Max Grout Spacing for Showers?

Question

I know that if the spacing between tiles is more than 1/8", you're supposed to use sanded grout. But is there a practical limit on how wide the space can be?

There's almost a half inch space between the bottom row of shower tiles, which have the curved lip cove shape, and the edge of the floor tiles. When the house was built 45 years ago, the tilesetters covered up the problem by leaning the bottom of the tiles outward to cover up the gap. I've retiled all but the bottom row but I'm back to the original problem. I want to set the bottom row flush against the wall but I'm not sure even sanded tile will hold if it's filling a gap almost a half inch wide.

Charles Spitzer · Accepted Answer

no. i've seen saltillo tiles set at 1" spacing. you could have 2" spaces, but it would look dumb.

Dave · Answer

wrote in news:1130260185.183624.85580Should have started at the bottom.

SQLit · Answer

Not a good place to put a 1/2 space.Sanded grout is not for wet areas IMO.  Non sanded only in wet areas.I know you do not want to hear this, but it might be time to consider a decoband that will fit the space left.I just retiled my bathroom. Took me a week just to figure out where tostart. I had enough marks on the wall so it looked like a kindergarten chalkboard. I ended up changing from 1/8 to 3/16 joints. The only way I could getthe joints I wanted top and bottom.

joshhemming · Answer

Were those Saltillo tiles with the 1" spacing in a shower floor? If so, do you know if they used sanded grout?

Someone has stated that sanded grout is not good for wet areas. I'd never heard that, but there's a lot about tile work that I don't know about.

RicodJour · Answer

Whoever "stated" that sanded grout is not okay in wet areas should be either monitored closely or ignored.

The sand acts as an aggregate, similar to the stone in concrete - it greatly improves the strength of the grout. That's why it's needed in bigger joints.

1" grout lines are unnecessarily large and would look mighty odd. The only time such large grout lines would be acceptable would be with very large flagstones. They would also be the first thing to fail - not a good idea in a wet area.

If you take care with your preparation and use a good quality modified sanded grout, the 1/2" joint in your shower will be fine.

If you don't want to go with grout, you could use a marine caulk/adhesive such as 3M 4200. It's harder to work with but the stuff is tenacious. If you don't want white caulk, you will have to mask the joint edges with tape, work a little dry grout into the top surface when it's close to smooth enough, finish your troweling until it's smooth, then remove the tape and sprinkle some grout on the top and let it cure.

BTW, there's no need to start a new thread when this one is still alive.

R

Charles Spitzer · Answer

no. i've seen it that wide in house livingrooms and also restaurants, and yes, it is sanded.

the person who said sanded grout shouldn't be used for wide grout lines is wrong. it acts like stones in concrete.

PipeDown · Answer

Check out the mosaic tile collections at a tile store. I have seen very narrow tiles that would fit in a 1/2" gap and leave room for smaller grout lines. I think a border of these would look nicer than a wide grout line. Many colors of glass or ceramic are available.

Max Grout Spacing for Showers?

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