Grouting the joints between tiles - the final touch! Tile grout in the bathroom - choose the quality Tile grout

Most often, tiles are used for finishing 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 treated with a special grout, which makes the cladding more attractive. Doing this work yourself is not difficult at all, the main thing is to choose the right mixture.

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

1. Colour. For many people, this point 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 do not need to run around the shops and look for paint of the desired color, you just need to add a color scheme to the white mixture. The most daring designers choose contrast.
2. Appointment. The standard mix is ​​not suitable for grouting floor joints. Since the load on the surface is intense, a more tenacious grout is required.
3. Composition and properties. Portland cement, alabaster, epoxy resins, gypsum, etc. may be a part of the mixtures for the treatment of seams. The properties of the mixture depend on the composition. If it is necessary to grind the seams on the bathroom floor, in which the humidity level is high, then epoxies should be used, since they are moisture resistant and more durable.

Tile grout mixes: dry and ready-made

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. They are used for decorative jointing.
• Polymeric. They are made on the basis of silicone. Resistant to temperature extremes. 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 premises of the same type as cement-sand. However, they contain polymer components that make the composition more durable and moisture resistant.
• Epoxy-cement. Just like epoxy, they are used in the process of interior and exterior work. 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 rub seams correctly?

Grouting mixtures are available dry and ready-made. The convenience of the powder is that it can be used as needed and it can be stored for a long time. However, when diluting, it is rather difficult to calculate the amount of dry mix required.

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

It is possible to grind the seams, as a rule, a day after laying the tiles. Before you start processing the gaps between the floor tiles, you will need the following tools:

1. Water;
2. Brush;
3. Capacity for mixing the solution;
4. Paint mixer or drill with a special attachment;
5. Small trowel or rubber spatula;
6. Foam sponge or clean rags.

The grout mixture is mixed in small portions, so in order to achieve its uniformity, you can do with a spatula or trowel. If you need large volumes, then you need a mixer.

Before grouting, the tiles 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 rubber 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 mixture is used) 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 be significantly reduced. 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 ceramic tiles is carried out with a flexible trowel. For a more accurate application of the solution, you can use a piping bag. The seam must be completely filled with the mixture so that no voids remain inside, the excess is removed. The boundaries of the grout must be in line with the tile surface. When the solution dries, it should be slightly moistened with water to prevent cracking. It should be borne in mind that when the solution dries, it may "sag", therefore, it is required to grind the seams twice or three times.

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 of the floor with your own hands, it will take about 20 minutes.

Finishing tiles

After the grout is dry, you can start finishing the joints. But how do you know if the mixture has grabbed? This can be checked with a foam 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 mildew will be minimized. If we are talking about a bathroom, then there is a high probability that water will accumulate on the floor. To prevent the liquid from penetrating the seams, it is better to coat them with epoxy. This will be the last step in DIY grouting.

Next comes the turn of the tiles. The foam sponge is used for wet cleaning, which gives the work a complete look. This is done carefully, the sponge is carried in a circular motion. For better cleaning, before doing this, you can walk on the floor with a dry brush to sweep up the dust.

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

It is very important to monitor the condition of the seams. As they say, cleanliness is a guarantee of health. The cleaner the gaps are, the less likely it is to breed pathogens, fungus and mold. It is necessary to carry out a general cleaning at least once or twice a month. To do this, you can use citric acid, vinegar, soapy water, or detergents with a disinfecting effect. A good old disinfectant is bleach. If the grout has lost its original color, it can be bleached with baking 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 correct choice of grout for the joints. Take care of your floors and they will serve you for years to come. Leave your comments to the article in the form below!

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

Second, there are no tiles that are perfectly square or with right angles, so there will be gaps in the joints in any case.

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

What "grout" to use

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

How to cook grout

Be sure to use the manufacturer's recommendation. The different composition also requires its own know-how. It is better to purchase the composition dry, it is much cheaper. It is natural to find out what to dilute: water or latex (liquid). Dry polymer compounds are mixed only with water!

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

Stages of work:

1. Grout preparation. In addition to what has already been established, you need to know that the kneading must be done carefully, not allowing air bubbles to enter inside. It will only weaken the action of the solution;
2. Spreading out the solution. With the help of a spatula, the mortar 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 all over the wall at once;
3. Wet cleaning of the plane. It is done after the mixture has hardened sufficiently;
4. Smoothing and smoothing of seams. It is made precisely by the manufactured jointing.

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

Related videos:

Grouting. How to grout ceramic tiles. Video tutorial.

This video demonstrates how to grout ceramic tiles on walls. See if you have collected ...

