Update: Using sanded caulking grout and regular grout & question

[RobertMacy]

Per promise to update edging drywall WALL - stone FLOOR Junction and filling floor crack with sanded caulking...

Color match is the most difficult. Doesn't take much shift to end up appearing 'highlighted' Functionally? Caulking tube works great! BUT! Out in a floor crack it shrinks like gang busters and have to apply more than three times to get level. And, if you overwork it, big mess, comes up as crumbs and rolls, and if try to overcome that you can make the surface look like you smoothed it with your finger losing all the 'sanded' texture, so does not match adjacent grout lines.

The original goal of doing the WALL-FLOOR junction with sanded caulking works great! Run a bead, let cure [several days], then CUT off excess and you end up with an impressively flat 'perfect' junction, yet the sanded texture of the top surface still remains. Just requires you to work a bit slowly using a sharp razor [I used a new blade for the box-cutter] to do the cuts flush with the floor. But with patience, very good looking.

Back to the crack running between the floor stones: After that diffiulty getting sanded caulking to finish nicely out in the floor area; tried using regular powder grout, comes in a bag from Home Depot, Polyblend Sanded Grout in Light Smoke. Best color match so far. After application, and gently wiping around to get off excess on top, let 'cure, or set up, or whatever for three to four days and 'test' by wiping a wet cloth over the junction/fill. CATASTROPHE!!! The stuff simply wipes out looking like a mud stripe on the paper towel. Even a dry finger will 'brush' the grout from between the stones!

Any ideas why the grout WON'T set up?

[dadiOH]

That's why they make backer rod. _______________

How thick is it? Unless you have *some* depth it has nothing to grab to. Smooth concrete floors do the same...they "dust" for months.

[RobertMacy]

Such a sumall quantity, actually appeared too wet. But humidity here is a bit low so 'hot chocolate' looking liquid quickly turns to looking like wet concrete.

[RobertMacy]

what's 'backer rod'?

interesting concept that a small bit of grout fails..

I may go to 'clear' caulking over the grout to bind it in, but that sounds fraught with peril, too. Like trying to bind caulking and dust, but maybe when wetted...

[dadiOH]

It is foam rod, comes in various diameters. Its purpose is to push into large voids to fill most of the space prior to caulking so that the caulking doesn't disappear into deep space as it dries and shrinks.

Elsewhere you said that you were using grout in 1/4 cup quantities. That is TINY. It also leads me to believe that you are trying to use it sort of like paint to apply over pre-exiting grout simply to change the color; if so, it isn't going to work, too thin. If that is what you want to do you would do better to add color to a clear coat finish like poly varnish. If you want to make it semi-opague, add some of the colored grout or scrape some chalk off of colored pastel sticks.

[RobertMacy]

Sounds like clear caulking with added grout powder for color will both stay AND seal.

I HATE tile, grout, etc !!! Much prefer the solid: like slab counter tops, which we have, but the flooring,...can't do much there. Travertine only comes out of Turkey in certain size pieces. The only saving grace is that flooring is a long way away from your face, so the details get lost a bit.

[krw]

Tile is great stuff anywhere water (or sand) is an issue. Grout is the necessary evil, though, and should be minimized, IMO. Large tiles are the way to go. Anything above 12" is good but 18" does get hard to handle. I agree that it sucks for countertops and for many reasons. For bathroom floors and walls, it can't be beat. It's not all that hard to work with, either.