How to grout the seams on ceramic and tile. How to properly grout tile joints? Grout the seams with tile grout

Quite often, tiles are used for cladding walls and floors in various rooms. This is not only practical, but also a beautiful finishing option. However, careless or unprofessional rubbing of seams can ruin everything. The joints are filled with a special composition, and this process has many nuances.

How to grout the seams on the tiles so that the beautiful view of the decorated room is preserved for a long time? Knowing the subtleties of such work will help to understand this.

How to choose a grout mixture?

Before you grout the seams on the tile, you need to purchase grout. It is selected depending on the following factors:

chemical composition;
operating conditions of the facing coating;
compatibility with the composition of the adhesive solution;
the width of the space between adjacent tiles.

When choosing a color, many experts advise purchasing grout mixtures of darker tones than the tile coating itself. This will strictly emphasize the geometry of the tile and practically hide the dirt that will appear during operation.

Types of grout mixtures

Before starting the cladding process, you should find out how you can rub the tile seams in each case. To do this, it is important to understand what are the compositions for mashing.

By chemical components, they are classified into the following varieties:

grouts on a cement-sand basis;
polymer cement compositions;
epoxy-cement mixtures;
epoxy grouts;
polymer blends based on silicone.

Cement-sand compositions are made from white cement with the addition of fine-grained clean sand. They are used for decorative seams in rooms that are characterized by moderate humidity and gentle conditions. The base must be concrete or brick, not subject to deformation. If you cannot find the right shade, then you can get white and add dye during cooking.

Polymer-cement mixtures are similar in composition to cement-sand grouts, but they also contain polymer additives that make them more durable and moisture resistant. The seams lined with them are not subject to the formation of various defects, for example, cracks. Cement-sand and polymer-cement trowels are preferred by specialists for residential buildings and office premises.

Epoxy-cement and epoxy compounds are used both in interior and exterior tiling work. Due to their composition, they are able to withstand even the most aggressive operating conditions: bases subject to deformation, increased humidity and adverse environmental influences. In terms of its composition, viscous epoxy-based grout tends to harden quickly, therefore it requires active and skillful work. It is not suitable for grouting narrow tiled spaces in residential premises, the width of which varies between 3-6 mm, but it will be an excellent solution for facing work on wide seams of various non-standard objects, such as swimming pools. This type of paste is used more often in industrial facilities.

Polymer mixtures are resistant to temperature fluctuations, therefore they are successfully used when facing floor tiles with a "warm floor" system. They are injected into the seam using a special syringe.

Instruments

Before grouting the seams on the tiles, it is imperative to prepare a building kit. It consists of the following components:

special trowel or rubber spatula;
a small tray for mixing grout;
water container;
soft cloth;
foam sponge;
some professionals wear goggles, rubber gloves and a respirator when working.

Training

Before grouting the seams between the tiles, specialists carry out preliminary measures to clean the spaces between the tiles. They remove any remaining dividing crosses, despite the opinion of many manufacturers that they can be left and grouted on top. Professionals say that in areas where the separator remains, the tone of the grout after hardening will be lighter - this will ruin the final result.

After this procedure, everything is washed with ordinary water using a foam sponge. Before rubbing the seams on the tiles on the floor, the room to be treated should be well vacuumed.

For unglazed materials, a light pre-moistening of the top and side surfaces is required. This event will help get rid of excessive suction of moisture when applying grout. With strong moisture, the grout often spreads, so it is important not to overdo it. Grout can be applied to glazed tiles without first wetting the side and top of it.

Mixing grout paste

Before you grout the seams on the tile, you need to properly prepare the grout. The quality of the work performed will depend on it. Such a mass is prepared according to the manufacturer's instructions. A grout mixture that is too thin can lead to cracking of the joint after drying; an excessively thick one will not fill the space of the entire joint. The mass should be homogeneous and in its consistency resemble sour cream. It is convenient to use a construction mixer for mixing.

Ready pasta should be used quickly, so knead it in small portions (about 300-500 grams at a time).

Applying the grout

Before rubbing the seams on the tiles on the floor or wall, read the following recommendations from experts:

rubbing is carried out not along the perimeter of the tile, but first in the horizontal direction, then in the vertical direction, or vice versa;
not to cover the entire area at once, but to allocate areas of approximately 1 sq. meter;
the more paste enters the seam, the better and stronger it will be during operation;
the area to be grouted must be damp.

