Help!: How do you get clean grout lines?

[Lisamoore]

Hi Guys,
I haven't been tiling long and have been told/seen 3 different ways to obtain clean grout lines.
Not sure if all/any are OK or it's personal preference but thought I would ask...

1. After applying grout, wait 15 mins ish and then run your wet finger down the lines, wait 40ish mins and clean off tile.
2. After applying grout, wait 15 mins then use clean sponge in light circular movements to get a smooth finish on grout lines. Wait 40 mins to clean tiles.
3. After applying grout, clean off tiles using light circular movements followed by diagonal wipes?

Any advise would be appreciated!

Lisa

[nybor62]

a lot depends on which grout you use,

good sponges is a must i use raimondi wash boy sponges

[Lisamoore]

ah ,I see Bal powder grout and a special grout sponge

[johnryan]

i think it's more a case of the more you do, the better you'll get at it, and develop your own style around the variations you mentioned. grouting is a bit of an art form, i know it took me a while before i was happy with the end result.

[Mike]

it's hard to determine how long after applying to wash off as there are a lot of factors in the equation, i.e type of substrate, room temp. type of grout, width of gap and type of tile. a ceramic will absorb the moisture out of the grout thus drying the grout quicker whereas a porcelain won't. it's always best to try a small area first and see how it dries. as above a washboy is good for cleaning and smoothing the grout lines

[Rich]

The timing will depend on the grout, the tiles and the atmosphere so you are better off just keeping and eye on it, you will soon find that you know exactly when to wash off.

I apply the grout and every 10 mins or so I check the grout in the joint where I started to make sure its not going off on me. When it is just starting to harden, give the tile and the joints a gentle wash off with clean water and a clean sponge, if the grout is pulled out of the joint then it is to soon and if you have to really scrub at it, it has been left to long.

[Lisamoore]

Thanks, will try out the different ways then and find my 'style'!

[Lisamoore]

WOW, lots of variations then. Am using porcelain which I haven't laid beiore so thanks on the note that it will take a little longer to dry!

[Lisamoore]

Thanks, will keep an eye on it then!

[Scott]

You must have a decent sponge, some are to soft and some are too hard. I find the hard ones end to pull the gorut back out if you are not careful. Not too wet too as obviously it just dilutes it and it can sag a bit,

[Dave]

Just to add, never over wet the joints when washing off, this can cause latex leaching.... Less chance of this happening as long as you let the grout set enough and not over wet when washing off...

[skeg]

This is all great advice. I'm also new to tiling and struggle to get grout lines that i'm completely happy with. As suggested by someone else on here i'm probably washing the tiles too soon which is pulling some of the grout out. It is definitley a learning curve. The last tiles i done were on our splashback in our new kitchen and the tiles have got a matt kind of finish. Didn't leave the grout too long before trying to wash of but had already started to dry on the matt surface but was probably still too wet in the grout line itself, right bugger it was!

[Oleschool]

a good sponge and above all else patients

[Bri]

Always ensure you wash over the grout lines diagonally so you don't wash the grout out. I use a circular motion when washing off. As already mentioned you don't want to do it too early or late. On the final wash fold your sponge in half and strike the joints to give a nice smooth and even finish.

[andy allen]

thats how i do it brian ............just to add wash boys take some getting used to and its easy to over wet the floor with them causing problems with the grout colour (bal grouts are the worst for this)

[Lisamoore]

Thanks, will make sure i get a decent one

[Lisamoore]

umm, i have bal so will watch out for it and yes prefer to squeeze the sponge rather than rolling it!

[Diamond Pool Finishers]

yes ring-out spong till very dri !!

[andy allen]

what colour bal grout have you got?

[Brinkley]

lisa i use sponges mostly unless i am washing off big floors .
The best sponges ihave found are the ones from trade tiler one of the forums sponsers .
They are a great price and better then the ones you will find in topps etc
if you buy 10 they come in at under £15 including p&p and should last you a good few jobs each.

[andy8758]

Hi Lisa and welcome.

Treat grouting as a "process driven task" and each stage is determined by how the grout is drying. You need a flat smooth sponge, and I recommend 2 buckets of water if you do not have a washboy.

1. Apply grout using a rubber edged applicator. Push into joints with the first stroke, then using the blade/edge of the applicator, wipe diagonally across the joint to leave a cleanish finish.
2. After applying grout to about 1 square metre of tiles, soak the sponge, then wring out most of the water. Wipe either in circular or diagonal motions across the tile joints KEEPING THE SPONGE FLAT at all times (so you dont pull grout out of the joints). Rinse the sponge off in bucket number 2. Then use the clean water bucket to wet the sponge again.
3. This time wring as nearly all the water from the sponge. Then keeping the sponge flat again, move it lightly and slowly across the tiled surface to remove as much grout residue as possible. Only wipe the tiles with the sponge onceduring this stage, and stop frequently to clean off the grout accumulating on the sponge using the 2 buckets.
4. Continue repeating steps 1 to 3 until all the tiles are grouted.
5. Let the grout dry for at least one hour. It is dry enough for final polishing only when you can make no impression on the grout when touching it with your finger.
6. Now get a clean cotton cloth and polish the grout haze from the tiles. 2 cloths are better than one for a really sparkling finish and perfect grout joints.

Good luck.

[johnryan]

don't forget your dust mask when on that last stage. nasty particles will be floating around everywhere.

[Rich]

I think most of the advice that can be given has been but I put up a post on grouting a while ago, might help you out a little.

Claick on the link below and have a read through, hope it helps

Grouting...

[Lisamoore]

Ah, I'll try those then. Used ones from screwfix which worked well, I think?! I brought one from tops tiles and didn't bother using as looked like it would come apart! Thanks for advise.

[Lisamoore]

Will do, thanks!

[Lisamoore]

Thanks for this Andy, do you recommend any cotton cloths?

[Lisamoore]

A limestone type colour

[andy8758]

Thanks for this Andy, do you recommend any cotton cloths?

An old cotton bedsheet cut up.... or anything of a similar consistency.

[smidy69]

i tend to apply the grout, leave it for a while (no set time) until it starts to go off, it can take longer depending on the conditions and the type of tile used so always go back over it and keep checking it. i then wash it in a circular motion with a good clean sponge and wipe diagonally. just make sure you keep your sponge fairly dryish after rinsing. with plenty of practice you'll get the hang of it in no time.

[TheTiler]

Apply your grout with a proper grout float (solid handle and rubber face - not a spatula DIY piece) on a couple of tiles in a test area. Leave for 10 minutes and use a quality sponge purchased from a tile shop (Ardex sponge is my favourite) to wipe off (after taking all possible moisture out by hand-wringing) with firm diagonal strokes to start with and then follow up with light in-line strokes to joint directions to ensure smooth and seamless grouting. If this works for your test area, then increase the next area, and judge the drying times of your grout - you want it to be firm, but not set before sponging. Run your finger down a joint to see if it holds in the joint, but doesn't displace much, but firmly smooths instead. There is a difference of only minutes in capturing the right time usually, although porcelain always takes longer to achieve this than ceramic biscuit which can be very rapid in drying out grout. After finishing, allow to dry until the grout cannot be disturbed by anything other than poking the joints with a sharp edge and buff away minor films using an ordinary white towel.