So you’ve chosen your perfect tiles. That means you’re all set to transform your home, right? Wrong. There’s still the small matter of choosing your tile grout. Although tile grout may seem insignificant from a design perspective, it can actually have quite a significant impact on the look of your whole room. Read on to see how to choose the right tile grout in order to give you maximum style satisfaction.
What Is Grout?
Essentially, tile grout is used for filling the spaces in between your wall or floor tiles. All tiles, from porcelain to mosaics and natural stone, require grouting once they have been fixed to the surface.
When choosing your grout there are an array of different factors to consider. What colour do you want your grout to be? Does your grout need to be waterproof? What about mould resistant? It can all get slightly confusing. Therefore, we’ve gone back to basics below with the points you need to consider when choosing your grout.
Waterproof Grout
It perhaps goes without saying but for tiles used in bathrooms and kitchens then waterproof grout is essential. Grout that is water resistant repels the water and bacteria that arises in bathrooms and kitchens, therefore preventing black mould and damp.
Bal Microflex Tiling Grout is the perfect example of waterproof grout and also contains Microban antibacterial protection to prevent black mould.
Wall or Floor Tiles
One vital point to check when choosing your tile grout is its suitability for wall or floor application. Usually, wall grout is finer and is used for 2/3mm joints. Meanwhile, floor grout is coarser and can therefore be used for wider joints.
There are also some grouts, such as the Bal Wide Joint Grey Tiling Grout that are suitable for both wall and floors, depending on your tile joint size.
Tile Joint Size
This brings us onto our next point when choosing grout: tile joint size. Depending on the tile size and format you are using you will have different tile joint sizes. Therefore, it’s critical to choose a grout that is suitable for the size of tile joint.
Some grouts like the Ardex-Flex FS Flexible Tile Grout are suitable for tile joints up to 4mm wide. Meanwhile, the BAL Wide Joint Tiling Grout featured above is suitable for wider tile joints up to 12mm.
Grout Colour
Last but certainly not least you should always consider the colour of your grout. It may only be minuscule but grout can make a huge difference to the look of your room. For example, do you want to create a striking contrast with your tiles? Or do you want the grout to blend seamlessly with the neutral tones of your tiles?
Grouts such as the Bal Micromax 2 Tiling Grout For Walls & Floors come in a wide range of colours from traditional White to Smoke so you can create whatever effect or style you’d like.
We hope our tips have provided you with a basic knowledge of how to choose the perfect grout. Please contact our tiling experts for specific recommendations on your tiling project.
