottle, as you won't be able to use any of it afterwards.

If the peroxide doesn't work I'd have it redone keeping the copper reaction in mind.

And let us know how you got on!

 

[Cathy]

Thanks for all your info Mosaic Girl! I shall try the hydrogen peroxide and let you know how I get on. I would have thought the pipes are well flushed through by now; it's been nearly two months since the tiling was done.
Whitebeam, thanks for your info, what sort of time scale do you think the article is talking about for the fading?
I just wish that we had got a proper tiler in now instead of letting the builder do it! You get what you pay for...

 

[BDS]

Geeeeeze you dont know what your gona learn on here what a wealth of knowledge there is,so every time i do my ears and get that enormous crackling/fizzing sound i`ll remember that post mosaic girl :lol::lol: ps do you do anything for backs :lol::lol::lol:

 

[DHTiling]

Next time I get a strange rash on the skin I'll know where to come Mosaic Girl, That was educational

I think a clinic would be of more benefit to you...:lol: