How to choose a grout

Not everyone is friends with color: someone to choose a strap that is ideal for a dress and a purse is not difficult, and someone will see a blouse in the store for hours, but it will not dare to buy it, but even try on. The same can be said about tiles. The assortment of this finishing material is so great and diverse that a few succeeds in collecting the eyes that have scattered to the sides. And when it comes to choosing a grout, the brain generally refuses to understand what they want from it.

But even more indignation begins when it turns out that the mixture for grouting the seams differs from each other not only with color, but also with its characteristics. Let's find out how to choose a grout and at the same time not to fail.

Content

1. Types of grouting mixtures and their characteristics
   • Cement grouts
   • Epoxy grouts
   • Silicone sealants
2. Choose the color of the grout. Tips and recommendations
3. Rules for applying grouting to tiles

Types of grouting mixtures and their characteristics

In general, the grout is used to fill the seams between the tiles. It performs both a decorative function and protective, saving the edges of the tiles from the effects of moisture and temperature fluctuations on them.

On the shelves of stores you may meet three main types of grouting mixtures

• based on cement
• based on epoxy resins
• silicone sealants.

Cement grouts

Cement grouts can also be different: some of them include Portland cement with the addition of various additives that give it certain properties (for example, slowing down the process of grasping or light spreading), sand is mixed into the composition (such grouts are used mainly for filling the seams, having a width of more than 5 mm), in the third you can add a latex plasticizer, which can change the color of the grout in a more contrasting side.

The last type of grout is recommended only for tiles with a rough surface on gloss sand can leave scratches.

Unfortunately, cement grouts have a number of disadvantages:

1. they are extremely boring in terms of color scheme, usually this is a gray or white shade;
2. they are not resistant to cleaning agents and moisture cement tend to crumble from excess moisture and touching it of any detergents.

In view of this, the use of cement grout is limited to rooms, the level of humidity and the degree of pollution in which has minimal indicators.

Epoxy grouts

In addition to epoxy resin, epoxy grouts also include a hardener, which makes the seams strong, strong and resistant to various chemical and mechanical influences. Such a mixture, in addition to high strength characteristics, has its high durability, its color can persist for 50 years without any changes.

As a rule, epoxy grout is not used at home. Experts explain this by the fact that its structure is very viscous and for high -quality application of such a mixture to the seams will require remarkable talent and experience. It is reasonable to use it when the width of the seams exceeds 6 mm, otherwise it is unprofitable to wipe the inter -sequinusposure with epoxy, it poorly penetrates the narrow cracks and leaves too much dirt.

The epoxy two -component grout at the moment is the most durable of all existing. The scope of its application is quite wide: pools, shopping centers, garages and other places where the mechanical effect on the tile is the norm. Such mixtures may also include silicon aggregates, brilliant additives, such as silver, gold, mother of pearl, bronze, metallic, turning floor or wall coating into a real masterpiece. Due to their environmental friendliness, experts even recommend using epoxy for grouting seams in heating floors, kitchen work surfaces and water tanks.

The grout also includes a grout, which includes furannaya resin. Such a mixture has high stability to almost all chemical stimuli. However, it is extremely difficult to use it in work, because if you use it, it leaves indelible traces on the surface of the tile. Therefore, before proceeding with the fugus (grout), the floor must necessarily be covered with wax, and at the end of the work of the excess, the mixtures are immediately removed by hot steam. A good grout, but, unfortunately, it is produced only in black.

Silicone sealants

Silicone grout has high elasticity and can be used in expansion seams as isolation of floor or wall cladding from surrounding materials. Sealants and sealants are not in special demand due to their short -lived, they quickly wear out and become unusable. However, these materials have an extensive color scheme of silicone grouting the color of the sky, greens or the sun is not rare, which cannot be said about the same cement mixtures.

If we talk about the brand, then all the requirements for grouting mixtures are met by Litokol materials. They are durable, durable, have high hydrophobic properties, excellent adhesion to the edges of the tiles, protection from the formation of fungus and mold, and the variety of shades and colors allows you to choose exactly that grout that is ideal for your tile. A high -quality grout of the lithol is sold at a fairly acceptable price, which makes it also very economical.