A small amount of prepared grouting paste is applied to the joint area and distributed over it with a grouting grater, which must be held at an angle of 30-40 ° to the surface to be treated.

It is important to know how to grout tile seams correctly in order to get a high-quality and neat result. To do this, it is necessary to draw 3-4 times along the seam, rubbing and deepening the mixture as thoroughly as possible into all voids and corners. The area between the tiles must be filled tightly to minimize the formation of voids between the tiles. Excess grout paste is removed by holding the float diagonally to the seam. The tool is positioned at an angle of 90° to the treated area. Some experts recommend having another spatula for this.

finishing touches

After about 15 minutes, the grout paste will dry out a little. It's time to wipe the seams with a damp sponge in the same sequence in which they were rubbed.

Only when pressing on it with a uniform force, seams with the same depth are obtained. This must be done at this stage, then it will be difficult to correct the result. The sponge is washed with plain water. The treated area is left to dry (on average, this process lasts 12 hours).

Important nuances

You need to know how to grout the seams on the tiles in the corners. For this, a special small spatula is used, designed for hard-to-reach places. Corners and slotted spaces around the perimeter of showers, bathtubs, washbasins, many experts prefer to fill with silicone, which will guarantee the tightness of filling the entire seam and prevent the formation of cracks in the future. Before filling the tile space with silicone sealant, seal the edges of the tile with masking tape to avoid contamination. The sealant is pressed in continuously, then smoothed out with a moistened rubber trowel. After removing excess silicone, you can remove the strips of adhesive tape from the tiles.

You should know how to grout the seams on the tiles on the floor, so as not to accidentally spoil the result. To do this, many craftsmen recommend covering the treated area with a sheet of plywood after grouting and leaving it until the grout paste has completely hardened. When the grout hardens, you need to start cleaning the tiles. It is well washed with a wet sponge, and then rubbed with a dry cloth.

Specialist rates

Everyone who is engaged in repairs on their own is interested in the question of how much it costs to rub the tile seams and lay it, that is, what will be the savings for the budget. The cost of a specialist's services in this work depends on the status of the master himself, the rating of his company, the size of the tile covering and the total area intended for laying and rubbing. On average, professionals ask for about 600 rubles per 1 sq.m. for laying ordinary-sized tiles with subsequent grouting, and within 950 rubles / 1 sq.m. for the same work with mosaics. A separate service for wiping the area between the tiles will cost approximately 100 rubles / 1 sq.m.

The very first, to ensure the moisture resistance of the entire plane. After all, tiles are laid on the surface in rooms where there is constantly high humidity or water often flows. Therefore, splashes, fumes, etc. And if the floor tiles, then the floors are constantly washed. Therefore, water will get under the coating of the tiles.

Secondly, there are no tiles that are perfectly square or with right angles, so there will be gaps at the joints anyway.

Third, the tiles cannot be laid "very close" one to one. There is such a thing - temperature increase. Tight laying leads to deformation of the plane and, as a result, "swelling" of the entire "masonry".

What "grout" to apply

First of all, it is necessary to keep in mind the difference between sealant and sealant (grout). For seams, specifically grout is used. There are several types of it, and the difference is in the base: it is either cement (with additives) or epoxy. In everyday life, it is better to use cement-based grouts. They are easier to work with and cheaper.

How to prepare grout

Be sure to follow the manufacturer's recommendation. A different composition requires your own know-how. It is better to purchase the composition in dry form, it is much cheaper. Naturally, you need to find out how to dilute: with water or latex (liquid). Dry polymer compositions are mixed only with water!

There should not be a lot of water in the grout, otherwise the quality of the whole work will suffer. Grout is added to water, and not vice versa. The resulting composition must be plastic and very easy to distribute over the plane.

Stages of work:

Grout preparation. In addition to what has already been established, you need to know that the batch must be done carefully, not allowing air bubbles to get inside. It will only weaken the effect of the solution;
Laying out the solution. Using a spatula, the solution is practically pressed into the seam, evenly distributed along the entire length. The hand makes diagonal movements. The task is to fill the inherent vacuums to the maximum. It is more comfortable to work in a small area, and not immediately along the entire wall;
Wet cleaning of the plane. It is done after sufficient solidification of the mixture;
Smoothing and smoothing seams. It is made exactly by the manufactured jointing.

