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Grouting Ceramic TilesChoosing the grout color can largely affect the look of the tile. White or light colored grout can highlight the tile color. Any mistakes made in setting the tile can be hidden by using a light colored grout with a similarly colored tile. Light colored grout is not recommended for use on floors that usually get a lot of traffic, as the color does not stay that way for long. Using a light grout on dark tile, or a dark grout on light tile, will highlight the geometric pattern of the tile layout. Often a good grout color choice for floors is gray, as gray is a neutral color that wears fine on floors as well as look good with terracotta or other natural-looking tiles. It is always a good idea to first check the way colored grout looks in a small area before you decide to go ahead with your choice of color. How to Apply Grout Mix the grout with a latex additive as specified in the directions. With a padded grout float, apply the grout over a workable tile area, pushing it diagonally towards the joints to force it down into the gaps. When the grout is packed into the joints, use the grout float to scrape off excess grout from the tile surface. Basically, you need to grout all the joints except for those needed to allow for expansion joints, like joints along fixtures, joints flanked by the floor and walls, or joints in corners or in between walls. Instead, caulk will be applied to these joints later.
Cleaning Tiles With a damp sponge and a couple of buckets of clean water, wipe off the excess grout on the tiles using circular strokes, constantly rinsing the sponge so it remains clean. Once the tile surface is clean, do another pass and trace the grout lines in the joints, smoothing the grout down a bit below the tile surface if required. If haze forms on the tiles, just clean it off with the sponge or soft rag.
, Using Ceramic Tiles.com |
