What Happens If Ceramic Grout Lines Are Too Close

I am also assuming that when you say zero joint you been the tiles are butted up to each other and there is no space for grout.

What happens if ceramic grout lines are too close.

As far as i ever knew grout lines in a shower should not be overly close together because if they are too narrow they could crack leak more easily. Well my 17 x17 porcelain bathroom floor tiles are butted so close not even 1 16 spacers will fit for any grout. It keeps moisture out of the substrate helps keep tile lines straight and. Medium sized grout line widths 1 8 to 1 4 inch require the use of sanded grout and are typically featured when moderate size variation occurs among the tiles or when tiles with lugs are used.

Some even want to install their tiles with no grout at all. One key to success is to remember that grout has a limited working time and can dry before you know it if you grout an area that s too large the grout will set up and become difficult to work with or remove. How to lay tile without grout lines. Answer answer the joint between two adjacent tiles is referred to as the grout joint which is what i think you are referring to.

I did this with the white tiles too. If you re working on vertical surfaces you ll find that it s a lot easier to use unsanded grout for wall installations given that it is a lot stickier than other materials. Note the white tiles in the pics i have gone ahead and grouted the best i could today. Because a medium size grout line is easier to work with and in most cases can hide some slight imperfections it is often the choice of both experts and the average diy homeowner.

Wipe up the excess grout from the tiles with a damp sponge after about 10 minutes. Grouting is not difficult to do well but it is even easier to do poorly. Since this is what all customer request from the installer most installers and contractors find pride in very close grout lines and they consider it a sign of a high quality job. I think this might be a bigger problem.

None of the thinset from placing them on the floor have come up between the tiles. Allow the grout to dry completely for 24 hours. When re modeling floors bathroom or a kitchen almost everybody wants to have the minimum grout lines between their tiles. Use unsanded grout for lines smaller than a inch wide since it will shrink as it dries.

Industry standards do not recommend butting tiles together whether they are a stone tile or a ceramic tile. The close ups show that i should run a box cutter between the tiles to clean the thin set in some areas. Be sure not to use a lot of water because this could wash the grout back out of the joints before it dries. Grouting is the final step of installing ceramic wall tile after the tile adhesive has fully cured.

This will give the grout time to set in the joints but not enough time to dry on the tiles. The tileman asked if i wanted a thick grout line or butted.