Most of Lewisville’s housing went up in a short burst. The city had about 9,200 residents in 1970. Even with a recession in the late 1970s, it reached 24,273 by the 1980 census. Corporate relocations to the region, DFW Airport, Interstate 35E and then Vista Ridge Mall, which opened on October 4, 1989, pushed it to 46,521 by 1990. That means a large share of Lewisville homes were built in the 1970s and 1980s, and their original tile and grout are now 35 to 50 years old. Many of those homes have had one kitchen or bathroom remodel since, but few have had their grout properly restored.
The short answer: most Lewisville homes should have tile and grout professionally cleaned every 12 to 18 months. Grout from the 1970s and 1980s building boom usually needs deep cleaning, spot repair and sealing, while homes near the lake parks benefit from more frequent cleaning of entry and kitchen floors.
Key Takeaways
- Lewisville treats water drawn from Lewisville Lake at its own plants and supplements it with treated water from Dallas Water Utilities and the Upper Trinity Regional Water District.
- Population went from about 9,200 in 1970 to 24,273 in 1980 and 46,521 in 1990.
- Much of the city’s tile dates to that 1970s–80s boom and has never been fully restored.
- Vista Ridge Mall opened October 4, 1989, and the retail and restaurant corridor around it sees heavy commercial tile traffic.
- Lake Lewisville beaches and parks send sand and fine grit into homes, which acts like sandpaper on grout.
Lake Water, Treated at Home
Unlike many DFW suburbs that buy all of their water from a regional district, Lewisville treats most of its own, drawn straight from Lewisville Lake, and tops it up with treated water from Dallas and the Upper Trinity Regional Water District. Lake water in North Texas carries dissolved calcium and magnesium from the limestone it runs over, and it leaves a hard film on shower walls, glass and grout lines. In showers from the 1980s, where the grout has already lost some of its surface, that film settles into the pores and turns the joints gray. The fix is a descaling step before cleaning, so minerals and soap residue come out together, followed by a sealer to slow the next buildup.
1970s and 1980s Tile Showing Its Age
Homes from Lewisville’s boom years commonly have ceramic floor tile in entries, kitchens and baths, plus tiled tub surrounds that have been caulked more than once. After 35 to 50 years, the grout is often worn below the tile surface, hairline cracked near doorways, or separated where the tub meets the wall. Cleaning alone will brighten it, but cracked joints let water in behind the tile. We inspect every wet area, clean with hot-water extraction where the grout is sound, spot-regrout failed joints, recaulk the change-of-plane corners, and seal everything once it has dried.
Lake Grit and the Vista Ridge Corridor
Lewisville Lake’s parks and beaches are a big part of life here, and the sand and fine grit that come home on shoes, towels and pets grind into grout lines at the back door and in the laundry room. Regular vacuuming helps, but grit that sits in unsealed grout keeps wearing it down. On the commercial side, the retail and restaurant corridor that grew up around Vista Ridge Mall since 1989 puts constant traffic on restaurant kitchens, restrooms and shop entries. Those spaces usually need quarterly cleaning to keep grout from turning black.
Professional Tile & Grout Cleaning
Truck-mounted hot-water extraction, grout repair, recaulking, and sealing for older and newer tile. Upfront pricing, free estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Lewisville’s water come from?
Mostly from Lewisville Lake, treated at the city’s own plants, supplemented with treated water from Dallas Water Utilities and the Upper Trinity Regional Water District.
My home was built in the 1980s. Is the original grout worth saving?
Usually, yes. If the tile is firmly bonded, deep cleaning, spot-regrouting cracked joints and sealing can restore it for far less than a remodel.
Why is the grout by my back door so much darker?
That is where sand and grit from the lake, yard and pets come in. It grinds into unsealed grout and holds dirt. A deep clean and a sealer make a big difference there.
How often should Lewisville homes have tile and grout cleaned?
Every 12 to 18 months is a good baseline for homes. Restaurants and shops in the Vista Ridge corridor generally need quarterly service.
Ultra Clean is IICRC-certified and has served Lewisville and the Dallas–Fort Worth area since 2013. Our methods follow the standards set by the IICRC.