With a strong desire to obtain an imitation of obsolete masonry, additional work is carried out.

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At the final stage of laying tiles, you need to process the seams between adjacent fragments. When doing the work yourself, you need to know how to properly grout the seams on the floor tiles in order to get a high-quality and beautiful result. The life of the floor depends on how correctly the grout is made.

Why do you need to process the seams of floor tiles

Even before laying tiles on the floor in the kitchen, often home craftsmen are interested in why grouting is needed between the tiles on the floor and on the wall. The fact is that according to the laying technology, when arranging the lining of the floor surface, it is necessary to leave space between individual fragments at the junction. On average, this parameter, according to standards and norms, should be 2-5 millimeters.

The size of the seam largely depends on the size of the tile - the larger it is, the wider the distance between adjacent elements can be.

Grouting the junction of fragments is done for a number of reasons:

Walls often shrink, as a result of which the tile begins to shift, albeit slightly, which means that it will need space to move.
Due to the presence of cracks, the wall can breathe through them.
Grout for floor tiles protects walls and floors in the kitchen and bathroom from the penetration of excess moisture into them. If this is not done, pathogenic fungi will begin to multiply in the seams between the fragments and mold will appear, and dirt will accumulate in the joints, which will not be easy to remove.
Grout also improves adhesion between tiles and performs a decorative function. Evenly and neatly designed joints look aesthetically pleasing, while masking small defects (notches, chips) present along the edges of the tile.
The duration of the operation of the coating without repair depends on how the grouting of the floor tiles is done with your own hands.

The choice of mixture for grouting joints

Properly selected components for the manufacture of the mixture allow for better grouting when laying tiles.

Materials should be purchased taking into account several criteria:

Colors. In many ways, the appearance of the tile coating depends on this. The most commonly used color is white, as in the photo. To make the surface look like a single monolith, before grouting the tiles on the floor, you should choose a shade for the mixture that is ideal for the tile. This is easy to do - you need to add color to the white mixture. Much less often, grout is chosen in a contrasting shade.
Composition. In the manufacture of a grout mixture, you can use Portland cement, alabaster, gypsum, epoxy and other materials.
properties. Depending on the components included in the composition, the properties of the solution change. There are differences in how the joints between tiles on the floor are rubbed in places where humidity is high, or where there is an increased load on the floor surface. In the first case, it is necessary to use components with water-repellent properties, and in the second, it is best to prepare a stronger and rougher composition, for example, an epoxy mixture.
Appointments. The standard type of grout is used to process joints on the walls between fragments. But its disadvantage is that over time it begins to wear out, which means that it needs updating. For flooring, it is desirable to use more tenacious compositions, since the tile is constantly under load from various objects and they move along it in shoes.

Grout making

Most often, grout for industrial floor tiles is currently used to process joints. This is much more convenient, since it is possible to choose the composition, which includes components, taking into account the specific case.

Specialized stores offer two types of grout:

The first one is a dry powder. It is bred as needed, and it can be stored for a long time if the required conditions are observed. The proportions that should be followed when preparing the mixture are indicated on the package;
The second option - already cooked mass, which is sold packaged in small buckets or jars. The advantage of this type of grout is that it does not need to be diluted, and the mixture is completely ready for use. True, there is also a negative point - the contents of the opened jar cannot be stored for a long time.

Since it is more profitable to dilute the powder with your own hands, it is better to purchase a dry mixture.

You can also make the composition yourself. The easiest way to prepare is to mix water with alabaster. The result should be a white mass of elastic consistency, but when dried, such a putty often crumbles and the addition of gypsum is unlikely to improve the quality of the mixture.

It is not easy to prepare grout with your own hands, so it is better to choose a purchased option.

Applying putty for seams

When grouting tiles on the floor with your own hands, you need to prepare the following tools and components before starting work:

small rubber spatula;
brush;
foam sponge;
a container for preparing the mixture;
construction mixer;
water.

The grout is diluted in small portions in a small container, kneading to a homogeneous state with a spatula, and the mixer is used if necessary to prepare a large amount of the mixture.

