| Is this your first time grouting tile? There are a few | | | | time to apply it before it sets. Mix it thoroughly. It |
| tips and short cuts to achieve a good tile finish. Skip | | | | should have the consistency of toothpaste when |
| these and your grout could end up a disaster. | | | | mixed correctly. |
| #1. Get organized before you start. You will need | | | | #5. Apply the grout using the float. Dump some |
| three large buckets, clean water in two of the | | | | grout onto the tiles and pack it into the joints using a |
| buckets. A sponge with rounded corners, a grout | | | | 45 degree angle. Keep the float moving. Grout will set |
| float, a grout trowel, grout powder and a dust mask. | | | | in around 30 minutes. |
| #2. Make sure the tile setting adhesive has been | | | | #6. Once you've packed the seams with grout, use a |
| given enough time to cure before grouting. Use a | | | | 90 degree angle on the float to remove excess |
| utility knife to remove any excess adhesive from the | | | | grout. Follow up with a damp sponge. |
| tile setting. | | | | #7. When the grout is no longer soft to the touch, |
| #3. Plan the work. You don't want to walk on any | | | | it's time to clean up. This could be around 15 to 30 |
| newly grouted tiles. Also, concentrate on a small area | | | | minutes. Use a clean damp sponge to wipe the tiles in |
| like 10 square feet, finish applying the grout in that | | | | a circular motion. Keep rinsing the sponge clean and |
| area before moving on to the next area. | | | | ring out until it is just damp. When you are left with a |
| #4. Mix the grout in small amounts, about enough to | | | | light haze on the tile, switch to wiping diagonally |
| cover a 10 square foot area. That way you'll have | | | | across the tiles until the haze is cleaned up. |