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

How to grind the seams on the tiles so that the beautiful appearance of the decorated room is preserved for a long time? Knowledge of the intricacies of such work will help to understand this.

How to choose a trowel mixture?

Before you grind the seams on the tiles, you need to purchase a 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 grouting mixtures of darker tones than the tile itself. This will strictly emphasize the geometry of the tiles and practically hide the dirt that will appear during use.

Types of grout mixtures

Before starting the tiling process, you should find out how you can grind the tile seams in each case. To do this, it is important to figure out what kind of mashing compositions are.

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

• cement-sand based grouting;
• polymer-cement compositions;
• epoxy-cement mixtures;
• epoxy grout;
• silicone-based polymer mixtures.

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

Polymer cement mixtures are similar in composition to cement-sand grouting, but they also contain polymer additives that make them more durable and moisture resistant. The seams lined with them are not susceptible 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 works for facing tiles. 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. By its composition, the epoxy-based grout is viscous and has the property of quickly hardening, therefore it requires active and skillful work. It is not suitable for mashing narrow tiled spaces in living quarters, the width of which ranges from 3-6 mm, but it will be an excellent solution for facing works on wide joints of various non-standard objects, for example, 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 for facing floor tiles with a "warm floor" system. They are inserted into the suture using a special syringe.

Instruments

Before rubbing the seams on the tiles, it is imperative to prepare a construction kit. It includes the following components:

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

Preparation

Experts, before rubbing the joints between the tiles, carry out preliminary measures to clean the inter-tile spaces. They remove all remaining dividing crosses, despite the opinion of many manufacturers that they can be left and grout applied on top. Professionals say that in areas where the separator remains, the tone of the grout will be lighter after hardening - this will ruin the final result.

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

For unglazed materials, a preliminary slight moistening of the top and side surfaces is required. This activity will help get rid of excess moisture suction when applying grout. With strong moisture, the trowel mass often spreads, so it is important not to overdo it. The grout can be applied to glazed tiles without pre-wetting the side and top areas.

Mixing the grout paste

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

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

Application of the trowel

Before you grind the seams on the tiles on the floor or wall, read the following recommendations from specialists:

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

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

It is important to know how to properly trowel the tile joints in order to get a high-quality and accurate result. To do this, it is necessary to carry out 3-4 times along the seam, rubbing and deepening the mixture as carefully as possible into all voids and corners. The inter-tile area must be filled tightly in order to exclude the formation of voids between the tiles as much as possible. Excess grout paste is removed by running the trowel diagonally to the joint. The tool is positioned at an angle of 90 ° to the area to be machined. Some experts recommend having another spatula for this.

Finishing touches

After about 15 minutes, the trowel 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 you press 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 grind tiles in corners. For this, a special small spatula is used, designed for hard-to-reach places. Many experts prefer to fill the corners and crevices around the perimeter of shower cabins, bathtubs, washbasins with silicone, which will guarantee the tightness of the filling of the entire seam and exclude the formation of cracks in the future. Before filling the inter-tile space with silicone sealant, cover the edges of the tiles with masking tape to avoid contamination. The sealant is pressed in continuously, then leveled with a damp rubber trowel. By removing excess silicone, you can remove the tape strips from the tiles.

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

Specialist rates

Anyone who is engaged in repairs on their own is interested in the question of how much it costs to grind 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 coating and the total area intended for laying and mashing. On average, professionals ask for about 600 rubles per 1 sq. M. for laying tiles of ordinary size with subsequent grouting, and within 950 rubles / 1 sq.m. for the same work with mosaics. A separate service for mashing the area of ​​inter-tile space will cost approximately 100 rubles / 1 sq.m.

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 us to successfully solve this problem, choose the right materials, for example, in rooms with high humidity or high traffic rates.

The tile is often used as a finishing decorative coating 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.

What is grout for?

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 grout is sold as a dry mix for dilution with water or in hermetically sealed jars as a thick paste.

Preparation

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 not easily rubbed off porous tiles.

An important stage of preparation is the correct choice of grout and calculation of material consumption

Choice of composition

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

Grouting mixtures are divided into several types.

• Cement grout has two subspecies: sand-cement and Portland cement. Sand-cement consists of fine 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 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.

This type of paste is not used in conditions of exposure to aggressive chemicals, constant exposure to water, for example, in production with acids, in swimming pools. The finished mixture sets quickly, so it must be used within 2 hours after dilution.

• Furan or epoxy based grout. Furan resin, which is 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.

How to calculate the quantity?

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.

Preparation of the mixture

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 customer's or designer's idea.

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.

