Newbie tiling questions

[bruce_phipps]

I'm halfway through my first ever tiling project. Everything is going well -- the tiles are staying stuck to to the wall and are reasonably level!

A couple of questions:

• When to grout? Should I wait until I have finished sticking up all the tiles (about 80 x 15cm tiles = 2 sq metres approx.) before commencing grouting? Or can I do small patches at a time?

• Tiling round a flush mounted electric socket. Just patch bits of tile around it as neatly as possible? How do the professionals do this?

Thanks Bruce

[chris French]

In message , bruce [e-mail] writes

Wait until all are up, grouting 2 sq m won't take long.

Noooooo...!! that looks dreadful

From what I've seen 'professionals' may come up with any old bodge :-)

Remove the socket, tile behind and then replace the socket (you can get longer screw if necessary) It looks better if you say cut out the corner of a tile if necessary, rather than cut tiles into pieces. This is when a cheap electric tile cutter is useful. Though it can be done by hand.

[Christian McArdle]

Do all the sticking. Then all the grouting. Grout over the entire surface, then clean. All of it, quickly. It takes a second or two to clean a tile when the grout is wet, or a minute or two if the grout has set.

Undo the screws. Tile right up to the metal box. Tighten the box back onto the tiles. You may need to procure longer screws.

Christian.

[Old Bill]

Put up all tiles then grout. Probably next day unless you have used expensive quick dry adhesive which is not good for newbie anyway.

NEVER tile round sockets etc. Sure sign of an amateur.

[John Rumm]

If you have a lecky tile saw (if not why not, 32 quid from Machine Mart)... You can cut out a corner, or if you need to actually take a lump out of the middle (i.e. end up with a U shaped tile) then cut repeated narrow fingers of tile all along the bit to be removed and then knock off the fingers.

[Huge]

The tile's fingers, that is...

:o)

[John Rumm]

Depends on what you stick in the saw!

[bruce phipps]

Thanks. I'm now gearing up to do the grouting. I have bought a grout spreader tool + a pot of ready-mixed grout. Whats the procedure?

• Wipe grout over all the tiled surface.

• Poke down into gaps?

• Wipe over tiles with a damp cloth to clean grout off.

• Run a dowel over joints.

Bruce

[John Rumm]

If you have one of those nice rubber face float type beasties then:

Wipe on making sure it goes into all the gaps, then use the trowel like a squeegy to take off all the surplus grout (or spread it to the next un grouted space). Do about a sq meter, then go back and profile your joints with either a dowel, ready made rubber finger, or the corner of a damp sponge.

Slightly damp sponge works well here - don't wipe too hard since you dont want to mess up your profile on the grout lines... some people forget the profileing and jump straight to this stage - using the sponge to do the grout lines.

let it all dry, come back and polish the remaining film of grout off the tiles with a dry paper towel.

[Christian McArdle]

And then seal the grout with Lithofin KF StainStop, so it doesn't go black and manky.

Christian.

[bruce_phipps]

Thanks to all.

One final tiling question:

The gap between worktop and wall tiles is too large for a bead of acrylic sealant. I plan to fit some sort of plastic sealing strip.

• If I glue the back of plastic sealing strip to wall tiles will it hold fast OK?

Thanks Bruce

[John Rumm]

Not tried it yet, but I have a bottle of Lithofin KF Grout Protector which seemed more ideally suited to the task (since the tiles themselves are glazed and don't also need sealing which is where the StainStop would come into its own).

[John Rumm]

Make sure the edges of the workstop are sealed first (decent coat of gloss will stop water soaking into the worktop should it get past your defenses!

Even if it is not going to be your final visble finnish I would have a bead of silicone in there as well.

Also always go for a decent silicone rather than an acrylic sealant.

You may manage with an impact adhesive, failing that use silicone. You will need to keep it held in place until it sets, but once it does it won't shift in a hurry!