Grouting (currently in progress) looks awful... any ideas?

[RachandGarry]

Hi,

Have just stopped for lunch having been doing more grouting to my white kitchen wall tiles this morning. They are normal ceramic 15 x 15cm tiles from B&Q - the Kai range (v cheap at £3.46 per 44 tiles) which I suspect is half my problem, but its done now so any help to fix the problem would be most gratefully received

I am grouting using powdered grout (the Unibond waterproof anti-mould one) but the problem is that the terracotta colour edge of the tiles is showing on either side of the grout line. I fill the join completely, but when I smooth the line with my wet finger as suggested on the packet, even really really lightly, the edge of the tiles appear.

I have just read somewhere that you can squeedgee the grout on, leave for 15 then damp sponge off, then 2 hours later do a wet finger smooth. Any thoughts on this?

As a last resort is there any kind of paint I could use on this sort of thing, just to touch in the edges really carefully?

Thanks in advance, I'm sure we've all been there and its so upsetting when you're trying your best and its just looking more and more pants the further I get...!

Rachel

 

[gcol]

Welcome to the forum Rachel.
Unfortunately, that's the drawback of buying cheap tiles I'm afraid. Better quality tiles would have the colour further down the edges to eliminate this problem.
First off, you do not want to be using your finger - grout is very abrasive and will leave your finger sore and because it's cement based, will bug*er up your skin. Ideally you need to get yourself a grout float - this is basically a rubber pad with a handle. You push the grout into the gaps using the float at a 45° angle which should leave the grout pretty much flush with the tile surface. The problem comes when you need to wipe off the grout residue with a damp (not too wet) sponge. If you're not careful you will wipe grout out of the gaps and you'll see the tile edges.
There's nothing to stop you adding more grout to already dried grout though if you want to patch areas in.
Be careful not to leave any grout on the face of the tiles for too long or it will be very difficult to remove.
You can get grout pens, but to be honest, they're a waste of time.
How about a change of grout colour? If you used grey, you wouldn't notice the tile edges. The tiles would look a bit different than the common white tiles, white grout. Plus the advantage of using grey is that the grout doesn't show grubby marks. I won't have white grout in my house at all.

 

[noseall]

chivalry ain't dead.

 

[gcol]

Try my best noseall - thought that was a pretty neutral post though.

 

[Softus]

I only ever use a new sponge and old fingers.

As gcol already implied, cheap tiles are a false economy.

 

[gcol]

If you tile regularly you'd be mad not to get a washboy for cleaning up grout.

 

[Softus]

Wibble.

 

[noseall]

Try my best noseall - thought that was a pretty neutral post though.

True, very true.

missus waching you now is she?

 

[RachandGarry]

Okay guys, thanks for the advice. I would have to agree with the cheap tiles mantra - "must not buy cheap tiles, must not buy cheap tiles"... Still, live and learn eh?

In the end, I managed to finish them and they don't look too bad - everyone else just keeps saying they can't see the problem, I'm being too picky etc so hopefully they're not just being kind, lol.

Just wanted to say thank you...

Regards
Rachel