Grout often becomes an afterthought in the world of tile, but don’t worry, we are here to remind you how important it is to give grout the love it deserves during the tile selection process.
Not only will grout affect the overall look and feel of your design, but it also plays a major role in the maintenance and the longevity of your tile. Among the (what feels like) thousands of decisions you’ll need to make during a remodel is choosing unsexy, unloved tile grout. Grout is a necessary evil when it comes to tile installations. It seals out dirt and water, compensates for small size differences between individual tiles, and firms up the structural integrity of an installation.
Whether you’re choosing between grout types, sealer, or colour, we are here to cover all the bases and help you make the right grout choice for your tile installation.
Where should you start?
First you need to decide on the look you’re trying to achieve. Ask yourself if you prefer a more uniform, full surface look, or a tiled look, with grout as a defining element.
The first concept illustrates how the grout matches the tiles to give the impression of a more uniform surface, while the second concept showes how you can pair coloured tiles with the darker grout to emphasize the tiles and the tile pattern.
What color grout should you use?
Selecting a grout colour can feel stressful, there are a lot of options, and the colour of your grout can significantly affect your overall design. Grout colour also has a huge impact on tile maintenance, for example, a darker grout will hide stains but can be prone to fading. It can also stain lighter-coloured or crackle tiles (we suggest first testing on a small area if you go this route), while a lighter grout will show stains and can be harder to keep clean. Colour is everything, so be sure to take your time.
There are three main directions you can go with grout colour:
Matching
If you want your tile colour to be the center of attention, we suggest matching your grout colour (or just get as close to it in tone if you have chosen a bright colour). This will prevent the eye from being distracted from the tile pattern found within the grout line. Not ready to go all-in on the pattern? We recommend selecting a matching grout so your pattern, like the triangular one found below, becomes more subtle in the space.
Contrasting
Are you more of a bold type? Select a contrasting grout to highlight the tile pattern and shape of your tile. Pro-Tip: Be sure to test your grout against your tile if you choose a contrasting grout colour. Dark or pigmented grouts can stain your tile.
Neutral
A neutral grout is always a safe bet – it goes with everything so it’s hard to go wrong. The pattern will be more noticeable than a matching grout but not the main feature as seen with contrasting grout installations.
How thick should the grout lines be?
The size of grout lines for tile is something that comes up with just about every tile installation and is a question we are asked almost every day.
While we always have recommendations for different product we work with, there really is no set width requirements. Instead, the thickness of your grout joint should be based on a number of factors including everything to tile size and amount of variation to your desired style or aesthetic.
The size of your tile should also be considered when choosing a grout size. In general, there is more size variation in larger format handmade tiles so they need a bigger grout joint.
Need more help choosing grout for your new tile installation? Give us a call at 0224584524 or fill out a form below and one of our experienced tilers will get back to you shortly.
Grout often becomes an afterthought in the world of tile, but don’t worry, we are here to remind you how important it is to give grout the love it deserves during the tile selection process.
Not only will grout affect the overall look and feel of your design, but it also plays a major role in the maintenance and the longevity of your tile. Among the (what feels like) thousands of decisions you’ll need to make during a remodel is choosing unsexy, unloved tile grout. Grout is a necessary evil when it comes to tile installations. It seals out dirt and water, compensates for small size differences between individual tiles, and firms up the structural integrity of an installation.
Whether you’re choosing between grout types, sealer, or colour, we are here to cover all the bases and help you make the right grout choice for your tile installation.
Where should you start?
First you need to decide on the look you’re trying to achieve. Ask yourself if you prefer a more uniform, full surface look, or a tiled look, with grout as a defining element.
The first concept illustrates how the grout matches the tiles to give the impression of a more uniform surface, while the second concept showes how you can pair coloured tiles with the darker grout to emphasize the tiles and the tile pattern.
What color grout should you use?
Selecting a grout colour can feel stressful, there are a lot of options, and the colour of your grout can significantly affect your overall design. Grout colour also has a huge impact on tile maintenance, for example, a darker grout will hide stains but can be prone to fading. It can also stain lighter-coloured or crackle tiles (we suggest first testing on a small area if you go this route), while a lighter grout will show stains and can be harder to keep clean. Colour is everything, so be sure to take your time.
There are three main directions you can go with grout colour:
Matching
If you want your tile colour to be the center of attention, we suggest matching your grout colour (or just get as close to it in tone if you have chosen a bright colour). This will prevent the eye from being distracted from the tile pattern found within the grout line. Not ready to go all-in on the pattern? We recommend selecting a matching grout so your pattern, like the triangular one found below, becomes more subtle in the space.
Contrasting
Are you more of a bold type? Select a contrasting grout to highlight the tile pattern and shape of your tile. Pro-Tip: Be sure to test your grout against your tile if you choose a contrasting grout colour. Dark or pigmented grouts can stain your tile.
Neutral
A neutral grout is always a safe bet – it goes with everything so it’s hard to go wrong. The pattern will be more noticeable than a matching grout but not the main feature as seen with contrasting grout installations.
How thick should the grout lines be?
The size of grout lines for tile is something that comes up with just about every tile installation and is a question we are asked almost every day.
While we always have recommendations for different product we work with, there really is no set width requirements. Instead, the thickness of your grout joint should be based on a number of factors including everything to tile size and amount of variation to your desired style or aesthetic.
The size of your tile should also be considered when choosing a grout size. In general, there is more size variation in larger format handmade tiles so they need a bigger grout joint.
Need more help choosing grout for your new tile installation? Give us a call at 0224584524 or fill out a form below and one of our experienced tilers will get back to you shortly.