HI all,

I got some ceramic floor tiles for the downstairs WC. I'd kind of like to
lay them up tight together in contact with no grouting between, but will
it look right if they're not specifically manufactured to be laid this
way? And if so, how does one distinguish tiles you grout from tiles you
don't?

cheers,

cd

On Thursday 21 November 2013 15:27 Cursitor Doom wrote in uk.d-i-y:

HI all,

I got some ceramic floor tiles for the downstairs WC. I'd kind of like to
lay them up tight together in contact with no grouting between, but will
it look right if they're not specifically manufactured to be laid this
way? And if so, how does one distinguish tiles you grout from tiles you
don't?

cheers,

cd

Don't - it will end in tears.

Grout is there for a reason

--
Tim Watts Personal Blog: http://squiddy.blog.dionic.net/

http://www.sensorly.com/ Crowd mapping of 2G/3G/4G mobile signal coverage

On 21/11/2013 16:07, Tim Watts wrote:
On Thursday 21 November 2013 15:27 Cursitor Doom wrote in uk.d-i-y:

HI all,

I got some ceramic floor tiles for the downstairs WC. I'd kind of like to
lay them up tight together in contact with no grouting between, but will
it look right if they're not specifically manufactured to be laid this
way? And if so, how does one distinguish tiles you grout from tiles you
don't?

cheers,

cd

Don't - it will end in tears.

Grout is there for a reason


Most tiles have slightly rounded edges at the face, so there will
probably be a groove between them anyway. If you have to fill that (and
you should), you might as well fill a slightly wider gap

"Cursitor Doom" wrote in message
...
HI all,

I got some ceramic floor tiles for the downstairs WC. I'd kind of like to
lay them up tight together in contact with no grouting between, but will
it look right if they're not specifically manufactured to be laid this
way? And if so, how does one distinguish tiles you grout from tiles you
don't?

cheers,

cd

The grout takes up tiny inaccuracies in manufacture.
If you lay them tight, after a while you find they won't quite fit right.
Also there are very slight "twists".
The errors are multiplied as you lay them.

The grout disguises all this.

Also the joints have to be sealed, you need a gap to get the grout/sealer
in.

OK, thanks guys.

In that case I wonder if you can get tinted goo to mix in the with white
grout to make it the same colour as the tiles? (which in this instance
are a creamy colour)

On Thursday 21 November 2013 17:13 harryagain wrote in uk.d-i-y:


"Cursitor Doom" wrote in message
...
HI all,

I got some ceramic floor tiles for the downstairs WC. I'd kind of like to
lay them up tight together in contact with no grouting between, but will
it look right if they're not specifically manufactured to be laid this
way? And if so, how does one distinguish tiles you grout from tiles you
don't?

cheers,

cd

The grout takes up tiny inaccuracies in manufacture.
If you lay them tight, after a while you find they won't quite fit right.
Also there are very slight "twists".
The errors are multiplied as you lay them.

The grout disguises all this.

Also the joints have to be sealed, you need a gap to get the grout/sealer
in.

Also, compared to the effort of laying floor tiles and getting everything
nice and flat, goruting is about 10% of the total effort - it really is very
easy.


--
Tim Watts Personal Blog: http://squiddy.blog.dionic.net/

http://www.sensorly.com/ Crowd mapping of 2G/3G/4G mobile signal coverage

On Thursday 21 November 2013 19:43 Cursitor Doom wrote in uk.d-i-y:

OK, thanks guys.

In that case I wonder if you can get tinted goo to mix in the with white
grout to make it the same colour as the tiles? (which in this instance
are a creamy colour)

Buy coloured grout (google for Mapei for some examples - lot sof colours
available).

You will want to mix it, by hand is fine (wooden spoon, stainless steel or
large glass bowl works well IME) in small batches as you only have 15-20
minutes to work it. Then you sponge off and mix and apply the next batch.

Ready coloured poweder will ensure you get consistent results - expecially
if you weight/measure out fixed amounts and add fixed volumes of water to
mix.

Don't use white - I did and it was a mistake. Despite grout sealer, it gets
ingrained dirt and goes grey. Best to chose a mid tone colour or even a
draker colour for contrast.


--
Tim Watts Personal Blog: http://squiddy.blog.dionic.net/

http://www.sensorly.com/ Crowd mapping of 2G/3G/4G mobile signal coverage

In article , Tim Watts
writes
On Thursday 21 November 2013 19:43 Cursitor Doom wrote in uk.d-i-y:

OK, thanks guys.

