Grouting tiles correctly: step-by-step instructions!

A proper joint makes the tile picture complete. However, grouting is only easy if there is a certain basic knowledge about it. These instructions will help!

Grouting tiles: therefore grout tiles

The grouting of the tiles is important not only for the reason that this resulted in a complete image of tiles. Not even because the thick tiles prevent water from penetrating the wall behind. The main reason tile grouting is so important is because of the effects of moisture and temperature. Ceramic products can expand and contract again to a certain extent under these influencing factors, the material works. Even if this is less pronounced than with wood , such small movements would lead to a certain amount of tension building up in the tiles if they had been laid edge to edge .

This tension can lead to cracks , especially if the temperature and climate differences are very large, such as in the bathroom . A tile must always be able to move, even if it is of course not visible to the human eye. Modern flexible adhesives for the joints ensure exactly that and, thanks to the plastic additives in the mortar, ensure that the floor or wall tiles are as flexible as possible . Even porcelain stoneware can be attached safely and almost perfectly to the wall or floor with this tile adhesive .

Read this article

In addition, the joints ensure that minor inaccuracies when laying the tiles are compensated for and are visually less noticeable.

Tile Life Hack

Tiles are particularly popular in German bathrooms. They are easy to clean and the tiled mirror looks really good. What is unsightly, of course, are holes in the tiles or tile joints. Especially if, after a redesign, you can only see stains that have been filled with a spatula. There is a great alternative to this.

Hack # 1: bathroom adhesive hooks for non-perforated tiles

In order to attach towel rails or the like in the bathroom, for example , it is not absolutely necessary to drill. Badge hooks can help here:

Put the finishing touches on the wall: grouting tiles

In the best case, wall tiles create a uniform image and make the room appear larger, brighter, more homely or more exclusive . The exact effect depends on the color and type of the tiles, but also on how the tiles can be grouted. The tricky thing for a layperson about the tile mirror on the wall is that it is exactly in the field of vision and every faux pas is of course more noticeable. It is therefore not only important that the tiles themselves lie flat and that any pattern on them is correctly depicted.

For more Information

It is also relevant that the joints are of an appropriate width and have been properly grouted. With Fugenbunt optical effects can be achieved, but these can also have a negative effect if the wall tiles have not been laid exactly. Fugenbunt can be used in a color that is a very clear contrast to the wall tiles.

What is needed for grouting:

• fine grout

• water

• Silicone for the later expansion joints

• Grout scraper

• Mortar bucket and drill with whisk

• Grout board

• Tile sponge

• possibly silicone cleaner

The instructions show step by step how to grout the wall tiles

1. Cleaning the joints
   Before grouting, it must be ensured that the joints are really clean. Any remains of tile adhesive must be removed.

2. Cleaning the tiles
   If the wall is to be re-grouted or if the grouting is carried out some time after the tiles have been laid, the wall must be cleaned with a grease and silicone cleaner.

3. Applying primer
   If the joints are to be flat, the side edges of the tiles sloping into the joint must be coated with primer. This requires masking the edges of the tiles.

4. Mixing the grout
   Mixing is carried out exactly according to the manufacturer's instructions. Grout is best mixed in a bucket with a drill with a whisk to form an evenly thick mass.

5. 
   Applying grout The grout board is used to apply the mortar. Important: paint diagonally to the joint! It is also important that the joints are completely filled with the grout.

6. Cleaning the tiles
   Once the mortar has set but is not yet dry, the tiles are carefully washed with the tile sponge. This applies to the flat grouting of the tiles.

7. Filling the expansion joint
   In the last step, the expansion joints are filled with silicone. Excess silicone can be removed with a spatula and wiped away with your finger.

Visit this site

The tiles should be cleaned immediately, otherwise a gray cement veil will form on them. This is difficult to remove later and with a special cleaner. In addition, the mortar can attack the surface of the tiles, making them look dull.With Fugenbunt it is important that the same amount of mortar is always mixed with water, otherwise there may be deviations in the shade after drying.

Grouting tiles: the floor becomes an eye-catcher

Floor tiles should create a uniform appearance, without any visual breaks due to irregular joints or inclined laying. Anyone who is still completely inexperienced in grouting should therefore test their own skills in a little visible place and try grouting the tiles first. In some cases, the impregnation of the floor tiles is important because they absorb mortar and cleaners like a sponge and can hardly be cleaned. By impregnating liquids can not be absorbed so deeply. This is not necessary for smooth and small-pore tile models.

What is needed for grouting:

• Water and grout

• silicone

• possibly cleaner against cement veil

• Bucket and drill with whisk

• Squeegee or joint board with a hard rubber lip

• Silicone syringe

• Wooden spatula

• Grout scraper

These step-by-step instructions lead even beginners to beautifully laid and grouted floor tiles

1. Cleaning the tiles
   Before grouting, floor tiles must also be absolutely clean. The joint scraper will help remove the tile adhesive from the joints.

2. Mixing the grout
   The mortar for floor tiles may be significantly thinner than that for wall tiles.

3. Grouting the floor tiles
   The grout is poured onto the floor (measure: only pour as much as can be worked in within half an hour) and spread with the slider. There must be no cavities! It is also important that the joint height is always uniform and that a uniform joint depth is achieved.

4. Flushing out
   If the mortar has dried a little and no longer shines, it is flushed out. The sponge board is used for this. The same applies here: work diagonally!

5. Injecting the expansion joint
   The expansion joint still has to be sprayed out with silicone, which is then pulled off with a damp finger.

6. Cleaning
   If cleaning is carried out as quickly as possible, the cement film cleaner is often not even necessary. A linen or cotton cloth is recommended for cleaning.
   If you want to grout the tiles on the floor and on the wall , you need a little practice and time. It is not absolutely necessary to hire a specialist to do this! Still, there are a few things to keep in mind if you want the end result to be handsome. For example, grout that can be poured directly into the joint and which is therefore much more fluid is helpful . They are also used for grouting the mosaic tilevery suitable. This has the disadvantage that it is very small and is laid irregularly, which is why grouting can be a real art. Due to the very liquid mortar, the mosaic tile is only a minor challenge for the hobby do-it-yourselfer !

Regardless of whether normal tile mortar or flexible adhesive is used: highly absorbent substrates must always be well moistened, otherwise they will draw the water out of the grout. The mortar would dry out too quickly and would not retract properly, the joints are not tight enough. They would crumble out in no time . The work is then twice as demanding, because if the joints crumble, the entire loose mortar mass has to be removed before the new grouting is possible.

If you want to grout outdoors, you should not do so in direct sunlight. The joints dry out too quickly and are then not tight. Conversely, however, outdoor areas must also be protected from rain after grouting . In addition, it goes without saying that grouting must not be carried out in frosty conditions. Outdoor floor tiles can get a narrower joint if they are only in the shade. In a location exposed to the sun, on the other hand, the joint should be wider, because these exterior tiles will work much harder and build up tension.

If you want to grout in the bathroom or the tiled area in the kitchen (for example on the sink or stove), you should make sure that the so-called "water-repellent grout" does not completely keep the water out. This means that a barrier must be placed under the tiling to prevent water from entering the wall . As a rule, a primer is applied that reliably prevents the penetration of moisture. This is also important outdoors, because here a tiled floor or a tiled wall cannot be completely protected from moisture.