Grouting tips/advice sought...

[sjohnstone]

Hi all,

Just joined as I'm looking for some tips/advice for grouting.

I recently moved into a new house, and have just finished tiling the hall. I said I'd never buy another house off a builder but clearly I've not learned my lesson!

The tiling itself was fairly straight forward, however I ran into a problem with the grouting that I've seen before in the past. The grout (BAL superflex grey) went down okay, but once dried it's patchy in colour - varying from dark grey in some places to almost white in others . I've experienced this before in the kitchen of my last house with the same grout.

What am I doing wrong?

When grouting I generally mix in a bucket (small quantities - say 2m at a time), never re-use and always tend to aim for a consistency similar to toothpaste. I find this consistency is better to work with and makes cleaning with a float 'as you go' an easy job. I'm aware that a poor mix is likely to cause some colour variations, so I always make sure that the grout is well mixed (obviously I could improve this with a mech stir). When applying, I use a float to work the grout into the gaps, screeding off excess as I go. Once I've applied a batch (approx 20 mins) I start to clean the tiles - initially I use a damp sponge wiping in a diagonal direction to the grout lines, the intention being to remove heavy areas from the tile surface. This generally leaves a cloudy film over the tiles which I tend to clean approx 30 mins after the initial clean. For the second clean, I again go for a damp sponge, though possibly wetter than before, with the aim of cleaning the tile surface more thoroughly and smoothing the grout lines. Depending on the size of the job or time etc, I sometimes go for a final clean around an hour or so after grouting - especially if the tile has a mat finish as this tends to make the final rub-off easier the following day.

Anyway, here's the result of my last job...

Flickr Photo Download: dry

(Apologies for the link - unsure how to embed a pic?)

As you can see, the variation in colour is significant. Anyone got any tips on avoiding this in the future? The next job in the house is in the kitchen and I'm looking at installing grey coloured porcelain tiles, so I'm gonna have to use grey grout again, but if I get the same colour issues, the tile choice is likey to emphasise the problem.

Help please!

[Phil Hobson]

Hi as your next floor is porcelain, you need to keep the mix constant. Check out Bal recmmendation for water content. A slow speed paddle would help, try to let the grout firm up in the joint, before washing off.( see instructions on bag) dont over wet. Good luck

[PGM Tiling Solutions]

Hi, I am just starting to hopefuly set up self employed around this time next year so probably not the most experienced! I have come across a similar problem with BAL grout colouring being inconsistant the first time I used it. I found the easiest way to avoid this was to mix water/grout powder in consistant ratios (IE 3 whatever size pots filled to whatever level mixed with 1/2 litre water). Although it adds a bit of time, and probably with experience this will become instinct, I found that the next jobs I did using BAL grouts the problem with inconsistant colouring was gone.

Hope this makes sense and is of some use to you?!

Good luck

Paul

[DJS]

Agree with Paul & Phil. Keeping the mix consistant is very important.

Some grouts recommend the use of a paddle mixer, and some also require a second mix after a few minutes, so I would recommend you invest in getting a small paddle you can use in a battery drill if you like doing your own projects.

When I first started tiling, I stole a measuring jug and measuring cup from my mothers kitchen to help me ensure the water and grout content in each batch was the same. Now I got some proper measuring buckets and a washboy, to help me do bigger batches and cover larger area's in one 'mix'. Good luck.

[david campbell]

i always mix grout by hand tomake sure it is properly mixed,it usually takes the second mix to get the exact creamy texture.

it sounds as if you haveover-washed the grout,it is quite common with bal grouts

[dptiling]

i know you said you used grey, but i do know BAL have had major problems with there black grout , having white or light patchs. sounds simlar thats all

[sjohnstone]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I was aware that a good mix was important, but would a poor mix result in the vast variation in colour that I'm seeing? Based on your responses I think I'll give the paddle stir a try - I actually have one already and use when mixing adhesive but i tend to mix grout in much smaller quantities so have mixed by hand in the past. I'll be vigilant in mixing to BALs recommended quantities next time as well, and ensure I use as little water as possible.

The annoying thing is I've only ever encountered this problem with BALs grey superflex. I'm doing the kitchen/utility in the new house this week, so I'll try grouting the utility first to see how it turns out. Any more probs and I reckon I'll drop BAL and try another grout. Just bought some HG Efflorencence cleaner to see if I can improve the last job - don't fancy digging the old grout out as it doesn't look too bad.

Thanks again for the advice...

[DJS]

How many m2 was the job in total, and what tiles are they exactly?

I suspect if you have over washed and/or mixed wrong, the effloresence remover may not help. But still, have a go and see if it improves it.

So as an alternative - I'm wondering if it's not too expensive for you, would an epoxy grout colourant do the trick?

I'm inexperienced with this product, but that is one solution covered in my training. Maybe if another member who has experience of this product can confirm it would be suitable?

Good Luck with it and your next job