Porcelain Grout?

Question

Hello,
We just laid a 12" porcelain tile floor. We now need to grout using sanded grout. HOW do you do that. I have the grout tools with the sponge applicator and all but I am just not sure HOW to do it.
Do you put the grout into the grooves with a putty knife and then smooth out with the tools or what?
How long before you can walk on the tile after grout...
I sure appreciate any help you all can give me.

God bless!

Answer 1

You plop a blob onto the tiles with the putty knife. Then you stuff it into the gaps with the sponge applicator by going over the grouted tiles at a 45 degree angle to the edges (to keep from dragging grout out of them).

When all the gaps are filled let it sit for about 20 minutes. Then use the dampened sponge to wipe off the excess. wait another ten minutes till the tiles have a light glaze of grout on them.

At that time start scrubbing the surface with a clean cloth (like old towel) to remove every trace of that grout film from the tile surface. If you wait too long for that last step it will be VERY difficult to clean off the tile.

You can mess up and redo some of the earlier steps (like if you missed a spot in grouting) but an error in this last cleanup one is going to be tough to undo.

Answer 2

Hi Mom,

After a lifetime of installing thousands of sq. ft. of tile and other flooring I have suggestions.

The "applicator" should be a rubber faced Trowel type tool, rectangular in shape with a handle. I suggest buying 2 or 3.

If you can, work in an area of maybe 4 x 4 tiles at a time, mix the grout to a consistency like mashed potatoes, and apply it either with a wide blade "putty knife" or just use the trowel tool. The tile, with finished edges slightly more depressed than the face of the tile allow that the tool will fill the spaces and "scrape/wipe" the grout to near level. work the grout at angles to the spaces, not straight on,,,kind of like zig zag,,, a Z effect, maybe similar to the notion of rolling paint on a wall. That allows the edge of the trowel to be in contact with the face of the tile, not strictly smearing at the grout.

The sponge, also specific often has 2 "grits" one being larger cells on one side. I suggest more than one of those as well, and don't PRESS into the job. A new grout sponge is as flat and useful as it needs to be, AS IS. Begin the WIPE UP barely damp, and as the grout sets/ water is absorbed, continue the wipe, increasing the wetness of the sponge. As long as no CHUNKS remain the residue will dry to a powder that can be wiped clean after the fact.

Too much water mixed with the grout even in a polyblend will lessen the bonding agents in the grout (as it does in the mortar) and end up powdery after the fact. Too little won't allow enough time to WORK the grout properly and let is settle to the substrate. If you happen to wipe too deeply into the lines, correct it asap, not wait till dry, applying a thin layer to level,over a dry layer of too shallow, will not be as effective as wasting some grout and time to re work it while it's wet/setting.

Grout I install, I allow no less than 24 hours, as it obviously dries from the exposure to air, DOWN to whatever the substrate is,,, kind of like a skin on a cup of hot chocolate. It may be however that it may not be "cured" in that time depending on climate/humidity/ the substrate/ etc. But will be ok to walk on, and mop. If you have to put furniture back on the floor you might allow that you don't Drag it and keep it set on the tile face rather than a grout line.

Steven Wolf

Answer 3

When you buy the grout, there should have mixing and apply instruction on the package. It is very details.