Free Click & Collect

Free Click & Collect

At your local store

Free Order & Collect

Free Order & Collect

At your local store

Free Delivery

Free Delivery

On orders over £250*

Free Cut Samples

Up To 3 Free Cut Samples

Free delivery on all samples

How To Grout Tiles

If you’re completing a tiling project yourself, you’ll need to know how to grout tiles too; and we’re here to help.

How To Grout TilesHow To Grout Tiles

If you’re completing a tiling project yourself, you’ll need to know how to grout tiles too; and we’re here to help. 

Grouting is an essential step in the tiling installation process. Grout is used to fill the space between tiles, to prevent water and dirt causing damage to your tiles. It also adds a clean finishing touch to your tiling project, with a bright white finish, although there are now a number of colour options available to suit different aesthetics. 

Once your tiles have been secured to the walls and the adhesive is completely dry, you are now ready to move onto the grouting process. It’s a satisfying task because it means that you’ve nearly completed your project and gives a really professional finish. If you also need help with learning how to tile a wall, we can help with that too.

Types of grout

The type of project and the tiles you have used will help to determine which grout should be used. Grout can be specifically designed to suit both wall and flooring projects, whilst also being suitable for specific materials of tiles. Therefore, it’s important to check that your chosen grout is suitable for your project.

We have a range of grout available which suit a huge range of projects:

 

Mapei Ultracolor Plus - Suitable for interior and exterior wall and floor grouting of ceramic tiles, porcelain, terracotta, stone material, glass and marble mosaics, however not suitable for soft glazed tiles. Great for wide joints 2-20mm.

Mapei Keracolor FF - Ideal for interior and exterior use on floors and walls.  Can be used on tile types including ceramic, porcelain, natural stone and mosaics.  Suitable for joints up to 6mm.

Mapei Keracolor SF - A superfine grout which can be used on joints up to 4mm.  Best suited for grouting tile types including ceramic, porcelain, natural stone and mosaics kitchen, bathrooms and shower areas.

If you need help with choosing the correct grout for your project,  get in touch with one of our team members either in store, on our live chat or by calling 0345 307 5000.

What you will need

  • Protective equipment -  goggles, mask, gloves
  • Floor protection sheet
  • Mapei Kerapoxy Design Grout Mix
  • Mechanical stirrer
  • Trowel
  • Rubber grout float
  • 2 x Sponges
  • 2 x Buckets of water
  • Cloth
  • Blunt-edged tool & Vacuum
  • Mapei Kerapoxy Cleaner Spray

Preparing your tiles for grouting

Firstly, make sure that your protective sheets are covering the areas that you wish to protect from grout, dust and dirt. 

Check your tile grouting spaces to make sure that they are clean and free from any hard adhesive or dirt. If there is any debris, remove with a damp sponge.

Prepare all of your materials needed and check that your water measurements are adhering to the manufacturer's instructions on your chosen grout. It is not advised to grout in temperatures below 5°C or in damp conditions. If the room temperature is above 25°C and you are grouting porous tiles, then we recommend dampening the joints with clean water before you start.

Finally, make sure at this point that you are wearing your protective equipment, including gloves, goggles and a face mask.

Mixing your grout

After checking the grout instructions, pour the required amount of water into a bucket; this ensures that all of the powder is mixed sufficiently. 

On a slow setting, use the mechanical stirrer to mix together the grout components. This should be stirred for 3-4 minutes to combine well into a smooth paste. You must make sure that there are no lumps or dry powder around the edges of the bucket.

Applying the grout

Once you are satisfied with the mix of your grout, take a clean trowel and apply grout to your rubber grout float.

Hold the float at a 45 degree angle and apply grout to the tile surface in diagonal motions. Really push the grout mixture into the gaps and work as fast as you can, as it tends to harden quickly.

Grout in sections so that you can manage the drying time well. You can pick up grout from the tile surface with your float and reuse to apply to remaining gaps. This will also reduce the amount of grout you need to clean at the end of each section.

Before moving onto the next section of grouting, clean tiles with a clean damp sponge before the grout dries on the tile surface. Be careful not to remove any grout from the gaps as you clean. If you do, then you can take a small amount of grout and reapply to fill the gap.

Finishing your tiles

You may notice a powdery film across your tiles as the grout is drying. Once the grout is completely dry, you will need to wipe this away to give your project the perfect finish.

Using a clean, damp sponge at a 45 degree angle, use swiping motions to wipe away any grout residue on the tile surface. Make sure that you are keeping the sponge clean when moving onto new sections for the best result.

If you’d like to add an extra shine to finish your tiles, use a clean microfibre cloth to polish them for a sparkling result.

 

Protecting your grout

After all of your efforts and hard work, keeping your grout clean is an important ongoing task once your project is complete, By looking after your grout properly, it can keep your tiles looking professionally clean for longer.

We recommend using a pre-made chemical cleaning solution to keep on top of keeping your grout clean and mould-free. 

Vitrex Mould Remover

The Vitrex Mould Remover can be used frequently enough to maintain the natural beauty of your tiles and grout, straight from the bottle.

LTP Grimex Tile & Grout Cleaner

For stubborn mould stains, you may require a strong solution for a better cleaning result and mould-removal. The LTP Grimex Tile & Grout Cleaner is great for stains that may have been left on grout for a prolonged period of time. 

 

Need further help? Contact our customer service team on 0345 307 5000 or [email protected]

Back to Top