| Just because you have all your tile installed now doesn't mean the coast is clear. Grouting is just as meticulous and important. The first rule is never pick your grout color at the store. Wait until you have the tile installed then pick your color. The lighting in most stores are different then what you have in your home. So the grout wont look the same as it did in the store. Be sure to mix it according to the directions but a general rule of thumb is to mix it to the consistency of pancake batter. After mixing it...let it sit for about 5-8 minutes to "slake" and that is to let all the color beads dissolve then mix it again. I prefer to pack my grout in as opposed to floating it. When you float it you can easily get air bubbles in the grout. Packing it forces the air bubbles out. It takes longer and makes your forearm tired but you don't have to worry about a year or less later when your grout starts falling in. Make sure when wiping the grout with your sponge that you wipe across the grout lines at a 45 degree angle. If you wipe with the line you will take out too much and if you wipe across it at a 90 degree angle you will not get the smooth finish. At times you will need to wipe differently to make the lines uniform. For you final wipe use each side of the sponge only once before ringing it out. Again...time consuming but the end result is Royally Awesome. When you are using your sponge to wipe off the excess grout please don't have too much water in it. If the sponge is still dripping water it is too wet. If your sponge is too wet when you use it, it will put more water into the grout causing efflorescence (light spots in the grout). |
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| DIY Do It Yourself Tile Installation Installing Grout |
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