pin holes

[weg2727]

Hi

Thanks to all those that helped on my last thread.

I've bull-nosed honed travertine tiles around a window, filled the holes with Mapei grout. The larger holes are fine, there is still a little indentation after rubbing down even after filling twice and using 600 w&d. But my main probelm is all the little pin holes (and there's lots) the grout does not seem fine enough to fill these.
Your help and advise as always is very much appreciated
Cheers
Stu

[Knackered Knees]

Grouting unfilled trav can be a chore at times Sigh! The best way that I've found to minimise bubbles in the grout is to always let your grout 'Slake' for 10 minutes after mixing,this allows all the excess air to escape, leaving your grout mix nice and dense. If you use a power mixer to mix your grout always mix it on a slow speed say under 300rpm this will also stop excess air entering the grout mix.

[user123]

Hi Stu, I don't recall your previous thread, so hope I'm not giving you conflicting advice here. The pinholes happen when the mix was too watery and/or been mixed on too fast a setting, mixing air into it. The only mosaicist's trick I know of rather than regrouting the whole thing again is to dampen the grout lines and then rub dry grout powder into it - the moisture will mix with the powder and fill the holes. Leave to dry and settle well before final clean up. Please note, this is not what should have to happen, next time use less water, but it might just help you out of this particular nuisance.

[jay]

This may help Considerations when working with Travertine

[weg2727]

Hi Guys

Many thanks again, I've probably not explained myself very good, it's the pin holes in the travertine (not the grout) after I've shaped them that's the problem, the grout I'm using just won't go in the holes.

Jay: Thanks, I've just orderd some Jolly natural glue/filler to give it a try.

Cheers
Stu

[Bri]

Hey up Stu, what type of grout did you use, wide joint (quite coarse and sandy) or a fine powdered grout? If it was a wide joint this will be what is causing the issue, as it struggles to fill small holes due to how coarse it is.

[Rich]

The min recommended joint (gap/hole) width will be on the bag of grout, could be that you have used a grout that has, say, a min 3mm joint. In which case it would be hard to fill tiny little holes. Have a read through the info on the bag and maybe try a finer grout.

[user123]

Hi Guys

Many thanks again, I've probably not explained myself very good, it's the pin holes in the travertine (not the grout) after I've shaped them that's the problem, the grout I'm using just won't go in the holes.

Jay: Thanks, I've just orderd some Jolly natural glue/filler to give it a try.

Cheers
Stu

Ah, got it now, my mistake