Choose the color of the grout. Tips and recommendations

1. It is recommended to choose a grout along with tiles so you can make sure that the color of the fugues and color of the tiles contrast perfectly with each other.
2. Choose a grout in that store where its choice is not limited to ten shades.
3. If the tile is multi -colored, then determine the darkest and lightest its shades. Compare them with the color of furniture or plumbing, which will stand indoors. For a small room, the color of the fugue should correspond to the brightest shade that is present on the tiles, so you visually expand the tight space. If you want to reduce the size of the room on the contrary, then choose the darkest shade.
4. For monophonic tiles, the grout is also selected taking into account the interior: if you need to select the furniture, then the grout should have the same shade as the tile, and if you would like to concentrate on the flooring, then choose a fugue of the opposite color of the shade of shade. However, do not overdo it. It is better that both tiles and grout are about the same color scheme.
5. If possible, ask the seller to apply a little grout to the sample of your chosen tiles. Take a closer look at how harmoniously they interact with each other and do not rush to stop your choice, wait until the grout for tiles in your opinion, in your opinion, will dry out for the sample and only after that agree to the purchase.
6. For mosaic, it is advisable to use the fugu not very contrasting with it, and if there is no desire to attract attention to the tiles and is completely absent, then use the gray grouting lighter than the general background of the room.

Rules for applying grouting to tiles

So, you decided with the color and type of outline, it remains to find out how to apply a grout. For this you will need:

• Rubber nozzle scraper
• Grout
• Sponge
• Bucket
• Pure fabric
• Embroidery or ordinary toothbrush
• Sealant
• Roller or brush for drawing

Yes, do not forget that you need to apply the grout no earlier than 24 hours after laying the tiles.

First, a small slide of the grout is laid out onto the surface of the tile, then it is leveled either with a cell or a scraper with a rubber nozzle diagonally. You need to keep the tool at an angle of about 30 degrees to the surface of the floor or wall. Walk a grater on the tile several times, but do not smear the fugue, but rub it with effort so that it fills all the seams.

Do not immediately wipe the entire surface of the wall or floor. To begin with, apply it to a small area and cut it off the drying time. This is necessary so that you can have time to clean the surface of the tile from excess mixture. If the grinding is rapidly drying, then you will have to remove its remains almost immediately after application. But it also happens that the drying time of the grout is not a few minutes, but a few tens of minutes. In this case, you can have time to wipe about 9-10 square meters of the area.

For a more complete idea of \u200b\u200bgrouting the seams using fugue, you can watch a small video plot.

The grout itself is short -lived, but the removal of its remains can take more than one hour from you. First, dry cleaning of tiles is carried out with a grater, which must be kept at right angles to the surface. You need to move the grater diagonally, avoiding its hit in the seams. If you still hooked the seam with the edge of the grater and it was damaged, then just add a little fugue there and smooth it along the edges of the tile. While you clean the tile from the grout, the mixture in the bucket may dry, so mix it periodically.

The next stage is wet cleaning. It is carried out with a sponge with soft circular motions, gently knocking out particles of sand and cement from the surface of the tile. As the sponge is piled, rinse it in water and do not rush to remove the excess fugues can be in two or three approaches. Make sure that the sponge is not too wet, otherwise the water can destroy the fresh layer of grout.

The third stage is aligning the seams using an extension (toothbrush). After that, it is worth again to adjust the edges of the seams with a damp sponge. It is necessary to move it in parallel to the seam while filling the existing irregularities and excavations with a small amount of fugue on the tip of the finger.

When the grout is completely hardened, you can use the sealant that will reliably protect the seams from moisture and other troubles. Well, in order not to accidentally damage the beauty created by your own hands, take a sheet of plywood and completely forbid the home to walk on the floor until the grout and sealant completely dry.

As you can see, the choice of grouting for tiles is not such a difficult task. The main thing here is to take into account all the subtleties of the color and type of fugue, and if everything is done correctly and wisely, then your tile will sparkle with new, fresh shades, and the interior of the room will change beyond recognition.