The Fix-It Playbook — Tile Grout Flowchart | Free 1-Page PDF | 2026 Edition

Grout looking dingy, or water soaking in instead of beading? Find out whether it needs cleaning, sealing, or more.

Two questions sort it. Is the grout itself intact — cracked, crumbling or missing grout needs re-grouting, not sealing. Then drip water on it: just stained means clean it first; soaking straight in means it needs sealing, three steps each.

The sheet also carries the water-bead quick test (beads up = sealed, soaks in = reseal now), and a plain line on when to stop and call a pro.

One page. Print it or keep it on your phone. Free instant PDF download, yours to keep.

If the tree sends you deeper: How to Clean & Reseal Tile Grout ($6) adds the complete 8-step scrub-to-cure process, a troubleshooting table for haze and stubborn stains, and the signs it's time to reseal. All five bathroom guides come together as the Bathroom Repair Kit ($14), and all 24 year-round guides are in the Core Library ($49).