Grout Gap For Wall Tiles

Until very recently tiles needed to be installed with a minimum of a 1 16 inch grout joint.

Grout gap for wall tiles. Instead fill it with an elastic material capable of sustaining the movement of the floor and the movement of the wall. Daltile recommends that large tiles have a 1 8 or 3 16 minimum grout joint for the most successful installation. All ceramic and stone large format tile greater than 15 requires a minimum 1 16 grout joint according to ansi. This is especially true if sanded grout is used in joints narrower than 1 8.

They also suggest adding to this width the amount of edge warping on the longest edge. Finished grout lines will vary from 1 16 to 3 16. Caulking is the best choice for this application. Actual finished grout spaces will vary from 1 8 to 1 4 if 3 16 spacers are used.

Tcna recommends a minimum 1 8 grout joint for rectified tile and minimum 3 16 grout joint for calibrated tile. If smaller spacers like 1 8 are used it will accentuate the size difference of handmade tile. They have small protrusions called lugs that fit against adjoining tiles and create an automatic space for grout normally 1 32 to 1 16 inch wide. Grout lines for wall tiles small tiles such as the 4 inch by 4 inch style commonly used on bathroom and kitchen walls often are self spacing.

The tile council of north america and accompanying tile organizations recommend an average grout joint width of 3 16 inch for every 1 16 inch variation in the size of the tiles. This most often occurs with wall tile. Had an absolute nightmare with mapei s large gap grout i found it too creamy and it was just slipping down the wall had to have it almost at a powder before i could keep it in the gaps. The tile council of north america recommends at least a quarter inch gap between the tile floor and the walls.

For example if the edge warping of a rectified tile is 1 32 the minimum grout joint is 1 8 1 32 5 32. Grout that is insufficiently packed into the joint. Note that using the smallest grout possible will increase installation time. If insufficient force is used while grouting wall tile it is easy to bridge the joint where the grout does not penetrate to the back of the joint.

This joint was required not only to help seal out moisture but to prevent damage from tiles rubbing against one another and to make up for uneven tile sizes.