How to Grout Shower Tiles: A Step-To-Step Guide
So, you have done your bathroom tiling and now want to grout them professionally. But your budget doesn’t allow you to hire any professional? Well, grouting itself isn’t a difficult job; you can do it easily. However, if it is your first experience, then chances are you might make any mistake that can cause you a big loss. Therefore, with our step-by-step DIY guide on how to grout shower tiles, it won’t take much of your time as well as effort. Let’s get started!
Short Answer: The grouting job is just about choosing the right grout, preparing the material, mixing your grout, applying the grout, cleaning the tiles, and finally sealing the grout.
Steps to Grout shower Tiles
Follow these easy steps to grout your shower tiles efficiently.
1. Choose Your Grout
When it comes to choosing grout, there are three types, including cement-based, epoxy, and urethane grout. Epoxy grout and urethane grout are expensive and need more expertise. For beginners, cement-based grout is the common, cheapest, and easiest to handle. You can use sanded grout for joints larger than 1/8th inch and unsanded grout for smaller joints.
At the same time, be mindful of the color too. Match colors with the tiles if you want to, or contrast when colors add flair to the tiles.
2. Prep the Area
Now it is time to gather and prepare all your supplies. Grout dries up pretty fast, so you will not have time to chase around tools when grouting. After that, prep your shower area by cleaning it with a moist cloth to remove any dirt. Also, cover the floors and adjacent areas to avoid mess.
3. Mix Your Grout
Mostly the grout comes in powder or pre-mixed form. If you are using the former one, mix the powder form as per the instructions. Mix it thoroughly with a mixing drill twice, leaving 10-15 minutes in-between.
The process is called slacking, required to pull your mixture together. However, don’t overdo mixing, as it tends to mix more air into the mixture. Also, don’t add much water as thin grout may leave water bubbles and tear down while drying.
4. Spread the Grout
Load your grout float with grout and start applying on a small area as it sets in around half an hour. Ensure that the grout fills the gaps properly by using the float diagonally at 45 degrees. It is also a trick to prevent grout float stuck in between tiles. You can also remove excess grout with a grout float to cut the mess.
5. Clean Your Tiles
Once your grout is hardened a little after half an hour, it’s time to clean the tiles before the grout is fully hardened. You can use a grout sponge. Dampen the sponge with clean water and start wiping the excess grout. Be careful when wiping through the gaps, as you don’t want to take grout from there.
6. Seal the grout
After cleaning, let the grout cure. Only then, you will be able to see the final picture of your shower tiles. However, it would be best to seal the grout, as it makes your tiles waterproof and protects them as well as the wall beneath. You can use a sealant gun to seal the corners and edges.
Tips on How to Grout Shower Tiles
The grout hardens in half an hour, so use a small area to complete it in time.
Use a moist sponge to clean the tiles, not drip with water.
Let the grout cure before sealing it.
Leave your shower for a day to completely settle before treating it with water again.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to grout shower tiles, it is time to refresh your bath with professionally grouted tiles. We hope this article has been helpful in providing a step-by-step guide to grouting shower tiles. This is not an easy task and it does take some time, so we suggest you plan accordingly. If you have any questions about our services or want a consultation for your own home project, please don’t hesitate to reach out! You can schedule one with us by calling Kennedy Kitchens and Baths at 706.888.8832 today. Thank you again for reading!
Other great article for you:
A Complete Guide To How To Clean Porcelain Tile Shower
How To Clean Ceramic Tile Shower – Step-By-Step Guide
grout, shower, tiles