Before rubbing, the seams are moistened by wiping with a wet sponge; there is no need to prime the surface with a primer.

Subtleties of the process

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.

What do you need?

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 width of the seam or a special molder to give the seams a beautiful shape.
• For polyurethane compounds, a special tile cleaner and a sponge are included.

Application Guide

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 basic 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.

With a special sponge, you need to wash off the stains, the remnants of the solution from the tile, after hardening it will be much more difficult to do this. Special detergents are used to remove excess polyurethane grouts. After a day, the surface is completely dry and hardened. You can wash the tiles clean with any detergent.

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 seams, strengthen them, prevent the appearance of mold and mildew, and improve the overall appearance. The impregnation can be applied with a thin brush.

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 joint. 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.

It is important to carefully read the instructions, observe the indicated proportions.

Do you know how to trowel tiles correctly? What tools to use? How to breed?

Let's look for answers to the questions in order.

Pre-application of the jointer

List of instruments

• Rubber spatula
• Construction bag
• Piece of cable
• Capacity

Surface preparation

Prepare the surface before trowelling the tiles. To do this, you need to clean the seams from debris: mortar residues, crosses.

Important! It is necessary to start grouting the tiles only after at least 24 hours after laying the tiles.

Some manufacturers claim that their crosses do not need to be removed to adjust the joints between tiles. However, our experts assure that if you do not want the fugue in these places to be two shades lighter than in all areas, you should nevertheless remove this element.

Jointing of seams

Before troweling the tiles, of course, you need to dilute the mixture itself.

Pressing the mixture into the seams

Advice! You need to dilute a small amount, not the entire package!

Of course, if you need to grout, then use a container larger than for grouting tiles on the walls.

Why? Explaining!

It is best to rub the tiles on the walls with a small rubber trowel, with which the mixture is applied directly to the seams. But in order to trowel the tiles on the floor, especially with large volumes, they often use a tool that resembles a "grater" for smoothing a concrete surface. By collecting a sufficiently large amount of the mixture on this spatula, the grout is applied to the tile itself, moving diagonally.

Important! In one step, an area of ​​1-2 squares follows, more at a time is not recommended, since the mixture itself can grab, and then it will not be possible to carry out high-quality jointing.

However, the method using the above grater is a little of poor quality, it is suitable, say, for the work of a master, but when you do everything with your own hands, it is better to use a rubber spatula in your apartment.

Why? Explaining!

When grouting the joints with a rubber trowel, you will apply sufficient force to press in the mixture. This effort is necessary so that when filling there are no voids, only then the grout will fully justify its protective functions. Seam protection is an important step in laying the tiles themselves.

Remove excess mixture with a sponge

If the fugue is applied correctly, then this will help you to avoid many problems in the future. The grout itself does not allow water to pass through, and therefore, the solution on which the tiles are laid will not be exposed to the destructive action of moisture.

Also, if you decide to grind the tiles on the street, say, on a terrace or in a gazebo, we recommend using mixes for outdoor work. And here grouting tiles is a must!

If moisture in the warm season gets into unprotected seams and seeps under the tiles, then be prepared to completely move the floor next year. Why? Yes, because in winter, moisture turns into ice, which, as you know from physics lessons, not only has a much larger volume than water, but also completely incompressible.

And as a result, tiles that were laid outside without grouting will simply either "tear" from the inside or fall off.

Another way to grind tiles is to use a building cone. The construction cone in its function resembles an ordinary baking bag, inside which cream is placed and, squeezing, it is applied to the cake.

We clean the tiles

The principle of operation is similar here, a grout mixture is placed inside the cone, which, under pressure, will be distributed along the seams.

Joining seams

So, trowelling is not that difficult. The next step is to join the seams.

For jointing, some craftsmen walk along the seams with a piece of cable of a suitable diameter, while excess grout will protrude onto the surface of the tile itself, and all the seams will be neat, equally filled.

However, this stage is not necessary at all, so trowelling the tiles in this way will be only your decision.

Tile cleaning

After you have done the grouting, and even the jointing, you should immediately start cleaning.

Why do we recommend doing it right away? Until the fugue has completely set, cleaning the tile will not be as problematic as it would be after completing the process. Moreover, if your tile has a porous, corrugated surface, you should remove the excess mixture right there, just when you start to grind the tile.

Use clean rags, a sponge for cleaning - after all, if your fugue is of light shades, there will be a possibility that you will contaminate it at the initial stage, during cleaning after repair, without wanting to.

So, you have learned not only to grind the tiles, but also to embroider the seams, which is why, without postponing things indefinitely, get to work!