Maybe I’m the only person (at least over the age of three) who gets a kick out of making a mess, but I would still argue that grouting is the best part of a tiling job—and not just because you get to smear mud all over everything. Grouting is when everything starts to come together and your project stops looking like a collection of individual tiles and starts looking like a finished floor (or wall, or counter).
GETTING STARTED
If you have an existing tile surface that needs re-grouting, you will need to remove the old grout compound. A grout saw or grout removal bit for a rotary tool like a Dremel are good options. If you’re tiling a new surface, make sure all tiles are fully set before grouting.
There are different types of grout for different applications. Traditionally grout comes in “sanded” and “non-sanded” varieties; the latter being best suited for tile spaces less than 1/8″ wide. For the purposes of this tutorial, we’re talking about the mix-it-yourself sanded grout.
What you will need:
- Two buckets (one for mixing grout, one filled with clean water)
- Grout sponge
- Grout float (specially designed grout-smoothing tool)
- Grout
- Water
- Putty knife, stirring stick, or mixer attachment for drill
INSTALLATION
Step 1. Mixing the Grout
When mixing grout, you’ll want to follow the manufacturer’s instructions, but here are a few additional tips. Pour about 3/4 of the recommended amount of water in the bucket and then add the grout. Once mixed, add the remaining water to achieve the desired consistency, which should look something like this. I find that working in smaller batches and hand mixing is best.
Photo: Kit Stansley
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