Repair work tiling a room involves solving the question of how to choose the color of grout for the tiles.

At making the right choice the room design will take on a different look appearance, highlighting finishing materials. To correctly determine the shade, you should pay attention to several nuances.

Purpose of the grout mixture

Grout is needed to fill the gaps in the space between the tiles. It not only adds elegance to the finish, but also has protective functions preventing the appearance of harmful bacteria.

In order not to make a mistake when selecting, it is worth finding out what functions the mixture performs:

• Waterproof and dustproof. During application, the material forms an invisible film that prevents condensation and protects the tile adhesive from destruction. In addition, grout does not allow water to be absorbed, which prevents the appearance of fungus and mold.
• Decorative effect. Without the mixture, the tile finish will look incomplete. It gives the materials an additional shade.
• Ability to hide defects. Correctly selected shades of grout will help disguise chips and small flaws made when laying tiles.
• Expressiveness of the interior. Depending on how the mixture is used, you can highlight the finish, give it contrast, or diversify the design of the room.
• Creating interior integrity. If the shade is contrasting, you can combine various furniture or decorative items with it, combining them into a single style.

The grout mixture guarantees the durability of the designed room design. If this material is not used, over time the tiles may move away from the walls, creating new problems in the repair.

You can fill the seams of ceramic tiles yourself - no additional skills are required. Modern mixtures are available ready-made or in powder form, which is diluted with water to the required consistency.

Types of grout by composition

Modern manufacturers offer the following types of mixtures for filling the space between tiles:

1. cement;
2. cement-sand;
3. resin-based;
4. latex;
5. silicone.

Each of these varieties is suitable in a specific case. For example, cement mixtures relevant for any type of tile, they have a homogeneous composition and are applied evenly. Their analogues with the addition of sand are intended for filling wide joints, however, the presence of an abrasive substance limits their use with glossy surfaces.

Grouts based on epoxy and furan resins are used only by professionals; they require qualified skills in the work. Their plus is the brightness of the color and excellent elasticity. Among the disadvantages is the increased cost of the material.

Detailed video about existing types grout composition and selection for a specific task

Epoxy grout is good for lining swimming pools, garages, and saunas due to its increased moisture resistance properties. A mixture based on furan resin should be selected when finishing industrial production facilities. Often in this area, colors from a standard palette are used.

Silicone mixture is considered the most optimal. It has a rich range of colors and is easy to apply to seams.

Latex grout is the most modern; its strength, moisture resistance and wide range of shades make it the most expensive. It is well suited for finishing balconies and loggias, as it is not afraid of temperature changes.

The principle of selecting a mixture by color

Before choosing grout for tiles, you should understand that this procedure does not necessarily have to be followed fashion trends. The main task in the selection is to express the interior and harmoniously combine the color of the tile with the mixture.

When going to a hardware store, you should take a sample of the tile with you in order to more accurately select the color of the grout.

You should listen to the advice of designers who suggest paying attention to some nuances when selecting:

The choice is also influenced by the structure and pattern on the tile: to shade the tile, you can use the black color of the mixture.

Grout color options

There are several types of popular combinations in interior design with tiles.

These should be considered to choose the appropriate option:

Please note

Choose the color of the mixture that will harmoniously combine not only with finishing materials, but also with furniture and plumbing fixtures. Do not overcrowd the room with dark colors - they will put pressure on the psychological state.

Selecting the current shade

Having studied full information About how to choose the right color of the grout mixture, it is worth drawing several main conclusions:
Video lesson on combining colors in the interior

A competent choice of material will help to visually expand the room, correctly place accents, and divide the space into zones. Over time, the grout mixture may change its color, so it will be necessary to periodically update the compositions. To do this, the old filling is removed from the seams, they are cleaned and a new compound is applied.

Laying ceramic tiles is not an easy process, since all fragments must be laid out strictly level, maintaining the same gaps. To smooth out possible inaccuracies in the work, hermetically “seal” the seams and give the decor a finished look, the joints are rubbed special mixtures. These can be transparent or colored solutions, and in order to get the desired optical effect, you need to understand how to choose the color of the tile grout.

Tiling walls and floors is one of the most common ways to decorate the interior and protect the base from moisture. Most often, tiles are selected for kitchens, bathrooms and hallways, and decorative mosaics are used to create artistic compositions and panels in living rooms. Each grout manufacturer offers a wide range of colors, so you can finishing any shade. Basic recommendations on how to choose a grout color for tiles:

• The overall appearance of a room decorated with ceramics is determined to a greater extent by the shade of the grout mixture than the tile itself, creating a holistic visual perception.

• When choosing a colored grout for the tiles that exactly matches the ceramic, the effect of simulating a single surface is achieved. Thanks to this, the dimensions of the room visually expand.

• The use of contrasting color grout under the tiles favorably emphasizes the artistic component of the cladding. The emphasis is placed on the relief, pattern and geometry of the fragments.

• A compromise solution is to choose a grout color to match one of the tile shades. Helps balance the color palette in the room and eliminate design intrusiveness.

Previously, builders used dull cement mortar devoid of color. On modern market building materials such a wide range of mixtures is presented that even experienced designer It's easy to get confused. Colored grout is a decorative paste, the use of which enhances the optical perception of the finish.

Important: Grouting the seams between the tiles is not necessary for beauty, but to seal the joints hermetically, preventing the penetration of moisture and the formation of mold. First you need to focus on the quality of the material, and then on the decorativeness of the product.

Classic finishing - the use of ceramics white. The only type of cladding where white grout is suitable for joints. It is appropriate to apply this mixture in the kitchen and bathroom. In other rooms, snow-white seams quickly become dirty and take on an untidy appearance and a dirty shade. It is irrational to choose white tile grout for the floor, since the composition does not withstand abrasion and mechanical loads. Any color will suit white cladding, but all shades give a different effect:

1. Using an off-white mixture for white tiles visually increases the space in the room.
2. Light gray and beige compositions look neutral and inexpressive. Emphasize Scandinavian style dark gray paste helps.
3. To enhance the contrast perception, white tiles are combined with dark grout, for example, anthracite or brown.

To choose the right grout color, you need to decide what effect should be achieved in the end - combining fragments into a single whole or visually delineating the surface using contrasting variations. It's a bold move to use bright colors, but the tiles must be laid perfectly. White tiles “do not argue” with dark seams if the interior is made in the style of minimalism, hi-tech, Scandinavia, or rough industrial design.

Gray ceramics are more difficult to select when choosing grouts. The color is neutral, but can be deep and rich. To prevent the interior of the room from looking boring, gray materials are selected for the walls and floors. grout mixtures one or two shades darker than the main background. As a result, the space of the room acquires additional visual volume. Strictly black paste creates the opposite effect, against its background facing material looks casual, but the overall appearance of the interior is dramatic.

The use of gray shades in fashion, the color palette looks impressive in functional style hi-tech or minimalism. It is better to exclude flashy tones and limit yourself to the choice of grout for deep gray tiles. You can experiment with white mixtures, which will appear snow-white against a gray background. Gray plus gray – perfect solution For kitchen apron and walls in the bathroom.

Strict classics in black require carefully and carefully selecting the grout of ceramic tiles. Glossy black material on the wall is completely excluded, since all dirt and stains are clearly visible on it. It is better to choose black matte tiles or fragments with texture. Which grout to choose for a black finish:

• Wall coverings that do not come into contact with water are treated with a very dark black paste. The tiles look expensive, stylish and luxurious; dirt must be removed immediately.

• For floor surface It is recommended to use dark gray mixtures. In progress wet cleaning wet gray seams don't look dirty.

• Hue charcoal softens the drama of the overall composition, mutes the strict black. In this case, the tone-on-tone visual effect works well.

The contrasting grout of black ceramics is white, the tiles look bright, and the geometry of the fragments is clearly visible. Black tile grout is practically not used in combination with bright colors, but red paste is suitable for individual bathroom interiors. Snow-white plumbing helps to dilute some of the gloominess of the black-and-red background.

To give decorative design The interior has an original twist, colored grout is used. It is suitable for pastel, warm, cold, combined compositions. It is important to choose the color of the paste so that it does not contradict the general background of the cladding, but complements or emphasizes it. How to choose the color and shade of grout for colored ceramics:

3. Red ceramics looks quite bold and bright. To smooth out the strong effect, you can combine it with white tile paste.

4. With light pink, delicate greens, and light green ceramics, the white solution accents the attention softly and unobtrusively.

5. Colored bright light tiles acquire expressive contrast in harmony with the dark mixture.

6. To give your eyes a rest when looking at blue and turquoise ceramics, match it with the same grout that is an order of magnitude lighter.

7. To create the most holistic effect for colored ceramics blue choose strictly the same blue grout.

A win-win combination that works on vertical and horizontal planes is beige grout paste on a brown background. From all of the above, we can draw conclusions: black grout creates the right contrasts and, paired with white tiles, it looks theatrical and dramatic. The gray color of the mixtures is universal, suitable for all finishing options, available in a rich palette - light, rich pearl, dark anthracite. Choose flooring mixtures for light-colored floors in dark colors, for a dark coating - gray, since light seams quickly get dirty. Doubtful to use bright colors grout on plain non-colored coatings - yellow-white, blue-black, pink for beige tiles.

On video: Grout changes everything

The mosaic fragments are very small in size, so the colors should not contradict the general background of the artistic panel. When laying a mosaic between the elements it turns out huge amount seams. If the mixture clashes sharply with the shade of the glass fragments, the composition will be tiring to look at. But when using monochromatic elements laid in compliance with strict geometry, you need to play on contrasts, otherwise the effect of mosaic masonry will be lost and you will see a uniform, unexpressed surface. How to choose grout for mosaic tiles:

• Gray or colorless mastic will suit any mosaic. The rule works for mirror and glossy compositions.
• The multi-colored panels are quite bright; it is worth choosing epoxy transparent grout with a “chameleon” effect.
• Multi-textured mosaic with patterns looks expressive in all planes - it is better to choose a neutral color for the composition.
• To emphasize textured surface, choose a paste to match. If you need to highlight many small mosaics, use contrast.
• It is important to use grouts with the effect of gold, silver, copper in monochromatic mosaic compositions to emphasize the details.

Experts recommend “trying it on” different options before choosing the grout color so that the shade is successful. Manufacturers produce a wide range of decorative mixtures of the most different shade. Depending on what color is chosen for the beige, black, blue cladding, the tile will sparkle with new colors or lose its expressiveness.

Manufacturers of grout mixtures introduce coloring pigments into the compositions to color the paste for finishing works. The main palette is represented by materials of white, gray, beige, black. Each manufacturer produces its own line of decorative products, so buyers have huge selection to select grout for ceramic tile joints.

Ceresit

A recognizable brand whose products are widely popular among domestic consumers. The manufacturer produces several types of grout with CE markings 25, 33, 40 in a fairly diverse color palette. On the website official representative the company http://www.ceresit.ru/ru/practices/tiling/Grout_colors.html has a program with which you can simulate the general appearance of the cladding and select best compositions for grouting white and other tiles. The Ceresit range of grout mixtures includes:

1. White, beige, caramel, peach compositions.
2. Mixtures of beige, brown, chocolate colors.
3. Grouts in turquoise, sky, blue, blue, tones.
4. Interesting sand, violet, lavender solutions.
5. Grouts graphite, burgundy, olive, cocoa, juicy greens.

There are many variations, so it’s easy to choose a grout for the floor to match any tile. Ceresit brand compositions do not allow moisture to pass through, are resistant to deformation, and are characterized by minimal shrinkage. There are no problems with pastel and neutral shades - they are identical to the colors indicated on the packaging. Variations from a complex palette after grouting differ from the color on the package with grout.

Litokol

The manufacturer produces cement and epoxy pastes with truly Italian aesthetics and quality. The product range is extensive and varied, including several collections color palette for all types of mixtures https://www.litokol.ru/upload/medialibrary/6c2/svodnyi_-katalog-litokol-_-2018-_-2.pdf. Consumers are offered a choice of:

1. Glamorous shades in bright colors– coral, rose, lime, lemon, red tile grout.
2. Classic range - white halftones, anthracite, titanium, silver, brown mixtures.
3. Metal pastes with a spectacular shine - copper, bright gold, platinum, bronze.
4. Cool colors for blue and blue tiles - crystal, heavenly, pink.

Despite the high cost, Litokol grouts are in wide demand, both cement and epoxy. It is important that the color of the seams after drying, which is shown on the manufacturer’s packaging, does not differ from the real result. Even gray cement mastics are presented in four variations. Therefore, you can easily select the desired composition in the Litokol line of grout sealants.

