An alternative method of grouting.

[ProDave]

Grouting tiles is a job I hate.  Whenever I have done it, I have always done it what I consider the "normal" way that is to fill the joint accepting some will get onto the face of the tile and you then have to clean that off. Not so bad with glazed tiles but a pain with stone.

 

Today I was tiling the utility room window sill using up left over slate tiles from doing the floor.  I only had a series of short gaps to grout.  So why not mask them?  I have never seen anyone suggesting the use of masking tape when grouting.  It could be a bit tedious masking all the joints of a large area, but I thought I would try it:

 

 

Apply the grout, wait for it to go off a bit, smooth the joint then before it is completely dry, peel off the masking tape.

 

 

No scrubbing or removing grout from the face of the tiles.

 

Has anyone else tried this?  Why is it never mentioned by anyone?

 

[Big Jimbo]

1 minute ago, ProDave said:

Grouting tiles is a job I hate.  Whenever I have done it, I have always done it what I consider the "normal" way that is to fill the joint accepting some will get onto the face of the tile and you then have to clean that off. Not so bad with glazed tiles but a pain with stone.

 

Today I was tiling the utility room window sill using up left over slate tiles from doing the floor.  I only had a series of short gaps to grout.  So why not mask them?  I have never seen anyone suggesting the use of masking tape when grouting.  It could be a bit tedious masking all the joints of a large area, but I thought I would try it:

 

 

Apply the grout, wait for it to go off a bit, smooth the joint then before it is completely dry, peel off the masking tape.

 

 

No scrubbing or removing grout from the face of the tiles.

 

Has anyone else tried this?  Why is it never mentioned by anyone?

 

That looks great. I did similar on my sisters kitchen, I tiled an area with huge tiles. masked them up, and squirted Silicon in . Smoothed off, peeled the masking, and done.

[ProDave]

Putting the mixed grout into a used / recycled sealant gun tube will be on my "to do" list for next time.

[Onoff]

This is a good tool if ever you're in Lidl:

 

http://offers.kd2.org/en/mt/lidl/peGjj/

 

It'll take standard tubes as well as grout. Using mine recently for pointing with 4:1 mortar. All the parts are interchangeable with the Roughneck mortar gun from TS. Same factory clearly just the TS aluminium body is longer.

[nod]

You should really seal the pourus tiles before grouting 

[ProDave]

8 minutes ago, nod said:

You should really seal the pourus tiles before grouting 

I did with the floor. that ony made it marginally easier to remove the over spill grout.

[nod]

A couple of caps full of grout remover in the tile bucket will help also