Grout Joint Width: What Is The Right Size?

How important is tile groove spacing or grout spacing when laying tiles? And if we don't leave gaps in the tiles, what will happen? Today, Thai Watsadu has the answer for everyone. But before going into details about spacing the grout lines. Anyone who has just come to read this and still doesn't know what tile grout is? We would like to explain simply that "grout" is the material used to join together the joints of each tile. Its appearance looks like a glue made from powder mixed with cement, lime, pigment and sand. It looks like a powder. There are a variety of colors to choose from to closely match the color of the tiles. When using it, you must mix it with water before sweeping it onto the tile grooves and then leaving it to dry. Nowadays, there are ready-made grouts or tubes that do not require you to waste time mixing yourself.

Why must the grout gap be spaced?

Prevent exploding tiles and cracking tiles: Temperature changes cause all types of tiles to expand or contract naturally. When tiles expand in areas with high temperatures, if we leave the tile groove too narrow, it will push on the tiles next to it, causing the tile to buckle or the tile to explode. Therefore, we must grout the tiles to support the expansion of the tiles.
Reduce the accumulation of dirt: floors that we step on every day or even the walls of houses. It is the part that encounters and comes into contact with many kinds of dirt. If there are gaps in the tile groove area, it is easy for debris, dust, or various dirt to accumulate. If we leave the tile grooves at an inappropriate distance or are too narrow or too wide, it will be difficult to clean. Therefore, spacing the grout grooves appropriately for laying tiles is very necessary. Because this will make cleaning the house much easier.

Helps reduce waterlogging: Grouting tiles can help reduce waterlogging in the kitchen or bathroom. If we don't grout the tiles, water may get stuck in the tile grooves, which has a greater chance of causing mold on the surface.
Add perfect beauty to the floor: Tile grout helps cover chipped marks and distorted tile lines. It makes your home look more neat and beautiful. Conversely, if we lay bare tiles without grouting, you will see uneven tiles. The edges of the tiles do not match, are slanted, have chips or the tiles are not even.

The Right Grout Size For Your Tile

In general, the standards for each brand of tile factory will provide details about leaving a groove of at least 2 mm. For tiles that have the opportunity to expand, for example non-rectified ceramic tiles (do not have cut edges), the grout groove should be at least 2 mm. If it is rectified granito tile or rectified porcelain tile (cut edges), maybe leaving only 1-1.5 mm. of grout groove is enough. Because the expansion of the tile will be less than that of ceramic tile. If it is a special type of tile or subway tile that is small and is a tile for home decoration. You will have to space the grout even more, from 3-10 mm.

You can consult a tiler or tile expert to get the right grout groove. But if you want to have knowledge to roughly estimate the spacing of grout lines in tiles, we can't miss summarizing the principles of spacing grout lines in an easy-to-understand way for everyone as follows:

Wall Tiles: The grouting groove should be at least 1-3 mm.
Non-rectified Floor Tiles: The grouting groove should be at least 3-5 mm.
Non-rectified Format Tiles: The grouting groove should be at least 3-5 mm.
Rectified Tiles: The grouting groove should be at least 2-5 mm.

However, most homeowners who choose to use large tiles or cut-edge tiles want to lay the tiles close together for beauty, without grout lines, or with grout lines as narrow as possible. Therefore, you should be careful when choosing a contractor to lay this type of tile specifically. In addition, using a grout alignment device such as a tile aligner is another option that will help control the tile grooves to make them straighter and look more neat. Once the grout is completed, you will have beautiful straight lines in the desired style. You can buy equipment for arranging grout lines at Thai Watsadu or at general construction supply stores. It is a device that is inexpensive, easy to buy, and helps in laying tiles to get the same beautiful tile lines so that the tile work comes out more beautiful and perfect.

Shop for grout products, grouting equipment online 24 hours with Thai Watsadu

Experience shopping for home products online today with Thai Watsadu, a center for Thai home products, selling grout and grouting equipment. Answering every need. Easy to order, convenient and fast. Choose to receive products at the branch yourself or choose to receive products at home. Nationwide delivery service or order online at thaiwatsadu.com or contact via Chat & Shop LINE @thaiwatsadu Tel. 1308