Grouting of floor tiles is carried out in a certain sequence:

The distance between the fragments is cleaned of dirt and dust, degreased and treated with an antifungal compound.
Seams to improve the adhesion of materials are moistened with water using a brush.
Dilute a small amount of putty.
The mixture is applied with a rubber spatula directly to the junction of the tiles, carefully tamping it inward, avoiding voids.
The excess mass is removed with a spatula.
It does not hurt to know how long the tiles on the floor dry, so that after the tiles have dried, move on to grouting. After the grout dries a little, it is slightly moistened with water to prevent cracking.
The junction between the tile and the bathroom, or where the skirting board is planned to be installed, is best treated with silicone sealant, which will provide reliable protection against flowing water and prevent the formation of fungus near the wall.

The grouting of tiles on the floor and on the walls is different. Work in a vertically located plane must be done from top to bottom. At the end, a sealant is applied, which is sold in a tube with a special narrow nozzle. When grouting tiles on a floor surface, you should move in the direction from the far corner to the exit from the room.

Re-grouting treated seams

The next day, when the mixture dries out, in rooms where there is high humidity, it is necessary to repeat the surface treatment of the seams with an antiseptic. This measure prevents the appearance of mold and the reproduction of pathogens.

Moisture often accumulates on horizontal surfaces, therefore, to prevent water from entering the seams, they are coated with epoxy. After this process, the grouting of the tiles is completed - it remains only to clean it.

Cleaning the tile surface

The tile will take on a finished look after removing traces of putty. Since the mastic sags when it dries, grouting is done in several steps, and the floor surface is cleaned at the final stage.

They take a foam rubber sponge, moisten it in water and lightly wash the tile so that the mixture that has dried on it gets a little wet. Then, with a scraper or spatula, holding them perpendicular to the tile, the remains of the composition are removed from its surface. Divorces are eliminated with a damp cloth or sponge, with their use, you can correct the work.

The seams should not be made convex or overlapping the tiles. To clean corrugated tiles, use a toothbrush dipped in water. Putty should be removed before it is completely dry - otherwise it will be quite difficult to soften the grout. As a result, the cleaning process will become longer and more difficult.

Tearing off the dried mixture, you can damage the surface of the tile, especially for glossy products. It is almost impossible to remove hard grout from a relief tile. Shiny tiles can be treated with window cleaner and then polished.

It is not enough to know how to properly grout tiles on the floor, you need to study the information on caring for the surface of the tile. First of all, it must be remembered that cleanliness prevents the appearance of molds and pathogens that are harmful to human health.

General cleaning of the seams should be done at least once every one to two months. For these purposes, you can use a soap solution, vinegar, citric acid or disinfectant detergents. To disinfect the surface, it is desirable to use bleach, and for bleaching - soda and peroxide. Seams are easy to clean with a toothbrush. Also, a steam cleaner does an excellent job of removing stubborn dirt.

It is better not to throw out the remaining mixture, since it will be necessary to rub the space between the tiles more than once, especially in the bathroom and kitchen. Reprocessing is performed as needed.

If the joints nevertheless crumbled, darkened, or a fungus wound up in them, the old dried mixture must be removed. Then the joints of the tiles are treated with an antiseptic, and fresh grout is applied. The sealant is removed with a blade and smeared with new material.

Thus, the correct selection of the mixture and the high-quality application of the grout, as well as regular maintenance of the tiles, will help to improve the performance properties of the tiled surface.

Most often, tiles are used to finish floors in bathrooms and kitchens. The choice of color of ceramic tiles and images on it is very wide, so everyone can choose the most suitable option for themselves. Installation rules require leaving a gap between the tiles, the so-called seams. This is required in order to hide irregularities when laying with your own hands. Then the seams are processed with a special grout, which makes the lining more attractive. It is not difficult to do this work yourself, the main thing is to choose the right mixture.

Choosing the right grout for your floor tiles will help you avoid problems during the surface finishing process. The main criteria are the color of the mixture, its purpose, composition and properties.

Colour. For many people, this item is of paramount importance, since the appearance of the entire room depends on the color scheme. In order for the tiles on the floor to look like a monolith, the grout for the joints is selected to match the tone of the coating. Today, you don’t need to run around the shops and look for the paint of the right color, just add color to the white mixture. The most daring designers choose contrast.
Appointment. For grouting joints on the floor, the standard mixture is not suitable. Since the load on the surface is intense, a more tenacious grout is required.
Composition and properties. The composition of mixtures for processing joints may include Portland cement, alabaster, epoxy resins, gypsum, etc. The properties of the mixture depend on the composition. If it is necessary to grout the seams on the floor in the bathroom, in which the level of humidity is high, then epoxy compounds should be used, since they are moisture resistant and more durable.

