How to Grout Tile: Tips and Tricks 

It can cost up to $2,800 to install tile in your home, but you can try and save some costs by doing it yourself!

However, if you’ve never had to grout tile before, you may be really lost.

Thankfully, we have the perfect guide to walk you through the steps of how to grout tile, so make sure you keep reading!

Gather Tools and Materials

The first thing that you’ll have to do is gather all of your tools and materials. You’ll need a caulk gun, grout float, margin trowel, utility knife, microfiber towel, putty knife, shop vacuum, bucket, and some other items to help clean up.

The three main materials that you’ll need are caulk, grout, and tiles.

Clean

Regardless of whether you’re putting down new tiles or updating the old ones, make sure that you use some tile grout cleaner first.

This will make sure that the joints of the tiles don’t have any debris or dirt on them.

You can use the cleaner, but you might also want to get a blade or knife to scrape away any buildup that the cleaner can’t remove.

Once you clean out the joints, that way the grout will be able to fill in the joints better and leave a stronger bond that you won’t have to maintain as much.

Do Your Research

You’ll need to do research to figure out what tile you want and deciding on where you want to trim it. You’ll also need a plan on how to align and place it as well.

Search on Pinterest for some ideas, and pin your favorite ones so that you can easily get the look that you’re going for.

For example, you should consider using angels to help the layout pattern. If you have rectangular tiles, you should tilt them at a 45-degree angle. It might make cutting them a little bit more difficult, but it will give you a really nice and modern look.

You also shouldn’t trust the way the wall is built. If you do, you might realize that your angles or lines aren’t straight. Instead, get some chalk out and mark out where you want your tiles to go so that you don’t have to start over.

Start Applying Tape

Once you’ve decided what type of design you want, you can start applying tape to the walls as well.

Start by taping off the edges and trimming the tiles. If you don’t, the grout might get onto your other tiles or your floors and ruin it. You may also want to tape off any of the painted walls as well.

This will also help you have a quality job that looks like it would be done by professionals. Once you’re doing applying the grout and everything has dried, you can easily peel the tape back and have a perfect job leftover.

Mix the Grout

Next, you’ll have to mix the grout. Use a margin trowel and mix it in your bucket until all of the powder is gone. You should also roll the bucket while you’re mixing it as a cement truck would do with cement.

Scrape the bottom of the bucket to make sure that any powder that ended up on the bottom is mixed in with the rest of it.

Pour a little bit of water in at a time. while you’re doing this as well. Mix it all in until the powder gets absorbed, and it feels like you’re mixing something with the consistency of peanut butter.

Add a little bit more water in, but not too much. If you add too much water, you’ll make the mixture feel like soup instead.

Cut the Tiles

If you’re going to be adding new tiles to your project, you’ll then have to cut the tiles.

You might want to use a piece of chalk or a wax crayon to mark them right before you cut them. This way, you will have perfect cuts and won’t have to start over because your tiles are uneven.

Depending on what type of material of tile you get, you may have to cut it in a certain way as well. For example, if you have ceramic, it might crack or chip more easily than other materials.

To help avoid cracking, flip the tile over and cut a notch into the end of the cut first before you cut diagonally. This way, if it does crack, it’ll crack in one straight line toward that notch you made.

Seal the Tile

Once you’ve added the grout onto the tiles, you’ll need to use a grout sealer to protect it.

This is especially helpful if you have a stone that is naturally absorbent. If you don’t want your stone to absorb the color of the grout, you can use a sealer to preserve the original color.

If you aren’t sure if your grout is working correctly, drop some water on the sealed tile. If it runs off while still beaded, then the sealer worked. If the stone and grout absorb the water, you might need a new sealer.

Learn More About How to Grout Tile

These are only a few things to know about how to grout tile, but there are many more things to keep in mind.

We know that doing your own home improvement projects can be stressful, but we’re here to help you out.

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