Do you know how to grout tile? There are a few tricks of the trade you need to know before you tackle your first tile project. Follow these 7 sure-fire tips for success when grouting tile.
| #1. Use wall tile grout where the gap between tiles is 1/8th inch or less. For larger gaps, use sanded floor tile grout. If you use the wall tile grout on larger gaps, it can shrink and crack when it cures. |
#2. Before mixing the grout, check it is a fine powder without any lumps. If you find lumps, don’t use the grout. It means there has been some water or water vapor penetration that reacts with the grout and it has gone bad.
| #3. Don’t use liquid acrylic modifiers. In theory, these make your grout more durable. But they are more trouble than they are worth. |
#4. The single most important thing with grout is to mix it with the right amount of water. Too much water will result in a crumbly, unstable grout when it has cured. Too little water and the grout won’t fill the gaps between the tile properly. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
#5. Once you have your grout mixed properly, never be tempted to add additional water if it is starting to get hard in the bucket. This can ruin your finished grout. It’s much better to mix up a fresh batch of grout.
#6. When you are wiping down the grouted joints with a sponge, make sure all excess water has been squeezed out of the sponge. If the sponge is too wet, it can ruin your grout.
#7. When learning how to grout tile, it’s worth setting some spare tile on some plywood so that you can practice the process of grouting before applying grout to your new floor or wall tiles.
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