Grouts for tiles: dry and ready

Among the varieties of grout mixtures, there are also:

Cement-sand. Suitable for rooms with gentle conditions (moderate temperature and humidity), and the base is made of concrete or brick. Used for decorative stitching.
Polymer. Made from silicone. Resistant to temperature changes. Suitable for rooms with a "warm floor" system, and are also used for seamless laying of porcelain stoneware or stone, followed by polishing.
Polymer cement. Designed for rooms of the same type as cement-sand. However, their composition contains polymer components that make the composition more durable and moisture resistant.
Epoxy-cement. Just like epoxy, they are used in the process of internal and external works. Due to their chemical properties, they are suitable for use in harsh operating conditions.

When choosing a grout for floor tiles, you need to consider, among other things, whether the mixture is compatible with the adhesive on which the flooring is mounted, and the width of the joints. As a rule, manufacturers of ceramic tiles and mixtures themselves give appropriate recommendations.

How to properly seal the seams?

Grout mixtures are available in dry and ready-made form. The convenience of the powder is that you can use it as needed, and it is stored for a long time. However, when breeding, it is quite difficult to calculate the required amount of dry mix.

Ready grout is the most convenient option. It is an elastic mass packed in jars or buckets. However, an open container has a short shelf life. Therefore, if you decide to rub the seams with your own hands, it will be financially profitable to purchase dry mixes.

As a rule, it is possible to rub the seams a day after laying the tiles. Before you begin to process the gaps between the floor tiles, you will need the following tools:

Water;
Brush;
Container for mixing the solution;
Paint mixer or drill with a special nozzle;
Trowel or small rubber spatula;
Foam sponge or clean rag.

The grout mixture is kneaded in small portions, so in order to achieve its uniformity, you can get by with a spatula or trowel. If you need large volumes, you will need a mixer.

Before applying the grout, the tile must be cleaned of glue, dust and dirt. The seams are cleaned with a damp cloth, and right before processing they are moistened with a foam sponge to reduce the absorption of liquid from the grout. Also, experts advise treating the seams with an antifungal agent.

The next step is to dilute the powder (if a dry mix is \u200b\u200bused) according to the instructions on the package. It is important to remember that the grout must be plastic. If it turns out to be too liquid, the strength will decrease significantly. After mixing, the solution should stand for about 10 minutes, then it can be applied.

Work is being carried out from the far corner of the room to the door.

Grouting on ceramic tiles is carried out using a flexible spatula. For a more accurate application of the solution, you can use a pastry bag. The seam must be completely filled with the mixture so that there are no voids inside, the excess is removed. The borders of the grout must necessarily coincide with the surface of the tile. When the solution dries, it must be slightly moistened with water to prevent cracking. It should be borne in mind that the solution may “sag” when it dries, so it is necessary to rub the seams twice or thrice.

The places where the tiles adjoin the wall are sealed with silicone sealant. This is an additional protection against water leakage and the appearance of fungus.

To process 3 sq. m floor with your own hands, it will take about 20 minutes.

Finishing tiles

After the grout dries, you can start finishing the seams. But how do you know if the mixture has seized? This can be checked with a foam rubber sponge. It must be moistened with clean water and drawn along the seam line. If the solution is not frozen, it will follow the sponge. If the grout has set, it will stay in place.

Regardless of the nature of the room, the gaps must be re-treated with an antiseptic. Thus, the appearance of mold or fungus will be minimized. If we are talking about the bathroom, then there is a high probability that water will accumulate on the floor. To prevent liquid from penetrating into the seams, it is better to coat them with epoxy. This will be the last stage of do-it-yourself grouting work.

Next comes the turn of the tile. Using a foam sponge, wet cleaning is performed, which gives the work a finished look. This is done carefully, the sponge is driven in a circular motion. For better cleaning, before this, you can walk on the floor with a dry brush to sweep out the dust.

If glossy tiles are laid on the floor, then at the very end it is necessary to treat it with glass cleaner and polish it.

