Shower Waterproofing Manual

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Posts tagged as:

Grout

Shower Tile Basics or Shower Tile 101

I get a LOT of questions from my readers about basic shower construction. I understand that my readers don’t consider this stuff basic and there’s no problem with that. The problem is that I end up answering the same questions over and over and over… So, to save what very little is left of my [...]

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Why is my grout cracking in a straight line???

As some of you may know (or simply don’t care about – but know anyway) I actually do reply to every question I’m asked on this site. It may take a while for me to sober up enough get enough time away from work to answer it – but I do. As such I am [...]

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SpectraLOCK vs Kool-aid

If you have read anything on either of my websites you should know that I tell everyone on the face of the planet who will listen (all three of them) that Laticrete’s SpectraLOCK is the only epoxy grout I will use – period. So rather than just talk smack I’m gonna show you why. You [...]

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Why is my Floor Grout Cracking?

Your grout is cracking for one reason and one reason only: your tile is moving. That’s it. Okay, that’s not it – Unless your grout is non-sanded and was installed in the last 28 days – your tile is moving. That’s it. Yes, 28 days has significance, it is the amount of time it took [...]

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Grout Does Not Stabilize Tile

A common misconception about tile and grout is that grout will somehow assist in stabilizing a tile installation. It does not. Unless you use epoxy grout it will add no significant structural elements at all. So why should I use grout? Grout is, structurally speaking typing, simply there to fill the spaces between tiles. That [...]

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Filling Grout Lines with More Grout

When there is a significant amount of movement on the substrate of a tiled floor or wall it may lead to grout cracking. When this happens it will leave what looks like a crack in the grout where it has come away from the tile. Unless your grout was installed very recently this is always [...]

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Caulk or Grout in Corners?

One of the most asked questions by do-it-yourselfer’s is whether they should use caulk or grout in the corners. Industry standards state that a flexible material be used at all changes of plane. But! – if you ask a hundred different professionals you will more than likely receive fifty of each answer.  While there are [...]

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How Large Should Grout Lines Be?

The size of grout lines for tile is something that comes up on almost every tile installation. The secret no professional will tell you is there is really no set or absolute proper size for your grout lines. There are some guidelines that need to be followed but the actual size is more of a [...]

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Can I Install Tile Without Grout?

This is a question I get asked from time to time. The short answer is no, you should not. Although grout does not add to the stability of the tile installation (unless it is epoxy grout), you still need to grout it. Why you need grout A lot of natural stones, namely granites and marbles, [...]

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Using the Correct Type of Grout

There are three basic types of grout available for your tile installation. They are: Non-Sanded (also known as Unsanded) Sanded Epoxy Choosing the correct grout for your particular installation will not only complete the job correctly, it will also cut down on maintenance. Properly installed and sealed grout will last for the life of your [...]

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How to Re-grout your Tile for about $25

If you are unable to clean your grout discoloration or staining to your satisfaction, the next thing to do is re-grout your tile. Don’t panic! Re-grouting your tile is not as difficult as you may think, although it does require some work. The first thing you have to do is remove all the old grout. [...]

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How to Clean your Tile Grout

Out of curiosity I typed “how to clean grout” and “tile” into Google. I only made it through two pages of sites before I was fed up with all the crap from so-called “experts”. Ninety percent of what I discovered was bull! Common sense dictates . . .

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