You need not worry about grouting wall tiles.
It is amongst the simplest home improvement jobs out there, and if you do find that you would rather find a professional tiler to carry out your wall tiling, then we can help there too.
What Is The Purpose Of Tiling Grout?
Tiling grout strengthens the tile and keeps water from entering the joints.
As well as the practical purpose of grout, it also adds aesthetically to the tiling project or job.
What Colours Does Tiling Grout Come In?
Usually tiling grout is a neutral colour but there are so many colours available now that any tiling grout colour combination is possible.
In general, it is best not to pick white or a light color for floor applications since dirt will quickly make it look dingy and you will end up with a mucky off white colour or yellowish tinge to your grout.
This may lead to you having to repeat the grouting to your tiling job again on a regular basis and the new look appearance of your tiling grout will not last.
How Difficult Is Tiling Grout Application?
Tiling grout application is actually a fairly simple job after the harder parts of laying and levelling the tile.
What Tools And Equipment Are Needed For Grouting Tiling?
The tools and equipment you need for your tiling grouting job are tiling grout, bucket, knee pads, tiling grout float, tiling grout sponge and waterproof gloves.
What Types Of Tiling Grout Are There?
Tiling grout is available in premixed tiling grout form or in tiling grout powder form.
Premixed Tiling Grout
The premixed tiling grout depends upon evaporation for drying and therefore is really only appropriate for small wall tiling applications which will not be in contact with water.
Powder Form Tiling Grout
The powder form of tiling grout is cement based and therefore dries chemically which provides a much stronger and harder joint.
Powdered tiling grout is available in sanded or non-sanded mixtures.
Sanded tiling grout is appropriate for tiling joints larger than 3mm and usually used for floor tiling applications.
Non-sanded tiling grout is for wall tiling applications with a tiling joint width of less than 3 mm.
Polymer Modified Tiling Grout
It is possible to purchase a polymer-modified tiling grout or a tiling grout polymer additive, which adds flexibility and provides more water resistance but it is a little more difficult to work with on your tiling job.
Polymer additives are indicated when the backing surface onto which your tiling is to be applied is wood since the wood will bend and flex and a polymer-modified grout will flex without cracking.
Applying Your Tiling Grout Mixture
The first step to applying tiling grout is to mix the tiling grout.
It is very important to use gloves, goggles and a mask when dealing with cement based tiling grout powders.
The tiling grout bag has the proportion of water to tiling grout for mixing but factors such as heat will affect the mixture so add water only a little at a time to the tiling grout mix.
The consistency of tiling grout should be about the same as peanut butter.
A watery tiling grout mixture will take much longer to dry and is harder to work with.
Once the tiling grout is mixed, it has a working time of 20-40 minutes so only mix small batches of your tiling grout or it will be necessary to throw away tiling grout and you will have to start your tiling job all over again.
Application
Apply tiling grout to the tiling joints with a rubber tiling grout float.
Press the tiling grout into the tiling joints by holding the tiling float at a 30-degree angle and applying pressure as tiling grout is dragged over the tiling gaps.
Be sure that the tiling grout is filling the tiling joint to the bottom surface.
Once the tiling grout fills all the tiling joints, scrape the excess tiling grout by holding the tiling float almost vertically as you drag.
It is helpful to drag diagonally across the tiling joints to prevent digging in and accidentally removing tiling grout from within the tiling joints.
Once the tiling grout has begun setting, use a large tiling sponge and wipe the excess from the tiling joints; do not use too much water in this process.
Once the tiling grout hardens, go back with a soft rag and buff the tile to remove tiling grout film.
Depending on the tiling application, the last step is a tiling grout sealer, which will help it repel stains and prolong the water-resistant life of your tiling grout and your overall tiling job.
Some final tips for wall and floor tiling
Tiles should never be laid flush up next to each other.
They will be seriously at risk of cracking if you do fit them right next to each other.
You should fit your wall or floor tiles with tile spacers in between.
Tile spacers come in a range of different sizes. The various sizes of tile spacers range from 1mm right up to 10mm. Spacers which are larger tend to be used mostly for floor tiling. Wall tiling spacers usually are either 3mm or 4mm. As it is important to be able to grout tiles fully by pushing grout into the joints between tiles 4mm is often a good choice. Being able to push grout fully into spaces between tiles is particularly important when tiling shower enclosures and cubicles. The larger the tiles, the larger the tile spacers that you should fit.
If you ensure that you fit the tile spacers deep between the recesses of the adjacent tiles you will not even have to remove them when you come to grouting your newly laid wall or floor tiles.
When should you grout tiling?
Once you have laid your tiles you should wait for 24 hours for them to set.
In particular, you might need to wait longer if the area that you have tiled is a floor and may be required to receive foot traffic.
The heavier the expected foot traffic, the longer you should wait for your tiling to set before grouting wall tiles.
Using the right grout
Most good diy stores can provide advice on using the right grout for tiling.
Generally speaking you should check the packaging of your grout before deciding that this is the right grout for your tiles.
In particular, it is very important if you are fitting out a wet room with tiles that you use a special resin which is much more waterproof than standard floor or wall tiling grout when grouting wall tiles in this environment.
Tools needed for grouting
The tools you will need for grouting your tiles are as follows:
- soft cloth for polishing your tiles once grouted and dried
- Damp sponge for wiping off the tiles after grouting
- Tile grout of course!
- A tile grout spreader - most good hardware or DIY stores will have these in their tiling department
Grouting Your Wall Tiles
Once your tiles are dried out you should spread the grout you purchased with a tile grout spreader.
Use generous amounts to ensure that you get full coverage and push the grout down between the tiles to ensure that you do not get air bubbles in the tiles going forward.
Keep wiping off with the damp sponge to ensure that you do not get too much of the grout onto the top of the tiles.
Once dried, simply polish up the newly grouted tiles with a soft cloth, for shiny, gleaming wall tiles.
If you decide that grouting wall or floor tiles is not for you the you can use our tradesmen website to find a local tiler to carry out your grouting job.
