How to grout tiles?

Floor repair is always accompanied by the installation of a topcoat. And this must be done in such a way that it is pleasing to the eye, is practical and serves for a long time in different conditions: in apartments and houses, in enterprises, in shopping centers, offices, and various organizations. Here is a decent work result. The technologies worked out over the centuries and the many years of experience of builders allow successfully solving this problem, choosing the right materials, for example, in rooms with high humidity or high traffic rates.

Tiles are often used as finishing decorative coatings. not only for the floor, but also for walls, countertops, other surfaces, for facade work. It is one of the most practical and durable materials. A variety of textures, a rich palette of shades, the ability to combine and create various effects enable designers to create beautiful and stylish compositions that stagger the imagination.

Grouting tile joints is an important part of laying decorative tiles.

Grout performs the following functions:

• Fills the joints between tiles, masks irregularities, chips and other minor defects.
• Acts as a waterproofing agent, preventing the penetration of water and moisture under the tiles and the destruction of floors and walls.
• Prevents the growth of bacteria, the formation of mold, mildew.
• Bonds the entire surface, gives a complete and neat look.
• It can act as a decorative element, making a bright contrast to the tiles, emphasizing its geometry.

The tile is laid, kept for 7 days - the time after laying, during which the tile adhesive dries completely, now you can start grouting.

This requires:

• Remove the fixing crosses.
• Clean edges and seams from debris, dirt, dust, tile adhesive residues with a spatula or screwdriver.
• Vacuum and wet clean.
• Dry the surface.
• On porous clinker tiles, masking tape must be glued along the edges. Grout is difficult to scrub off porous tiles.

Grouting differs in composition and characteristics, features of use.

When choosing, you should take into account the following parameters:

• The width of the tile gaps.
• The humidity level and temperature in the room.
• The presence of chemically aggressive media, detergents.
• High permeability, various mechanical loads.
• Exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
• The texture and color of the tiles.

• Cement grout has two subspecies: sand-cement and Portland cement. Sand-cement consists of fine-grained sand and cement, of all types it is the most affordable, it is used for joints with a width of more than 5 mm. The grainy abrasive structure scratches smooth surfaces and is therefore not compatible with glazed tiles. The cement-sand mixture gradually crumbles, can absorb moisture, and crack. If it is necessary to remove from the joints, these properties will help to easily clean the gaps between the tiles. It is possible to reduce the crumbling of the tiles by treating the dried seams with hydrophobic impregnations.

The second subspecies contains cement, various plasticizing, polymeric and drying additives. This grout is used to fill narrower joints, 3-5 mm wide. You can strengthen the waterproofing properties by diluting the powder not with water, but with liquid latex. The properties of the mixture allow it to be used on glazed types of tiles, the plasticizers in the composition make the filling of the joints easier and of better quality. It is recommended to use cement grout in dry rooms.

• Furan or epoxy based grout. Furan resin, which constitutes the base, is mixed with a special hardener and is used mainly in industrial premises with heavy loads and difficult operating conditions.

Epoxy resin and hardener can be combined with sand, color pigment, Portland cement.

The cost of such a mixture is higher, but the advantages are obvious:

• Absolute resistance to moisture and water, UV light, easy to clean, does not absorb dirt, does not fade.
• Neutral to chemical and temperature influences, used in saunas, swimming pools, bathrooms.
• Resistant to abrasion and other mechanical stress.
• High decorativeness. Glitter, silver and gold powder and sand, mother of pearl, luminescent compounds are added to the mixture, which allows you to achieve various visual effects.

Epoxy grout is mixed immediately before work in small portions, its setting time is from 5 to 20 minutes. It is a viscous material and requires quick work and skill to apply.

• Polyurethane or polymer. It is sold ready-made and is an aqueous dispersion of polymer resins, to which pigments are added. This mixture is easy to apply with a special syringe and tolerates sudden temperature changes, for example, turning on / off the underfloor heating system, where tiles are often used as a topcoat due to their heat-conducting properties.

• Silicone sealants used for joints between kitchen sinks and worktop tiles, laminate and floor tiles. For aquariums and bathtub edges.
• Special grout with specific properties, for example, refractory mixtures of chamotte clay and cement for the manufacture of furnaces.

The composition is selected, you can go to the store, buy the mixture and grind the seams on the tiles. There is a special formula by which the consumption of the trowel mixture is calculated in kilograms per 1 m2.

Consumption (kg / m2) = (A + B) / (A + B) x H x D x Coef. x 10%

In this formula:

• A is the length of the tile, mm.
• B - width, mm.
• Н - thickness, mm.
• D - joint width, mm.
• Coef. Is the density coefficient of the trowel mixture. Equal to 1.5-1.8.

To dilute the solution from dry powder, you need a small clean container and a drill with a mixer attachment. The mixture is diluted with water or liquid latex strictly according to the instructions on the package of a particular grout. Usually take about 200-300 ml of water per 1 kg of dry components. Add water little by little, stir, then add another portion, so the whole mixture is gradually prepared. In consistency, it should resemble sour cream. If you pour more water than the norm, a mixture that is too liquid will crack, and a very thick mixture will not fill the entire seam, and voids will remain.

Mix the composition thoroughly with a mixer until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Color pigment or various decorative additives can be mixed into epoxy and polymer according to the idea of ​​the customer or designer.

It is better to dilute the first batch in a small amount to check the consumption, the quality of the mixture, and the setting speed. If you purchased a ready-made grout, you need to put some of the finished paste into another smaller container, hermetically closing the lid of the factory jar. It is impossible to store the finished solution for a long time, as it becomes covered with a film and loses its properties. Then you can no longer use it. It is recommended to dilute the portion so as to wipe 1.5 m2.

