Silicone instead of Grout! - TilersForums.co.uk | Tile Forums

Clare · 07-09-2007

Hello

I am really upset and need some expert advice.

I have had some tiles put on my en-suite floor and walls this week. They are black porcelain. The tiler recommended silver/grey grout and we went ahead with it.

He said yesterday he had finished and I was shocked when i saw what he had done...he has grouted using the silver/grey, but then in the 4 corners of the room where the walls meet, from floor to ceiling he has used shiny white silicone! Oh my word, what a contrast to the rest of it...I may as well have had flashing lights! he has tried to tell me this is normal procedure, but I have had many bathrooms fitted over the years and havent seen this yet! can someone advise me if this is right? I am sure it is not, it looks dreadful!

please help.

**Fekin** · 07-09-2007

Walls move, so if grouted the grout may crack over time, where as silicone is flexible and will move with the walls without cracking.

A lot of tilers always do the wall joints in silicone as it makes them a flexi joint, but I know colour can sometimes be an issue, so it depends on what colour silicone you can get.

I must say I have only ever seen whitre and ivory silicone, but Im sure if searched for you may fine a company that makes an assortment of silicone colours.

Roamer · 07-09-2007

I cant see why he didn't use the approiate colour............

get him back in and put it right

**Dave** · 07-09-2007

you have to put expansion joints in the corners yes...but why didint he use a coloured one to match the grout........dave.....

Clare · 07-09-2007

But surely having the bathroom look professionally finished and maybe having to re-grout in years to come (which is inevitable as bathrooms do date as everything else does), then it has to be better than having something that looks totally ridiculous, just because it 'may move'!

**Fekin** · 07-09-2007

I meant over time could be as little as a few months, if that., and as dave has said, it must be easy to get colour matching silicones, I've just never had to look for any yet.

Clare · 07-09-2007

Nope...silver/grey grout and pure white silicone...it is sooo obvious! he is coming back to grout at my request, but was trying to justify to us for about half an hour that what he had done was the norm!

**Dave** · 07-09-2007

Its not a case of it may move ... it will with moisture and thermal changes in the room.....if the siliconing is done neatly then you can hardly tell..sounds like this silicone joint you have must be on the thick side is it....dave...

p.s...you can get black silicone as well as many other colours ...

**Fekin** · 07-09-2007

Using silicone is really the norm, he just needs to colour match it to the tiles better.
----
I would guess since the tiles are black porcelain and silver-grey grout, then a white silicone line even on the thin side would still stand out, but if there are a wide selection of silicone colours then there must be one to match better.

Clare · 07-09-2007

Thick? Its thick in some places. thin in others! I should take a photo and show you. I am not a pernickity person at all, but this is truly dreadful.

ok, so silicone is normal, and I understand why now guys, thank you, but I will ask him to match the colour.

Thank you

**Fekin** · 07-09-2007

Yes the line should be pretty much the same thickness all the way down, unless the walls are way out off line, but if they were then the tiler should of advised this before starting out.

**Dave** · 07-09-2007

tell him to get a black silicone clare...dave..