It is very important to monitor the condition of the seams. As they say, cleanliness is the key to health. The cleaner the gaps are, the less likely it is for pathogens, fungus, and mold to thrive. It is necessary to carry out general cleaning at least once or twice a month. To do this, you can use citric acid, vinegar, soapy water or detergents with a disinfectant effect. The good old disinfectant is chlorine. If the grout has lost its original color, it can be bleached with soda and peroxide. You can wash the seams, for example, with an old toothbrush, but it is more convenient and faster to do this with a steam cleaner.

The beauty of floor tiles depends not only on the quality of the facing material itself, but also on the right choice of grout for the joints. Take good care of your floors and they will last you for years to come. Leave comments on the article in the form below!

The modern market of building and finishing materials pleases with a variety of choices, however, the undoubted leaders in this area have been determined for a long time. Ceramic tiles are one of the best time-tested facing materials. The tiled surface is practical and lasts a long time, and the presence of an unlimited color palette of material allows you to realize the most sophisticated design projects. In addition, the popularity of tiles is also explained by the fact that, in principle, you can tile the walls yourself, and the necessary recommendations can be easily found on the global network. For example, we want to offer you the most useful information on how to grout tile joints.

Grout for tile joints - the offer of the modern market

After laying ceramic tiles, the final touch is grouting; without this procedure, finishing the walls and floors with tiles cannot be considered complete. In addition to practical significance, the seam also has a decorative feature - it complements the overall pattern on the wall or floor. Moreover, manufacturers produce many color additives.

Two types of grouts: based on cement or epoxy resin

Cement based grout Supplied as a dry mix, which is brought to working condition by dilution with water or liquid latex. Although ready-made grouts can also be found in the retail network, their price is an order of magnitude higher. Cement grout for tile joints in the vast majority of cases is made on the basis of Portland cement, and the special additives that make up the composition are the distinguishing components. All grouts of this type are divided into three groups:

based on industrial Portland cement;
based on dry hardener;
based on a mixture of latex with Portland cement.

Interesting! Portland cement is a special type of cement that got its name because it was very similar in color to building stone, which was mined on the English island of Portland.

Epoxy grout includes epoxy resin and hardener, and gives the seams increased impact resistance and resistance to various chemical influences. Such a grout is characterized by a high cost and, as a rule, is used in the arrangement of premises for industrial or commercial purposes.

In addition, epoxy grout is characterized by excessive viscosity, so only a specialist can successfully work with it. Moreover, there are certain restrictions on its use: the thickness of the tile is from 12 mm, and the minimum joint width is 6 mm. Otherwise, such grout will simply not be able to properly penetrate into narrower seams.

Attention! To avoid serious problems when doing the work yourself, carefully read the manufacturer's instructions. This is the only way you can determine which tile grout is best for your particular situation.

Is it necessary to use sealant?

Grouting tile joints - a video instruction of the process, by the way, is located at the end of this article, it also involves processing joints using a sealant. It will protect the surface of the tile from excessive absorption of moisture, as well as protect it and the seams from stains. If the surface is finished with unglazed tiles, then it is completely covered with liquid sealant. Such a specific substance has acrylic, varnish or silicone in its composition. Therefore, it is necessary to choose it based on the type of tile and grout.

Between tiles distance

By and large, the width of the grout joint depends solely on personal preferences. Many people prefer narrow seams, which visually seem to suppress the tile. If the surface is made of elements with a size of 10-30 cm, then the most optimal will be a seam of the order of 3 mm. Sometimes tiles of 60 cm in size are also laid according to this scheme. If the tiles are irregular in shape, it is advisable to make a wider seam, but it should not be more than 12 mm.

Attention! The wider the seam, the more likely it is to crack. To seal it, it is necessary to apply a grout with the addition of sand, but this may not always ensure a seam from deformation.

On the other hand, you should not make the grout too narrow, as this will greatly complicate the grouting process, and as a result, they may turn out to be leaky, that is, water will seep under the tile. According to professional tilers, the joints should be wide enough so that they can be filled without problems with any of the selected grouts.

Only in this case, they will become waterproof and will act as a kind of shock absorbers in the process of compression or expansion of the tile. If the seam has a negligibly small width, then it will not have such parameters.

Tools and auxiliary materials

Respirator (working with cement-based grout).
Protective glasses.
Rubber gloves.
Roller, rubber spatula or scraper with a rubber nozzle.
Bucket.
Sponge.
Plywood.
Jointing, a wooden stick sharpened at one end or a toothbrush.
A piece of clean cloth.
A small paint brush or paint roller.

