How to cover the seams between the tiles in the bathroom?

Even the simplest tile coating from an inexpensive monophonic collection can be transformed if you choose the right grout. And all the more it is necessary to take a responsible approach to resolving the issue than to gloss over the seams between the tiles in the bathroom, both on the wall and on the floor, if you have laid a luxurious tile. Otherwise, all the work and money will go down the drain and within a month or two the walls will be covered with a layer of fungus, mold and dirt. How to cover the joints between the tiles and which solution is best suited for this purpose, you will learn from this article.

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Which seams require additional processing?

Tiles, as a rule, are laid in the bathroom on the walls and floors, sometimes - they also decorate the ceilings. But in addition to the decor of these surfaces, such a room is equipped with various plumbing, furniture, additional decor. So that all this does not become unusable very quickly, and excess moisture does not spread to other rooms, the seams must be repaired:

• between tiles and skirting boards or decorative baguettes;
• between the tile and the bathroom, sink;
• between the elements of the tile itself.

The masters who lay the tiles usually know how to cover the seams. For each of these goals, you can take one type of solution or different, more suitable in a given situation. What exactly to cover the seams between the tiles in the bathroom - we understand further.

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Suitable building mixtures

What should be putty? The modern industry of building mixtures offers home craftsmen and professional builders the following range of mortars for grouting:

• cement;
• epoxy;
• silicone.

Each of these options has its pros and cons. It is with them that you must first familiarize yourself in order to more clearly understand for yourself than to gloss over the seams between the tiles in the bathroom.

Cement

Cement mixes have been used since ancient times to improve the strength characteristics and appearance of a tile coating. In combination with such a material, the tile acquires a higher threshold of resistance to mechanical destruction, the finished coating becomes more durable and practical. How profitable it is to cover the joints between the tiles in the bathroom with a cement mortar, you can understand if you know about the advantages of such a mixture.

Important! The composition of cement grout includes directly cement, sand, as well as additional components - colored pigments, plasticizers to improve certain properties.

Pros:

1. Affordable cost. Cement grouts are the cheapest of this group of mortars. They will be the best choice if you need to cover the seams between the tiles in the bathroom, and the budget is very limited and you can not hire a team of workers.
2. Ease of use. The laying of cement slurry does not require special preparatory work and does not cause difficulties even for those who had no previous experience in performing such work.
3. Versatility - with the help of such a solution you can repair any seams. Moreover, for wide and narrow seams, special solutions are available for sale, in which substances of different degrees of fractionation are included.
4. High mechanical strength. Seams with this grout perfectly withstand direct physical effects, even in conditions of stably high humidity.

Minuses

The following features should be noted as disadvantages:

• not every type of household chemicals is suitable for regular cleaning of tile coverings and plumbing;
• dirt sticks to the surface faster than when using any other material;
• humidity makes itself felt much faster than with other grouts, since in fact, cement is a water-soluble material.

Important! Cement mixtures are commercially available in the form of a dry powder and ready-made mortar. The second type of grout will cost a little more, but you do not have to spend your time and look for special tools for kneading - you only need to open the container and use the solution as intended.

Epoxy solution

Epoxy grout is universal in terms of the possibility of its use not only in the bathroom, but also in other rooms, and even on the facade of the building.

Benefits:

1. Absolute resistance to any chemistry, so the choice of cleaning products is up to you. None of the modern industrial means will cause any damage to the tiled coating.
2. High strength. Epoxy solutions after the final setting take on the highest possible strength today. Therefore, even with direct mechanical impact, the seams will remain indestructible. On average, the service life of such a grout is about 40-50 years.
3. Absolute moisture resistance. Even at a very high level of humidity or in the conditions of a constantly changing indicator of humidity, epoxy grout not only does not collapse, but also does not change its original properties.
4. Fungus and mold do not appear on this type of surface, which is a significant plus in favor of choosing just such a material.
   
   

disadvantages

Despite the excellent technical characteristics, there are several nuances in the use of such a solution, which may become an adequate reason for the preference of another building mixture. In particular, the disadvantages are such factors:

1. The component composition imposes certain restrictions on the technical side when performing work. The solution requires self-mixing of the ingredients, as a result, a mass with a sufficiently high viscosity is formed. Therefore, not having the skills to work with such building material, you yourself will not be able to qualitatively gloss over the seams between the tiles in the bathroom.
2. The cost of solutions with such a composition is an order of magnitude higher than for cement or silicone mixtures. And since for many it is the price that is the determining factor, epoxy mixtures do not occupy the first place in the rating of the popularity of grouts.
3. Special health conditions. In liquid form, the solution is toxic - not only for the skin, but also for the mucous membranes of the internal organs. Therefore, work is mandatory only with personal protective equipment, strangers should not be present. You can only start using the bath after the solution has completely cured. That is, at the time of construction work and after their completion, a certain time, all tenants of the house should be in a different place.

Important! The palette of shades of grouts with such a base is one of the richest. In particular, you can choose a solution with sparkles, mother of pearl, metallized, in shades of gold or silver.

Silicone sealant

Silicone mixtures appeared relatively recently on the market and immediately began to be in high demand for various repair tasks, including those suitable for covering the joints between tiles in the bathroom. The reasons for this are understandable.