Moisture, which is applied to the gaps between the joints, provides better adhesion when applying the mixture. This procedure is not necessary for glazed tiles.

In rooms for permanent use (in the toilet, bathroom, in the kitchen), you can start grouting the joints 1 day after laying the tiles, so as not to torment the residents for a whole week. In other rooms, you need to wait 7 days, and only then grout. Before the main work, it is necessary to treat the gaps with an antifungal composition. After processing, the composition dries up within a day.

The epoxy mixture is chemically aggressive, in order to work with it, protective equipment is needed. Epoxy putty needs to be sealed very quickly and deftly, otherwise it will harden and become unusable.

To apply polymer pastes, you need a syringe, which you can make with your own hands. To do this, you need to take a dense plastic bag and cut off its corner so that you get a small hole for the polymer to exit. Then put a little of the mixture and squeeze out, filling the tile joints.

For work, you should prepare the following tool:

• A clean small container in which a portion of the solution is mixed can be used in a tray.
• Drill with mixing attachment for thorough mixing of the components.
• A basin of warm clean water to moisten the seams before work.
• A rubber spatula that is used to fill in the gaps, or a trowel.
• Large hard sponge, paint brush for wetting and sweeping out debris and dust.
• A clean rag, preferably soft.
• Personal chemical protection means: respirator, goggles and rubber gloves.
• A piece of electrical cable with a diameter slightly less than the seam width or a special molding tool to give the seams a beautiful shape.
• For polyurethane compounds, a special tile cleaner and a sponge are included.

To properly join the floor and walls, you need to know the basic rules.

They are suitable for both cement mixtures and polyurethane:

• The movements during mashing do not go along the edge of the tile, but across, perpendicular to the seam, a horizontal strip is first made on the wall, and then a vertical one.
• Dilute or pick up the finished pasta in small portions, covering an area of ​​approximately 1.5 m2.
• Apply a lump of mixture to the area of ​​the gap and push more paste into the seam to fill in all the voids and cover the corners as much as possible. When the entire gap is filled, the spatula will begin to meet a certain resistance.
• Do not forget to wet the edges, keep the trowel at an angle of 30-40 degrees to the tile.
• Pass along the seam 3-4 times, rubbing the grout thoroughly, then the mixture will fill the entire gap.
• Excess mortar must be removed immediately with a spatula.

After 5-15 minutes, the seams will dry out a little, but will not completely harden, then you can level the seams with a hard sponge, evenly pressing on it so that the grout layer is 0.2 - 0.3 mm below the total level of the tile. The sponge should not be heavily moistened so that dark spots do not appear on the surface of the seams. Against the background of a lighter main tone, they look sloppy and can ruin the whole look of the finished tile. It is necessary to rinse the sponge after each formed seam. You can give the seam a neat look with a shaper or a piece of cable.

Epoxy paste is more difficult to rub in as it is more viscous and hardens quickly. If you do not have time to remove the remnants, you will have to cut them off with a knife. It is recommended to entrust the application of such pastes to experienced professionals. If you decide to apply yourself, you can first practice on a small area, test the mixture for the setting time and prepare all cleaning aids at once.

After the grout has completely dried, it is treated with various impregnations to improve the performance properties. Impregnations increase the water-repellent properties of the joints, strengthen them, prevent the appearance of mold and mildew, and improve the overall appearance. The impregnation can be applied with a thin brush.

Experienced craftsmen give valuable recommendations for correct correction of mistakes and flaws in the performance of work, as well as for successfully overcoming difficult places and achieving a brilliant result.

In corners and various hard-to-reach places, it is necessary to grind the seams with a special small spatula. The gaps between the bathroom, sink, shower and tiles are recommended to be covered with silicone sealant for reliability and better waterproofing. To prevent the silicone from staining the tiles, the edge is protected with masking tape. Apply sealant and level the joint with a wet trowel. Then remove excess silicone and peel off the masking tape.

To achieve a glossy, beautiful shine on the tile, you can prepare your own solution from the following ingredients:

• Toothpaste.
• Lemon juice.
• Detergent for dishes.
• Ammonia.
• Salt.
• Mustard powder.
• Table vinegar 6%.

After 30 minutes after jointing, take one or more components, mix and dilute with water. Then moisten a soft sponge in the solution and wipe the surface of the tile. At the slightest turbidity of the solution, a replacement follows, we take a new clean portion. Then rub additionally with a dry cloth after complete drying. You can spray glass and mirror cleaner onto the tiles.

Grout cracking can begin at any stage, even during the application of the mixture. Such deformation of solidified joints is most often encountered when using cement mortar.

There are several reasons for cracking:

• Dilution and mixing of the grout mixture was not made according to the instructions, the proportion of the ingredients was violated.
• Contact with hot water on a solidifying surface.
• The solution is very thin, a lot of water has been added.
• The subfloor under the tiles is not rigid enough, such as wood.

In this case, you need to urgently correct the situation, otherwise the entire period will crumble over time. You can clean out the gap and renew the seam, but the cracks will reappear. Experienced craftsmen recommend rubbing dry powder into the cracked grout. Add dry ingredients to the remaining portion, stir quickly.

To prevent destruction, when preparing the composition, it is necessary to achieve homogeneity, the viscosity should be medium. After stirring the solution, wait 5 minutes, then stir again thoroughly. Do not open windows and vents for ventilation, use hot water when wetting.

If tiles are to be replaced or the seam has darkened, it is necessary to clean out the gaps. You can mechanize the process: there is a special professional machine for scaling.

For information on how to properly grind the seams on the tiles, see the video below.