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I'm mid bathroom refit and shortly I'll be grouting my lovely new tiles. Should I use traditional grout or silicone between the tiles?
Grout between the tiles, silicon around the edges surely?
Grout on the flat tiled surfaces.
Silicone at the joints that might flex. Tray to tile and wall corners.
That's what I did.
Grout the tiles, silicone the corners. Dowsil 785 is my preferred silicone. Bal or mapei grout. Others will be along shortly with their favourite brands!
Whats made you consider siliconing between your tiles ?
Too late now, but don't fit tiles in the first place. 🙂
Shower wall.panels all the way.
Whats made you consider siliconing between your tiles ?
I spotted some silicone today that appeared to be for between tiles.
For between tiles on different substrates. Ie wall and floor tiles where the rates of expansion may differ and cause grout to fail
You probably saw siliconized color matched grout. For use at changes of plane, inside corners, tub etc.
The idea that you don't have bright white or clear corners, because not all tie suits bright white or clear silicone and you can make those inside corners disappear if the "flexible"corners are the same color.
Grout you animal
Mapei grout is very good. I won't go with the expletives when MrsF and daughter wanted glittery grout. I had to do it. Mapei grout with added measured quantities of glitter per mix. FFS. Never again. That said it worked, and looks good over 10 years on, not as sparkly now. Fortunately, not had to re-grout any as there is no way we could 'glitter' a patch the same. Grrrrr
The big 'tiles' were a game changer for longevity, harder to fit as wall's aren't straight, even in a newer build.
God gave us shower boards. Why the **** would anyone tile these days?
Cos not everyone wants their house looking like a Travel Lodge?
I didn't see cheap shower board 🤣
Mine look like dirty great marble tiles.
God gave us shower boards. Why the **** would anyone tile these days?
Everyone has different tastes and ideas on how their bathroom should look. Tiles create a different look than boards. Like some people like wall paper and others painted walls. Neither is incorrect.
I like tiles over big boards as there is more flexibility to have accents with different colours, patterns, textures etc. Each to their own and all that.
Like some people like wall paper and others painted walls. Neither is incorrect.
Except the wallpaper person. They are incorrect. Even more incorrect is the wallpaper person who wallpapers over the previous wallpaper.....
Except the wallpaper person. They are incorrect. Even more incorrect is the wallpaper person who wallpapers over the previous wallpaper.....
And even more incorrecter who peels as much wallpaper as possible then skims over the rest then papers over that a few times.
So when you try and do it properly its all just goes to shit immediately.
Johndoh, i can't unser those two identical tiles next to each other on the right now. Thanks.
Johndoh, i can't unser those two identical tiles next to each other on the right now. Thanks.
Good spot 🙂
It's just where they're consecutive slices from the same bit of marble, innit 😉
I'm finally ready to grout, is there any prep I need to do first?
Our receently Travelodged bathroom -
At points of flex like tray to wall silicone deep in the joint before grouting.
Nope. Tray should have been siliconed to the wall before tiling, then siliconed again after around the base and internal corners.
before grouting, just make sure joints are clear and everything is as clean as you can. Don’t grout the internal corner joints or the joint between tray and tile, keep that empty for the silicone.
Tray should have been siliconed to the wall before tiling
That's exactly what I'm saying in reply to the OP's question two posts above mine about what to do before tiling/grouting. If I think everything is pretty solid and unlikely to flex I finish the joint with grout. The main thing is to have silicone deep in the joint to stop water seeping through even if the grout does crack. Each to his own eh. A brick wall and concrete floor with a ceramic shower base is not going to budge. Other combinations are more likely to flex and need a silicone joint.
The bath is siliconed already.
I’ve just to grout between the tiles.
Looks good, I can't think of anything beyond choosing the colour of the grout. 🙂
TBF there are so many good specialist websites and YouTubes for almost every DIY job I think there are better places to ask than STW. Random site from Brave:
https://www.finehomebuilding.com/project-guides/tiling/grout-prep