DIY Tiling Series Part 5 – Applying Grout Tips

We are coming close to completing your tiling project! Up to this point, your sub-floor has been prepared, your full tiles have been laid with adhesive, all your tiles have been cut and now the last step is applying grout to the tiles to finish the project.

Step 9: Applying grout to your laid tiles

When you are grouting you will need:

• Two buckets to mix the grout. One with water, the other without
• Mixing spatula
• Squeegee
• Sponge – make sure the sponge is able to absorb and release water efficiently
• Gloves
• Face mask

Mixing the grout

Put your gloves and face mask on, and follow the instructions on the grout packaging.

Be careful not to use too much water otherwise the mixture will be too runny. The trick is to pour a bit of water, add grout and keep adding grout until you have the right consistency. Once you have the right consistency, leave it to stand for about 5 to 10 minutes.

NOTE: Tape the bottom of the wall if you are grouting the area next to a wall where white grout has been used and you using dark grout.

Spreading the grout

When applying grout, place a fair dollop of onto the tiles and work it into gaps using a squeegee. Make sure you push the grout right down into the joint. Once an area is complete, scrape the excess grout away from the area to use in another area until the grout is done. If there are holes, apply more grout to the area.

TIP: Clean your tiles the day before applying grout so the water can dry and the grout will dry faster. Spread the grout so all gaps are covered and wait 10-15 minutes for it to dry before cleaning it off.

Cleaning the grout

To clean the grout off, take a bucket with clean water and your sponge. Your sponge must not be too wet else it can cause discolouration to the grout which you do not want. Keep the sponge flat and wipe down the tiles. If you are using a darker grout it will be harder to clean.  Wipe the whole floor once, let it dry for 5-10 minutes, do another clean, let it dry and repeat this process. Be sure to clean the grout off the tiles 10-15 minutes after spreading before it dries.

Well done on completing your tiling project! We would love to see your work so please send us a picture of your lovely DIY project either via email or post it to our facebook page. If you send us a before and after picture of your project you can stand a chance at winning 30% cash back on your iTILE products. Details can be found on our competitions page.