Grouting tiles correctly: step-by-step instructions!

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How to grout tile

A proper joint makes the tile picture complete—grout tile. However, grouting is only accessible if there is a piece of specific basic knowledge about it. These instructions will help!

Grouting tiles: therefore, grout tiles

The grouting of the tiles is essential not only for the reason that this resulted in a complete image of tiles. Not even because the thick tiles prevent water from penetrating the wall behind. The main reason tile grouting is so essential is because of the effects of moisture and temperature. Ceramic products can expand and contract again to a certain extent under these influencing factors, the material works. Even if this is less pronounced than with wood, such small movements lead to a certain amount of tension building up in the tiles if they lay edge to edge.

This tension can lead to cracks, especially if the temperature and climate differences are considerable, such as in the bathroom. A tile must always be able to move, even if it is, of course, not visible to the human eye. Modern, flexible adhesives for the joints ensure precisely that and, thanks to the plastic additives in the mortar, the floor or wall tiles are as loose as possible. Even porcelain stoneware can attach safely and almost perfectly to the wall or floor with this tile adhesive.

In addition, the joints ensure that minor inaccuracies when laying the tiles compensate for and are visually less noticeable.

Tile Life Hack

Tiles are trendy in German bathrooms. They are easy to clean, and the tiled

mirror looks good. What is unsightly, of course, are holes in the tiles or tile joints. Especially if, after a redesign, you can only see stains that have to fills with a spatula. There is an excellent alternative to this.

Hack # 1: bathroom adhesive hooks for non-perforated tiles

For example, to attach towel rails or the like in the bathroom, it is not necessary to drill. Badge hooks can help here:

Put the finishing touches on the wall: grouting tiles

In the best case, wall tiles create a uniform image and make the room appear larger, brighter, more homely, or more exclusive. The exact effect depends on the color and type of the tiles but also on how the tiles can grout. The tricky thing for a layperson about the tile mirror on the wall is that it is precisely in the field of vision, and every faux pas is, of course, more noticeable. Therefore, it is not only important that the tiles themselves lie flat and that any pattern on them correctly depicts.

It is also relevant that the joints are of appropriate width and have proper grouts. With Fugenbunt, optical effects can be achieved, but these can also negatively impact the wall tiles that do not have to lay exactly. Fugenbunt can use in a color that is an apparent contrast to the wall tiles.

What is need for grouting:

  • fine grout
  • water
  • Silicone for the later expansion joints
  • Grout scraper
  • Mortar bucket and drill with a whisk
  • Grout board 
  • Tile sponge
  • possibly silicone cleaner

The instructions show step by step how to grout the wall tiles

  1. Cleaning the joints
    Before grouting, it must ensure that the joints are clean. Any remains of tile adhesive must remove.
  2. Cleaning the tiles
    If the wall is to be re-grouted or the grouting is carried out sometime after the tiles have been laid, the wall must be cleaned with a grease and silicone cleaner.
  3. Applying primer
    If the joints are to be flat, the side edges of the tiles sloping into the joint must be coated with primer. This requires masking the edges of the tiles.
  4. Mixing the grout
    Mixing is carried out precisely according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Grout best mix in a bucket with a drill with a whisk to form an evenly thick mass.
  5. Applying grout, The grout board is used to apply the mortar. Necessary: paint diagonally to the joint! It is also vital that the joints fill with grout.
  6. Cleaning the tiles
    Once the mortar has set but is not yet dry, the tiles are carefully washed with the tile sponge. This applies to the flat grouting of the tiles.
  7. Filling the expansion joint
    In the last step, the expansion joints are filled with silicone. Excess silicone can remove with a spatula and wipe away with your finger.

The tiles should be clean immediately. Otherwise, a gray cement veil will form on them. This is difficult to remove later and with a special cleaner. In addition, the mortar can attack the surface of the tiles, making them look dull. With Fugenbunt, the same amount of mortar must always mix with water. Otherwise, there may be deviations in the shade after drying.

Grout tile: the floor becomes an eye-catcher

Floor tiles should create a uniform appearance without any visual breaks due to irregular joints or inclined laying. Anyone who is still utterly inexperienced in grouting should test their skills in a little visible place and try grouting the tiles first. In some cases, the impregnation of the floor tiles is essential because they absorb mortar and cleaners like a sponge and can hardly clean. By impregnating, liquids can not be absorbed so profoundly. This is not necessary for smooth and small-pore tile models.

What is need for grout tile:

  • Water and grout
  • silicone
  • possibly cleaner against cement veil
  • Bucket and drill with a whisk
  • Squeegee or joint board with a stiff rubber lip
  • Silicone syringe
  • Wooden spatula
  • Grout scraper

These step-by-step instructions lead even beginners to beautifully laid and grout floor tile.

  1. Cleaning the tiles
    Before grouting, floor tiles must also be spotless. The joint scraper will help remove the tile adhesive from the joints.
  2. Mixing the grout tile
    The mortar for floor tiles may be significantly thinner than that for wall tiles.
  3. Grout the floor tile
    The grout is poured onto the floor (measure: only run as much as can be worked in within half an hour) and spread with the slider. There must be no cavities! It is also essential that the joint height is always uniform and that a consistent standard depth achieve.
  4. Flushing out
    If the mortar has dried a little and no longer shines, it is flushed out. The sponge board uses for this. The same applies here: work diagonally!
  5. Injecting the expansion joint
    The expansion joint still has to be sprayed with silicone, which is then pulled off with a damp finger.
  6. Cleaning
    If cleaning carries out as quickly as possible, the cement film cleaner is often not even necessary. A linen or cotton cloth recommends for cleaning.
    If you want to grout the tiles on the floor and the wall, you need a little practice and time. It is not necessary to hire a specialist to do this! Still, there are a few things to keep in mind if you want the result to be handsome. For example, grout that can be poured directly into the joint, which is much more fluid, is helpful. They are also used for grouting the mosaic tile very suitable. This has the disadvantage of being tiny and lying irregularly, so grouting can be real art. Due to the very liquid mortar, the mosaic tile is only a minor challenge for the hobby of do-it-yourselfer!

    highly absorbent substrates

Whether regular tile mortar or flexible adhesive uses: highly absorbent substrates must always well moisten. Otherwise, they will draw the water out of the grout. The cannon would dry out too quickly and would not retract properly. The joints are not tight enough. They would crumble out in no time. The work is twice as demanding because if the joints crumble, the entire loose mortar mass must be removed before the new grouting is possible.

If you want to grout outdoors, you should not do so in direct sunlight. The joints dry out too quickly and are then not tight. Conversely, however, outdoor areas must also protect from the rain after grouting. In addition, grouting must not carry out in frosty conditions. Outdoor floor tiles can get a narrower joint if they are only in the shade. In a location exposed to the sun, on the other hand, the joint should be more expansive because these exterior tiles will work much harder and build up tension.

If you want to grout in the bathroom or the tiled area in the kitchen (for example, on the sink or stove), you should make sure that the so-called “water-repellent grout” does not completely keep the water out. This means that a barrier must place under the tiling to prevent water from entering the wall. As a rule, a primer applies that reliably prevents the penetration of moisture. This is also important outdoors because a tiled floor or a tiled wall cannot wholly protect from humidity.

Also Read: How to clean a mousepad.