Grout Line Width?

[G Henslee]

Depends upon what grout you use in conjuction with the width of the joint, as well as various other structural and substrate criteria...

[bridgerfafc]

yes.

grout is harder to clean than tile. the less grout showing, the easier cleanup will be.

[Phil Scott]

You need enough grout width for it to create a strong joint...too thin and its weak, cracks out and leaks water.

Phil Scott

>

[noname87]

It also depends on tile size. A larger tile or tile whose width varies slightly (hand made etc) needs a wider grout line. For example, if you have a 12" or 18" tile with 1/16" grout line it does give much room to adjust your grout lines or to compensate for width variations.

[David]

WRONG! Too small of a grout line can cause water leakage. You need a sufficiently wide enough grout line to pack in a full depth, full width line of grout.

Dave

[Richard J Kinch]

The only purpose of grout lines is to take up and fit the irregularities of tile size, floor flatness, and installer skill. The smaller the better. The grout itself is an inferior flooring material, and the less of it, the better.

[Nehmo]

In tile, stone floor tile, for example, are the grout lines more prone to crack if they are wide?

Other than aesthetics, is there any advantage of narrow over wide, or visa versa, grout lines?

[clintonG]

Grout requires the use of water to form a bond and water is of course H2O. It is the presence of hydrogen that functions as the catalyst for the chemical reaction the forms the bond. Too much water; cracked grout. Too little water; cracked grout. Too wide of a grout line; cracked grout. Control of the hydrogen bonding process is easily compromised.

It helps to go to college and learn physics but it can be much less expensive if you simply read and follow the manufacturer's specificati>> In tile, stone floor tile, for example, are the grout lines more prone

[PipeDown]

Most of the posters above are limiting their comments to sanded grout. Epoxy grout is very durable and non porus and resists cracking very well. In general most products don't work well below 1/8" gap

IMHO it is mostly an asthetic choice since once you decide what tile and spacing looks good, you simply buy the appropriate grout to fill it in. The hard part is choosing the color.

[Rudy]

Where does the "water" come from when he asks about 'stone floor tile, for example' ?

R

[butch burton]

Epoxy grout sounds great - would think one would have to be very careful to get the excess cleaned off the tile before the epoxy "fires" or sets. Is it much harder to use than ordinary grout?

[G Henslee]

He's talking out of his ass like you do Canookie boy.

[Richard J Kinch]

Don't be absurd. Grout joints are never watertight. They all leak.

[DJ]

See this thread for my first experience with epoxy grout:

If that link doesn't wrap:

DJ

[butch burton]

Thanks for the link - copies the articles to my house how to files under grout.

[keith]

Grout width is a personal/aesthetic thing. If the floor is going to flex enough to the grout to crack, the tile will eventually too. With 12" tile I like a 1/4" grout line. I'm doing a bunch now, in fact.

Not really, though it *may* be easier down the line to cut wider grout out to replace it. I wouldn't consider this to be a magor advantage though. The big thing is to make sure the substrate that you're mounting the tile to is stiff enough.

-- Keith

[Rudy]

Fuckoff Henslee, you wimp.

[butch burton]

If the floor is going to flex enough to the grout to crack, the tile will eventually too. With 12" tile I like a 1/4" grout line. I'm doing a bunch now, in fact. snip

In the areas with tile, will have 3/4" T&G exterior grade plywood, glued and screwed down to manufactured joists consisting of 2x4 connected with a metal web with web being 12" high. In the areas with tile - will attach 3/4" OSB UNDER the 3/4" plywood with screws and glue to reinforce the floor to keep it from flexing under the tile. Is the latter necessary - will a 24" span between manufactured web joists flex too much. Don't want to go to the expense of putting down a double thickness of decking everywhere. Maybe simpler -easier but it would cost a lot more.

Thanks

[keith]

Disclaimer: I'm a homeowner, not a pro...

I think that may flex too much. The specs for tile call for at least 1-1/4" subfloor (on 16" joist centers, I think). My house has

3/4" plywood over 2x8's 16" O.C. Where I tile, I add 1/2" Hardi-Backer across the beams (not aligned with the ply). That is put down in thinset and screwed every 8". I also use the thinset that's designed to allow a little flex (FlexBond is the brand name, IIRC) for mounting the tile. It's expensive, but not nearly as much as a cracked tile. I also shimmed and glued under the subfloor, where possible, to try to eliminate any movement I could.

My downstairs bathroom and laundry seem to be OK after a year. I'm now doing the foyer coat-closet and upstairs 1/2 bath. Finished the harti-backer yesterday and cut all the tiles (toilet is a PITA). Today is tile day. Fun, fun, fun. ;-)

[Nehmo]

- keith -

- Nehmo - Why would cutting for the toilet be hard? You removed the toilet, didn't you?