Washboy. . . worth getting?

[SteveyJ]

Hi there all. First post on here!!
Thinking of getting a washboy as heard some good things about them and getting fed up of cleaning down tiles with a sponge, over and over again, then polishing.

All previous people I have worked with have never used them and so have never seen one in use. Do you apply the grout as normal then use the washboy to wipe off or what, and do you have to go over a few times then polish? Guess what I'm trying to work out is will it save me time and give a good finish?

I don't do huge floors normally upto about 14sqm of floor and about 25 sqm of walls in bathrooms, any advice and recomendations would be good.

Cheers

 

[DHTiling]

hi steve mate welcome to the forums.....

Here is an article from the the tiling news.... Broken Link Removed

This should explain the benefits of the washboy...

How do I use a washboy?

A washboy is a very effective tool that is very simple to use.
1. Apply the grout as usual.
2. Fill washboy with water to 20-30mm above the separation / decantation grid and dunk the sponge in the water
3. Push the sponge horizontally across the rollers to remove excess water.
4. Even up the grouted joints with the sponge using a circular motion.
5. Rub the sponge along the separation / decantation grid in order to remove excess grout and the grout will fall and settle at the bottom below the separation / decantation grid. This will leave clean water above the grid to clean your sponge in.
6. Clean your sponge and repeat step three.
7. Pull the sponge across the tiles and then clean the sponge and repeat from step three until the surface is clean.
Which one to buy?

There are many washboys on the market; a great place to start is with the Rubi washboy.
The Rubi tilers washboy features a light and highly resistant plastic tray with 2 colander rollers and a separation-decantation system for waste water. It incorporates wheels and a handle for ease of transportation. The kit includes a plastic float with a sponge and a thermoplex rubber trowel. Dimensions: 58 x 27 x 35cm.



I used to be one of those fixers who said washboys are a gimmick.. until i tried one , then it is my most valuable piece of my tool kit now....

 

[ETS]

The Rubi washboy is the one I used on my training course. It made a big difference and I didn't hesitate to buy one.

 

[DevonChris]

A washboy is ESSENTIAL!
It saves literally hours on bigger jobs and leaves a better finish.
Chris

 

[versatilene]

Get a washboy and never have those wrinkled dishpan hands again

 

[woodie]

i totally recommend having a washboy i've had a raimondi skipper for about six years and i couldn't live without it :yes: Mike...

 

[Dicko1973]

I love my Karl Dahm washboy so much it now shares the bed with me and my wife.

 

[GazTech]

hello stevie...welcome.....Gaz

 

[brian c]

welcome to the forums steve,washboys are excellent for big floor jobs but the only down side is having to change the water all the time as it gets very dirty after about 5 or 6 runs.Great piece of kit though,you can pick them up for about 40quid or so.

 

[Dan]

Welcome to the forum. I agree with all the above. It seems weird that such a 'bucket' can save sooooo much time and effort on the big jobs and even just smallish floors.

 

[grumpygrouter]

You got to have a washboy.

Grumpy

 

[SteveyJ]

Well looks like I will get one of these then and give it a whirl, seems like it's definatly worth a try for £40 ish! But Dicko1973 not sure I'll like it enough to take it to bed!:lol:

 

[CLAYS TILES]

washboy all the way m8......................
welcome to the forums

 

[White Room]

Karl dahm washboy had it years magic peice of kit

 

[turtle-tiling]

Deffo get one does make a difference on the finish:yes: