Grout question

[bkharman]

Hey tile folks. I installed these new arabesque tiles that are porcelain based with a crackle glaze. I assumed I should use unsanded grout, and bought some Mapei unsanded but saw that they recommend ⅛" or less grout line.  The tiles I installed are about ¼ or closer to ⅜" actually. Should I stick with the unsanded and what do I need to be more careful with?

Cheers. Bryan.

 

[chrisrosenb]

You need sanded for that size joint. Unsanded will shrink & crack.

 

[Thebesciak]

Use sanded ONLY...

 

[Cheese]

Won't the sanded grout possibly scratch the glaze?

 

[Holzhacker]

Possible that the sanded grout could scratch the glaze if you really work it in hard with a float. I would probably apply the grout in this case with glove covered hand rather than using a float. Beyond glaze concerns the float isn't going to help much with application or excess removal with that type of tile anyway.
With an ornate tile like that detailing becomes very important. A bunch of straight lines helps grout variance along the lines disappear, nobody but a pro or really picky client will notice. A tile like that highlights grout imperfections really well.
Having done more tile jobs than I care to remember I would suggest you approach this grout job from one of two ways.
Either do large surface area and plan on lots of detail work after application OR plan on grouting smaller areas at a time and detailing the edges as you go along.
If you do a white grout it won't matter as much. Buff, light grey or light blue and bad grout will scream out.

 

[Cheese]

[member=21412]bkharman[/member]
FWIW...I installed small stainless steel subway tiles in the kitchen for a backsplash and I could not use sanded grout because it would scratch the stainless.

The Tileshop's suggestion was to use unsanded grout and then seal the hundreds of small grout lines with an artist brush dipped in sealant and coat the grout 2-3 times. Really??? [eek] that sounds like a very enjoyable task, I'll get right on that one!!

Consequently, I used Bostik premixed polyurethane grout which NEVER needs to be sealed. It will also allow wider than normal grout lines. Its only 2 downfalls are the price and it dries/hardens very quickly so only grout a 2-3 sq ft area at a time. The backsplash has been used for the last 3 years and has had tomato sauce, mustard, red wine, you name it, spilled on it and there's not one stain.

[attachthumb=1]

 

[tjbnwi]

You can use sanded grout on the tile. Use a urethane float, not a gum rubber float.

http://www.troxellusa.com/Product/EN-US/ProductDisplay.aspx?item=09-55U&cid=63&scid=113

Mix the grout with a modifier so you don't have to go through wheat Cheese did.

Mapie may have a urethane grout in the color you need. It will be expensive, but your best bet in this situation. You must work in small areas with urethane. Make sure you have citrus cleaner and some ammonia based cleaner available. Makes clean up easier.

If the cementious grout gets away from you use this to clean up the mess;

http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/pdfImages/c7/c79d285b-806a-43e5-b6e1-613fd0ddf509.pdf

If the urethane grout gets away from you use this;

http://www.bostik-us.com/sites/default/files/Blaze.pdf

There is epoxy grout, another time.........

Tom

 

[Cheese]

If the urethane grout gets away from you use this;

http://www.bostik-us.com/sites/default/files/Blaze.pdf

Thanks Tom for the heads-up on the Bostik cleaner, I really could have used that stuff.  [thumbs up]

I purchased the polyurethane grout from Lowes and they had a tough enough time getting the correct grout part number to order.