Expansion grout gap - Tile Advice

[GlasgowMan]

Hi I’ve tiled my bathroom floor on top of hardie cement board. I have left expansion gaps all around the wall when I layed cement board. When I grout my floor tiles the grout is going to pour down all the edges into expansion gaps. Is this ok as the grout is flexible? Any help would be appreciated 👍🏻

 

[GlasgowMan]

Does anyone have any help at all 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

[Dave]

Does anyone have any help at all 🤷🏻‍♂️

How are you finishing the walls where it meets tiles ?

 

[GlasgowMan]

How are you finishing the walls where it meets tiles ?

Thanks for the reply. Instead of wooden skirting board I’ll be meeting the floor tiles with a tile skirting. Either 80mm/300mm or 100mm/100mm and running a small bead of silicone where skirting tile meets floor tile.

 

[Expert Tiling Courses UK]

Does anyone have any help at all 🤷🏻‍♂️

Technically you’re supposed to fill the expansion gap around the perimeter with silicone when you installed the cement boards. The silicone stops tile adhesive/grout from filling the gap.

It looks like you still have a gap large enough to silicone? If so, I would fill the gap with silicone first. Allow to cure. Then when you grout, ensure you’re only grouting up to the edge of the tiles rather than allowing lots of grout to get in to the corners. Remember, you have the thickness of your tiled skirting to cover the gap.

Hope that helps

Henry
Expert Tiling Courses UK

 

[GlasgowMan]

Technically you’re supposed to fill the expansion gap around the perimeter with silicone when you installed the cement boards. The silicone stops tile adhesive/grout from filling the gap.

It looks like you still have a gap large enough to silicone? If so, I would fill the gap with silicone first. Allow to cure. Then when you grout, ensure you’re only grouting up to the edge of the tiles rather than allowing lots of grout to get in to the corners. Remember, you have the thickness of your tiled skirting to cover the gap.

Hope that helps

Henry
Expert Tiling Courses UK

Thanks, yes still have the gap to get silicone into.

 

[Dave]

Just leave the gap empty, enough so the skirting tile covers the gap. Then you have room for expansion . If the gap was on view, then yes use silicone. Then silicone the skirting to floor joint.

 

[GlasgowMan]

Just leave the gap empty, enough so the skirting tile covers the gap. Then you have room for expansion . If the gap was on view, then yes use silicone. Then silicone the skirting to floor joint.

The thing is, the grout I’m using is supposed to be quite runny once mixed (Mapei Ultracolor Plus) but also sets very fast. I’m thinking after mixing it with the correct amount of water it will just run down the sides of the wall?

 

[GlasgowMan]

Could I line the cement boards with silicone then just grout on top of that up to the wall.

Or before grouting should I put a bit of wood down the side of floor thinner than the width of skirting tile and grout upto that. Once grout has started to harden remove wood and smooth of grout?

Would filling the grout right upto the wall cause problems if there’s any movement as it’s flexible grout.

 

[Dave]

The flexibility of the grout is more for deformation than lateral. If your happy to silicone first then do that. I was just saying it wasn’t a necessity or as you say put something temporary in

 

[GlasgowMan]

The flexibility of the grout is more for deformation than lateral. If your happy to silicone first then do that. I was just saying it wasn’t a necessity or as you say put something temporary in

I think I’ll leave the silicone, line thin bits of wood down the side. Grout right upto the wood and wait for grout to harden then take out wood. Just hope it doesn’t break up the grout at the edges.