I’m not sure what my problem is but everytime I have to grout, it just doesnt look right. I always end up going back with my finger and smoothing the joints. It doesnt seem to matter how I mix it. I know if its too wet it will shrink and crack but today I had to mix a whole container so I know the mix was right and it still didnt lay right(maybe it was too dry?).
Is there anything that I just am not getting? The grout was actually pulling a little when I wiped it about one half hour after grouting.
Replies
Sponge too wet? Pressing it too hard? Not cleaning it enough?
Wow, thanks for al the good advice. I did let it slake, I may be wiping too hard though. I let the grout set for about 10 min and it didnt wipe very well so I waited longer. Its in there but i'm not satisfied. I wont get to go back and check on it till monday so i'll see what i've done then. I do have a good rubbers float so I dont think it is a problem tools. I must just need to develop a touch for it. Finally my tile is good and flat(the install).
MSA1, somewhere I remember reading that it is critical to wipe grout joints at a 45 degree angle to the lines. I've never had any problem, no matter what, but I'm just a framer...and a hack one at that!
blueWarning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. Although I have a lifetime of framing experience, all of it is considered bottom of the barrel by Gabe. I am not to be counted amongst the worst of the worst. If you want real framing information...don't listen to me..just ask Gabe!
Can't really say since you kind of have to be there.
Your best bet is to watch a good pro tile guy do it and ask questions. It's not as easy as it may seem, obviously you know that.
You pack the joints and then use the float at an angle I assume?
And wring the crap outta the sponge, flipping over and rinsing every other swipe?
After mixing do you let it slack a bit, then spin it a couple more times?
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
This is very good advice, especially the slaking period. Waiting a half hour to sponge is way too long. This must be what is pulling it out. The excess gets too hard to remove and the aggressive rubbing necessary to remove it is ruining the joints. You should never have to tool it with your finger.
There is no such thing as an exact recipe for grout. Most packages give mixing instructions that state 'mix the contents of this box/bag/whatever with approximately X litres of cool water....' You will have to eyeball it, even if you do mix the entire box. A lot depends on how much latent moisture is in the 'dry' grout mix, the humidity on the day you're mixing, and so on.
For unsanded wall grout, you generally want something about like cheap store-brand peanut butter: not quite drooling but close. It needs to be thick enough that you can pick it up with the float but not so thick you have to break your arms trying to force it into those itty-bitty cracks.
For sanded grout, it's generally a bit thicker, since you are usually going into larger interstices. If you're grouting a mosaic floor with 1/16" spaces, though, mix it almost as thin as you would wall grout or you'll look like Arnold Schwarzenegger after a couple of hundred square feet....
Your problems with having to smooth it with your fingers probably originate in technique or tools. Get yourself a laminated rubber float, smear the stuff into the cracks using it on the flat then screed the left-over grout off the surface with the edge going on a diagonal to the tile. When you go to wipe down, start with a clean, wrung-out grout sponge, and rinse it often. Use two buckets of water--first rinse then clean rinse. Change the water often unless you own a floor buffer, LOL. Again, wipe on a diagonal, using light pressure. If you're seeing the grout smearing out of the interstices, your sponge is too wet.
Some pros use an old bath towel instead of a sponge and drag it on the diagonal across the tile. See which works better for you.
Polish off the haze by hand within 10 minutes, or (for glazed tile) you can wait till the next day and hit it with the aforementioned buffer using white Scotchbrite, then vaccuum, damp mop very lightly, and leave it alone for 24 more hours.
Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
When I grout I usually do one 25 lb bag per laying. The time it takes to lay it all plus about 1/2 hour or a little more seems to be the right amount of time for me. Then I use a "grout sponge" and cool water. Ring the sponge out very dry and shape the grout joints with a circular motion. I use almost no pressure at all. I'm sorry let me restate that.... I use NO PRESSURE at all. I never use my finger. Just light circular motions like "Daniel San" in the karate kid until the grout washes out to the right depth. Good tile that is well gauged always grouts better than stuff that is all over the place in thickness.
Oh yea, while I'm shaping the joints, I clean up any big lumpy stuff in the middle of the tiles also. And I only wipe once. I leave it dusty after that until I'm really done in the room and then vacuum and or wipe once more.
Rob Kress
Clean Machine. Grouting tile is a slow and messy job, but the 18418 Professional Grout Cleaning Set aims to cut down on the mess and speed up the process. The system's long-handled sponge is cleaned on a stainless tray that's suspended just above the water level in the bucket. Once the sponge is clean, you can squeeze out any excess water with the attached wringer. Not only does this reduce the amount of time spent on your knees, it keeps your hands out of that cold, nasty water. The set sells for about $350 and includes all the tools you need for grouting tile, including a float, squeegee, bucket, clean-ing tray, sponge, and wringer. The company also makes less-expensive versions, if you're willing to sacrifice the lever-operated wringer. Karl Dahm, 772/463-9590, http://www.dahm-tools.com
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"I will never surrender or retreat. " Col. Wm. B. Travis, The Alamo, Feb. 1835
Edited 12/4/2004 12:59 am ET by intrepid_cat
Ten minutes is definitely not long enough, and even a half hour may be too soon. You should not be using the sponge to form the surface of the joint. It should be firmly packed and pretty much final shape from the grout float, with the sponge just touching it up. And the sponge must be wrung out very dry. Make only two swipes with the sponge; one then flip it over the one with the other side, then rinse it out.
Once again, thanks for the advice. I guess I just need some more practice. I'll certainly be putting all your suggestions into practice next time.