Q. The grout in my bathroom and kitchen is cracking in areas.
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How do we fix this?
Nancy Corbidge, Rolling Meadows
A. The grout can be scraped out and replaced with new grout. Beyond your immediate repair work, you may want to look for the cause of the damage. A crack on a floor may be caused by poor floor installation, said Michael Veague of Dave Pate & Sons Construction Ltd. in Roselle. If there isn’t an inch or more of proper underlayment under the floor, the tile can flex as people walk on it. Another problem occurs when the house’s support beams sag due to moisture and temperature changes. The foundation can shift out of balance. “Sometimes they settle and then stop moving. You can fill in the grout and wait and see,” he said. “We have seen houses as much as 2 inches out of level.” If there is a foundation problem, it’s best to consult with a structural engineer.
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