In that case I wonder if you can get tinted goo to mix in the with white
grout to make it the same colour as the tiles? (which in this instance
are a creamy colour)

Buy coloured grout (google for Mapei for some examples - lot sof colours
available).

You will want to mix it, by hand is fine (wooden spoon, stainless steel or
large glass bowl works well IME) in small batches as you only have 15-20
minutes to work it. Then you sponge off and mix and apply the next batch.

Ready coloured poweder will ensure you get consistent results - expecially
if you weight/measure out fixed amounts and add fixed volumes of water to
mix.

Make a sample batch first mixed to the planned proportions to check how
the colour comes out, then go back and buy more colour when it is too
light. Black, for example, is impossible and will be nothing better that
dark grey even at many times the suggested mix.
--
fred
it's a ba-na-na . . . .

On 21/11/2013 16:57, stuart noble wrote:
On 21/11/2013 16:07, Tim Watts wrote:
On Thursday 21 November 2013 15:27 Cursitor Doom wrote in uk.d-i-y:

HI all,

I got some ceramic floor tiles for the downstairs WC. I'd kind of
like to
lay them up tight together in contact with no grouting between, but will
it look right if they're not specifically manufactured to be laid this
way? And if so, how does one distinguish tiles you grout from tiles you
don't?

cheers,

cd

Don't - it will end in tears.

Grout is there for a reason


Most tiles have slightly rounded edges at the face, so there will
probably be a groove between them anyway. If you have to fill that (and
you should), you might as well fill a slightly wider gap

...and that slightly wider grouted gap will lose small differences in
relative flatness/level from one tile to the next, which will occur if
the substrate is less than completely flat and level, and/or if there's
the slightest difference in thickness between adjoining tiles.

On Thu, 21 Nov 2013 17:13:29 +0000, harryagain wrote:

Also the joints have to be sealed, you need a gap to get the
grout/sealer in.

Eh?? Sealing the grout?? Never had to do that before. Is this because
they're used as flooring in this case? Is grout alone not sufficient??

On Friday 22 November 2013 14:26 Cursitor Doom wrote in uk.d-i-y:

On Thu, 21 Nov 2013 17:13:29 +0000, harryagain wrote:

Also the joints have to be sealed, you need a gap to get the
grout/sealer in.

Eh?? Sealing the grout?? Never had to do that before. Is this because
they're used as flooring in this case? Is grout alone not sufficient??

It's only a paint on watery liquid or a spray. It's optiona, but helps keep
the dirt from ingraining (to a limited degree).
--
Tim Watts Personal Blog: http://squiddy.blog.dionic.net/

http://www.sensorly.com/ Crowd mapping of 2G/3G/4G mobile signal coverage

On Thu, 21 Nov 2013 17:13:29 -0000, harryagain wrote:

"Cursitor Doom" wrote in message
...
HI all,

I got some ceramic floor tiles for the downstairs WC. I'd kind of like to
lay them up tight together in contact with no grouting between, but will
it look right if they're not specifically manufactured to be laid this
way? And if so, how does one distinguish tiles you grout from tiles you
don't?

cheers,

cd

The grout takes up tiny inaccuracies in manufacture.
If you lay them tight, after a while you find they won't quite fit right.
Also there are very slight "twists".
The errors are multiplied as you lay them.

The grout disguises all this.

Also the joints have to be sealed, you need a gap to get the grout/sealer
in.

This is true - my kitchen floor is of quarry tiles (9" of course, so spares
are rare) and some of the grout (cement-based, judging by the hardness) is
=SFA! It's cracked in places but of course I can't really get anything
useful in.
Where's Frank - he gone off with me angle grinder.
--
Peter.
The gods will stay away
whilst religions hold sway

On Thursday, November 21, 2013 3:27:36 PM UTC, Cursitor Doom wrote:

HI all,
I got some ceramic floor tiles for the downstairs WC. I'd kind of like to
lay them up tight together in contact with no grouting between, but will
it look right if they're not specifically manufactured to be laid this
way? And if so, how does one distinguish tiles you grout from tiles you
don't?
cheers,
cd

That's how Victorian floor tiles were laid, butted up and dry sand/cement mix brushed over them to fill any slight gaps. I'm not convinced about trying that with modern glazed tiles.


NT