Atlas

The Atlas brand's palette of mixtures includes basic white and black, several successful tones of gray, a rich blue range, spectacular colored grouts - red, green, blue and exotic options. You can choose pleasant azure, pistachio, apricot, turquoise, cornflower blue mixtures. The manufacturer's assortment includes grouts for any ceramics, and for finishing mosaics, colorless sealants are provided that do not interfere with the light perception of the patterns.

Cement products of the Kiilto brand from Finland meet all the wishes of consumers. The mixtures can be used in the kitchen for grouting white tiles, in the bathroom for colored finishes, and for treating seams between mosaic fragments. Stable pigments protect formulations from ultraviolet rays and fading. The color range includes more than thirty shades:

• Pastel green, gray, bright, classic.
• Basic red, brick, orange, pink.
• Basic yellow, sand, brown gray.

You can choose an expressive purple option or give preference to delicate turquoise. How to choose the right grout color is already clear. To get the desired result, you need to combine the compatible.

The main feature of epoxy mixtures is high speed hardening and short lifespan of the prepared solution. The mixtures are expensive, and the dried composition is not easy to clean. Therefore, you need to work carefully and immediately choose the appropriate color for sealing the seams. A variable range of epoxy grouts is produced by the Litokol company. If you have no experience working with an expensive and quick-drying compound, it is better to entrust the matter to professional builders. Two-component grouts have the most extensive palette, including sparkles, gloss, mother-of-pearl and other unusual solutions.

The choice of grout mixture to match the color of the tile should be based on the harmony of shades. Colors should not “argue” with the rest of the decor or reduce the dignity finishing material. In your work you can use transparent, basic and colored grouts, which give the surfaces an unusual optical effect.

How to choose tile grout by color (2 videos)

Grouting tile joints (22 photos)

When carrying out renovations in an apartment, every owner hopes that in this form the home will last for a very long time and will not have to repeat all the work performed in the near future. In order for these hopes to come true, it is necessary to approach the issue of repairs responsibly, carefully selecting building materials. In this case, not only the quality of materials plays a significant role, but also the correctly selected colors.

Nowadays, few renovations can be completed without laying tiles. Many people take the choice of grout color rather superficially - they simply buy the first one they come across. Therefore, it often happens that expensive tiles are completely deprived of their attractiveness when combined with grout that is poorly matched in color. So when creating individual design It is very important to pay due attention to this material.

Selecting grout color for tiles

The classic option is to select a color that is 1-2 tones different from the color of the tile. This jointing will ensure maximum harmony. In order to future renovation pleasing to the eye, you need to decide on your own color preferences.

Scheme: calculation of grout consumption and main colors

The choice can also be influenced by the pattern on the tile and its structure. To avoid making a mistake in your choice, it is best to take a tile or part of it with you to the store and apply it to all grout samples.

Advice. Apply to all colors, not just similar shades. Quite unexpectedly, you may discover an interesting combination.

Not long ago, contrasting grout colors became popular. This method allows you to shade and emphasize the color and structure of the tile. The most common combinations:

• black - pearl;
• beige – cocoa;
• olive – graphite;
• gray – mahogany.

Grout with sparkles

A contrasting combination looks bold and impressive, but there is a fairly fine line in selection, crossing which you can end up with ridiculous and disharmonious combinations.

Standard grout colors

There are several nuances that should be remembered when choosing grout. White the color will suit to any color of the tile if it is a wall tile. It is always appropriate with light tones, and with dark ones it will create a good contrast. However, white fugue is in no way suitable for grouting floor tiles, because after a while the color will turn into dirty gray. But the gray color of the grout is suitable for the floor, no matter what shade of tile you plan to put there.

Example: the same tile with different colors grout

Types of grout by composition

But choosing the right color is not always enough. You need to pay attention to the composition and properties of the grout, because different rooms there are various conditions. At the moment there are three main types of fugue:

• cement-based;
• using epoxy resins;
• silicone grout.

Cement grouts are considered the most common at the moment. They have slight differences in composition, and depending on this, they are used for tiles of different colors and qualities. These grouts have a small range of colors and also do not tolerate water well.

Cement grout

Cement grout for tiles

For different widths of joints it is necessary to use different grout. Thus, cement fugue for wide joints contains sand, which prevents the cement from cracking after drying and retains its shape.

You can buy this fugu ready-made in buckets or in the form of dry powder.

Fugu made from plastic buckets can be used immediately, however, despite the ease of use, this also has its drawbacks: the mass dries out quite quickly, so it is necessary to use it all at once.