Benefits:

1. Affordable price.
2. The widest color palette.
3. High elasticity.
4. Absolute moisture resistance.
5. Fungi and mold do not appear.
6. The surface is less contaminated.
   
   

Minuses:

1. Suitable as a sealant only for sealing joints between tiles and sanitary ware, for hardening joints and corners. Such a material is not used as a full grout of joints between the tiles themselves.
2. Use in places where there is a point of intake of drinking water is inadmissible.
3. Low mechanical strength.
4. Possible yellowing of the surface after a certain period of time.
5. High consumption of the mixture.

Conclusion - which grout is better for joints?

Based on the above properties and features of each of the possible options, in order to cover the joints between the tiles in the bathroom, we can draw the following conclusions:

1. Cement mixes remain in first place in popularity. They are suitable for filling any joints, inexpensive, relatively durable and safe.
2. Epoxy - good from a technical and aesthetic point of view, but require more financial investment. Plus, their use carries a serious health risk if there is no relevant experience.
3. Silicone - suitable as an auxiliary component to improve the properties of the cement composition and increase its protective, strength characteristics.

On how to properly cover the joints between the tiles in the bathroom with a cement mixture and silicone, we will describe below.

Important! Pay attention when choosing a grout to the manufacturer. The reliability and reputation of a particular brand are sometimes decisive for obtaining a truly high-quality tile coating. The most demanded today are goods from such companies:

• Ceresit (Henkel, Germany).
• Litokol (Italy).
• Knauf (Germany-Russia).
• Kiilto (Finland).
• Mapei (Italy).
• Unis (Russia).
• Atlas (Poland).

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How to seal the joints between the tiles?

There are several technologies, how to cover the seams between the tiles in the bathroom, so you can easily choose the one that will be more convenient and affordable for you. But before you gloss over the seams between the tiles in the bathroom, you need to perform a number of measures. The final result will depend on their quality.

Preparatory stage

To properly prepare the surface for sealing joints between tiles, do the following:

1. Wait until the tile adhesive has solidified.
2. Clean the tiles from drops of adhesive, using suitable rinses.
3. Remove all crosses used to maintain clarity of the size of the seam.
4. Rinse the tiles well.
5. Paste with masking tape to make it easier to observe the thickness of the grout seam and the cleanliness of the finished tile over the entire surface.

Important! If you choose unglazed tiles, moisten the edges with water. Otherwise, it will absorb moisture from the grout and as a result, the seams will burst and become cracked.

Once you have completed all the preparatory work, it's time to start the process itself - to cover the seams between the tiles in the bathroom. You can do this in one of the 2 ways below.

Method 1:

1. Open the solution container and mix thoroughly.
2. If you have purchased a dry mix, cook according to the recipe indicated on the package. But do in the amount that you have time to use before hardening, otherwise - you will have to prepare a new grout. It can not be diluted or used at the end of the working time of the solution.
3. Take a rubber narrow spatula.
4. Pick up a small amount of the mixture on the work surface.
5. Apply to the seams, gently squeezing the mixture into the gaps, holding the tool at an angle of 30 degrees.
6. Treat the entire surface of a 1-2 m2 plot with vertical and horizontal seams.
7. Then proceed to grouting in the next section.
8. After 5-7 minutes after applying the grout, wipe the surface with a damp cloth.

Important! Please note that if you decide to initially make all vertical seams along the entire wall, and then horizontal ones, the design of the second will cause difficulty in spreading, since the previous cement mortar will already be solidified.

Method 2:

1. Buy a special grout bag.
2. Before working, put on a tip with a suitable thickness.
3. Collect the building mixture inside the bag.
4. Press lightly and at the same time close the seams, starting from the top, with strips all the way to the bottom.
5. To improve the quality of the seam can be done in the opposite direction.
6. As soon as the solution dries up - finally form the size of the seam and remove the excess.

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Useful Tips

It is necessary to cover the joints between the tiles not only from a technical point of view. It is the grout that gives the finished look to the tiled coating, makes it more attractive and bright. Therefore, choose the color of the mixture very responsibly, taking into account such tips:

1. If the tile is dark in color, for contrast, you can take the mortar for grouting 1 tone darker.
2. If the tile is light - on the contrary, 1 tone lighter.
3. To design a tile panel or mosaic, it is better to take a colorless solution.
4. If you need to visually combine all the elements of the tile with a different tint or pattern - take a light grout.
5. If on the contrary, you strive to make a bright contrast and visually separate each detail from each other, apply a solution of one of the dark colors.
6. White grout is universal, it goes with tiles of any color, with a pattern, without it.
7. When choosing a multi-color tile coating, when elements of different bright colors are combined on one surface, it is better to take the grout of the color that is most in the interior as a whole.
8. For floor tiles, use darker shades so that you do not have to frequently wash the quickly soiled coating.
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   Stock footage

Now you know not only how to cover the seams between the tiles in the bathroom, but also all the features of this work. We hope you didn’t have to spend extra money on calling a repairman and you were able to complete your own bathroom interior decoration. So - now you will get double pleasure: from pleasant water procedures and the realization that you get this comfort thanks to your skills, determination and determination.