Brief plan

The grout is mixed.
The solution is aged to the required level of water absorption.
The grout is mixed very thoroughly again.
The solution is distributed.
Excess is cleared.

Solution preparation

As a rule, dry grout is mixed with either water or latex liquid additives that replace water.

Note! Dry polymer grouts can only be mixed with water.

When using any type of liquid, it is necessary to add only such an amount that will be sufficient to prepare a plastic and easily spread mixture. This aspect is extremely important, since excess moisture can provoke a weakening of the grout. To do everything right, the solution must be mixed strictly according to the proportions indicated on the grout packaging. The container in which the solution will be mixed must be dry and clean.

When mixing the grout, the dry ingredient is added to the liquid. Moreover, initially about ¾ of the norm of the liquid indicated in the recipe is used. After all dry components are introduced into the solution in small portions, the remaining liquid is added, while not forgetting to control the consistency of the mixture.

Important! The grout preparation process can be influenced by such external factors as the temperature regime in the room, relative humidity, and also the component composition, for example, the presence of a dye.

It is recommended to use a trowel or an electric stirrer to mix the solution. If preference is given to the "automation" of this process, then the agitator during operation must be completely immersed in the solution, so air will not enter it. After all, air bubbles can also weaken the grout solution. It is for this reason that the speed of the blade revolutions should not exceed 300 rpm. At the end of the mixing procedure, the solution must be left alone for 8-10 minutes, and then it can already be safely used for its intended purpose.

Grouting ceramic tiles - direct execution

Grouting ceramic tiles begins with laying the mortar on the surface of the tiles. For proper distribution, it is best to use a special trowel. It is held at an angle of 30 0 relative to the surface of the tile and is applied diagonally. It is necessary to go over the treated area with a grater 2-3 times, and not just covering the distance between the tiles, but trying to rub the solution into the seam with an effort to completely fill it. Naturally, the greater the resistance, the greater the filling density of the seam, and, accordingly, the stronger it will be. The main idea of this work is that all the voids and corners around the tiles left after laying them should be filled as much as possible. When applying the grout, the liquid will leave it, and the seam will be filled with particles of cement and sand. Thus, after hardening in the seam, a solid body will be obtained.

It is not necessary to grout the entire surface at the same time. The best option would be to distribute the solution in a small area, about 1-2 m. In the process, it will be found out how quickly the grout sets and whether there is a need for frequent stops associated with cleaning the surface. In some cases, it is possible to wipe 9-10 square meters. m, and then deal with the cleaning of the working area. If the solution sets quickly, then only a small area is overwritten.

What is a grout bag?

If the tiled surface has such a structure that its cleaning process requires considerable effort, for example, imitation of old brickwork, then it is recommended to use a special grout bag. This "tool" visually resembles a pastry bag, with which housewives decorate cakes. A tip is attached to the end of the bag, the diameter of which corresponds to the width of the grout. Then the bag is filled with a solution, which is squeezed out with force directly into the seam.

When using a trowel bag, the tip is placed at the top of the joint and then advanced along as it fills. As a rule, all horizontal seams are filled first, and then vertical ones. In the process of applying the grout, it needs to be squeezed out a little more than it seems at first glance. After some hardening of the solution, it is compacted using jointing or a small piece of a smooth metal tube, the cross-sectional diameter of which is greater than the size of the seam. Then, within 30 minutes, you need to let the grout pressed in the seam seize and then the excess is removed using a stiff brush.

Wet grout removal

When it is visually determined that the grout has hardened sufficiently, the lined surface is wet cleaned. To do this, take an ordinary sponge dipped in ordinary clean water. In a circular motion, excess grout is removed from the tile, while do not forget about the frequent washing of the sponge in water, which must be changed as it gets dirty.

Dry grout removal

The seams need to be aligned and smoothed with a joint, that is, a wooden stick with a sharpened end or the end of a toothbrush handle. Then the edges are trimmed with a sponge. The resulting seam should be even and non-convex, in the vast majority of cases it turns out to be slightly concave. All seams must be the same shape and depth.

We hope that our detailed instructions will help you properly perform self-grouting on a ceramic tiled surface. If some points require clarification, then we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the training video clip.