You have selected exquisite tile for your floors, and you cannot wait to see it installed. Before installing, consider laying out a few pieces of tile on the floor to determine which pattern looks the best. The more standard options include straight, diagonal, staggered, and herringbone patterns. Laying your tiles on the floor also helps you determine how big a grout line you want to see. The size of the grout depends on several factors, including the type of tile. Mostly though, the tile grout size you choose depends on your style and taste.
Type of Tile
When determining grout size for your tiles, you need to know what kind of tiles you have. A rectified tile shows perfect uniformity on all four edges and requires the least amount of grout possible because of their perfectly straight edges. These tiles offer more variety in how much grout you want to use.
When using tiles with slight variations in shape and size, installers typically use more comprehensive grout lines when laying the tile. Wider grout lines allow the floor to have a polished look without emphasizing the tile inconsistencies. Outside of accounting for any variations in tile size and shape, your personal choice dictates the size of grout you use.
Laying Tile
When installing tile, the focus should be on accentuating the stone’s beauty while minimizing any distractions. The grid-like appearance of grout lines diverts attention away from the tile and to the grout. You want to use grout lines that match the style of the tile.
Whether the tile you have selected is classic and timeless or trendy and modern, tight joints result in a more stylish and contemporary look. If the tile has veins, try to match the veins as closely as possible to form a sophisticated design. A well-planned out tile design along with narrow grout joints make the space appear large and very trendy.
Laying tile with tight joints requires skill and experience. Using a flat substrate is the first step in achieving the best results. The floors must be prepared and leveled as much as possible. Although achieving a perfect level on older floors is nearly impossible, establishing an even surface can be accomplished. Hiring a skilled tile contractor proves to be a worthwhile investment when you want to get straight floors. When dealing with uneven floors, the highest point on the floor is the point to follow. They use thinset to float tiles and establish an even surface, typically to the floor’s highest point. A level is used after setting each tile to make sure the tiles are set straight. This is especially important with large-size tiles as they can easily warp and break.
An even surface is the key to creating an utterly straight finish without any lippage or warps. Once the surface is even, the tiles are laid with tight joints. An excellent tile job will produce a floor entirely even without any lippage and narrow grout lines.
Conclusion
Grout size plays a large part in determining the look of your floor. While the type of tile you select dictates some aspects of grout size, the rest reflects your taste and style. A professional tile installer can help you establish a flat surface to keep grout joints narrow and tight.
