Tiling with no grout !!!!!

[future252]

Hi guys
I've had a customer request that he wants his shower room tiled with the tiles touching so that there is no grout line. I immediately said to him that it would not be advisable to do this as water would definately leak through. His reason for this is so that the slate effect porcelain tiles will just look like solid slate. His tiles are 10mm thick and do not have a bevelled edge, they are totally straight. The floor is concrete with underfloor heating, but he wants the shower done as well. When I go to see the job tomorrow morning I will stress to him that he should definately have grout. I just wondered if anyone else has ever had a request like this, and if so did you do it? Did it work? Is there any way round it?

Thanks in advance.

[wetdec]

Not a good idea there will be tears


Get him to go as tight asyou can then get hold of some Mapei ultracolour it feeds in realy well and comes in dark black m8


tiler


..

[whitebeam]

I saw a tiled floor with no grout and the edges looked crap but that was a kitchen and food/liquid residue had seeped into the jounts I would'nt butt them could he have black grout if the grey was to light.

[grumpygrouter]

Would deffo have at least 2mm. Got to have something to take up any movement!

[future252]

Hi guys

Thanks for your comments - you're all confirming what I thought but just wanted to run it past you all anyway. I will go to see the job in the morning and tell him that unless he wants a 2mm gap then I'm not prepared to take on the job. (Might get a Sunday off after all!!)

Thanks again, and speak to you all again soon.
Fiona

[Sir Ramic]

Hi guys

Thanks for your comments - you're all confirming what I thought but just wanted to run it past you all anyway. I will go to see the job in the morning and tell him that unless he wants a 2mm gap then I'm not prepared to take on the job. (Might get a Sunday off after all!!)

Thanks again, and speak to you all again soon.
Fiona

And you will be doing the right thing.

[wetdec]

,,

[future252]

Thanks Sir Ramic!

[future252]

And thanks to you too Wetdec, and Grumpy, and Whitebeam!

[D1zzy]

Hi guys
I've had a customer request that he wants his shower room tiled with the tiles touching so that there is no grout line.

That's exctly what I want for my kitchen floor (no or absolutely minimal grout!). I hate grout and hate the chamferred edges on tiles, but want a good quality floor for my kitchen - any recommendations. I quite fancy slate but was told that should be bedded on sand and concrete, so I think that would mean a step down onto the parquet floor in the hall. Also the tiles have to be laid in the uti room (chipboard floor) and kitchen (concrete floor)

Thanks for any thoughts

[smurf21]

definitely do not tile shower with no grout your asking for trouble min 2mmuse colored grout if need be but walk away if he insists or get a waver signed exonerating you from blame when the water starts leaking through the joints even a 1mm joint is better than no joint

[incetilingltd]

Hi use the expaination that if you don't grout the tiles, the edges will show up all dirt and cleaning residue and will make the joints stand out more than a matching colour grout, and would be a nightmare to keep perfectly flush with other tiles.

[Dave]

If you want no grout then use something like kardean....

[D1zzy]

Thanks
Thought of that - but don't like the finish and am concerned about longevity (the floor's not mine)

I think it needs to be Ceramic/stone, and I know I probably need some grout, but can you get tiles with "machined edges" so that you can almost butt them up and get a flat surface without "grout dips"

[grumpygrouter]

Thanks
Thought of that - but don't like the finish and am concerned about longevity (the floor's not mine)

I think it needs to be Ceramic/stone, and I know I probably need some grout, but can you get tiles with "machined edges" so that you can almost butt them up and get a flat surface without "grout dips"

You are asking for trouble tiling onto a timber floor without a grout joint or even a mimimum grout joint. A the timber expands and contracts, you tiles will have pressure put upon them, they will either crack or de-bond. Your floor won't look very nice at all then. Absolute minimum joint on a timeber floor for me is 3mm but personally prefer 5mm. You want to go down to 3mm or less, it will cost an arm and a leg for top quality rectified tiles and I suspect you will still have trouble if you do.

[Dave]

You need to resin fill the joints and then grind/hone finish to get a smooth seamless floor..and the prep on a timber floor would need to be perfect
..
This is a specialist job and not a diy project....

[D1zzy]

Thanks. I assumed that chipboard was much more stable then "wood" in terms of expansion/contraction so there would not be a problem.

Shall I just go for the largest tiles possible and minimise the grout that way.

[Matt]

Rectified porcelain have a "machined" edge (Although often with a small bevel). I still wouldn't recommend no grout joints, but you will be able to get a smaller joint with rectified porcelain

[Terry Cottar]

Thanks. I assumed that chipboard was much more stable then "wood" in terms of expansion/contraction so there would not be a problem.

Shall I just go for the largest tiles possible and minimise the grout that way.

To get the look you want get the floor laidthen have it flood grouted with a matching grout then get a specialist in to hone it flat and polish it to get a monolithic look

tel