Grout in powder form must first be mixed with water or latex. The advantage of such a fugue is that you independently determine the volume you need, and you don’t have to worry about the contents drying out.

Applying cement grout

TO merits such grout can be classified as:

• low price;
• ease of use;
• versatility;
• strength.

Flaws:

• is destroyed under the influence household chemicals;
• not resistant to dirt.

Grout based on epoxy resins

Grouts using epoxy resins contain a hardener. This allows her long time maintain color and not be washed away by water. However, applying such grout requires experience, which is why they are not used so often during ordinary do-it-yourself apartment renovations.

Epoxy grout for tiles

Epoxy grout can be used in bathhouses, swimming pools, as well as in places where tiles are often exposed to household chemicals: kitchen walls, countertops, laboratory rooms.

This fugue is sold in the form of two separately contained components:

• epoxy resin filled with quartz sand;
• hardener.

To work, you need to mix two components. At the output we will get a viscous mixture, which is difficult to work with even for experienced craftsmen. However, the result will not disappoint you - grout made from epoxy resins can maintain its appearance for several decades. It will not change color, brightness, or structure.

Application epoxy grout

Advantages such a fugue:

• resistance to chemicals;
• frost resistance;
• water resistance;
• constancy of decorative appearance;
• durability;
• strength;
• resistance to fungi and mold.

Flaws:

• labor intensity;
• high cost.

Silicone grout

Silicone grout

Silicone sealants have a huge variety of colors and you can choose such grout for any type of tile, regardless of color and texture. Besides this, this type grout has an antifungal composition and increased resistance to water, which makes it possible to widely use it in rooms with high humidity such as kitchen, toilet, bathroom.

If you don't have the color you want

Sometimes it happens that the store does not have the required color in stock, or you simply do not like the colors that exist in the standard offerings of manufacturers. In this case, you can create a suitable shade yourself. This can be done in two ways: by mixing white grout with grout of a different color until the desired shade is obtained, or by using color.

Using toner to create the desired shade of grout

Colors are sold at any building materials store. You can experiment with shades by adding different colors to the white grout until you achieve the desired result. The color saturation depends on the amount of color, and the shades depend only on your imagination.

Primers and additives

Various primers and additives will be a good help. There are additives that make grout from ordinary grout moisture-resistant or frost-resistant, or give it anti-deformation and antifungal properties. Overall, it adds the characteristics you want.

Consider what properties the grout should have

If for some reason it is not possible to purchase fugu with the desired properties, you can obtain them using special additives. For example, you need a tile putty that is suitable for heated floors, and desired color with such properties no. This is where construction chemicals come in handy.

Advice. It is worth remembering that when using a dry mixture, after you fill it with water, it may seem to you that the color does not match the one you chose. Don't worry, after the grout dries, the desired color will return.

Experienced designers advise not to overdo it with the number of colors and adhere to the “three-color” principle. You can choose a grout to match the tile or the pattern applied to it, as well as to match the plumbing fixtures or furniture elements. But you should not use more than three colors in one room.

The choice of color depends entirely on your capabilities and preferences. We hope this article helped you figure out how to choose the right color and what to look for when choosing putty for tiles.

Do-it-yourself grouting: video

Grouting joints between tiles: photo

During the renovation process, we inevitably face a lot of problems, both serious and minor. The beauty and convenience of our home will depend on how seriously we take each task. The choice of color for grouting tile joints is not a matter of primary importance, but it is better to think about it in advance.

What to choose: the color of the tiles or contrast?

Usually, buyers, without hesitation, choose grout as close as possible in color to the tile. However, this is not the only possible option. Recently, contrasting color combinations have become increasingly popular. For example, dark grout is selected for light tiles and vice versa. It is important to be thoughtful when choosing colors, otherwise a random combination of colors will only cause confusion.

If dramatic color combinations based on contrast aren't your thing, you can go the more traditional route. Choose grout to match the tone tiles, but focus not on the main color, but on the color of the picture.

Spectacular contrasting combinations

Now they are producing collections of tiles, for which grout options that match the color have already been offered. The color combinations invented by the designers look truly unusual and interesting. So, for black tiles it is recommended to choose pearl-white grout, for beige - cocoa or milk chocolate-colored grout, for olive - graphite, for gray - mahogany-colored grout.

Previously, preference was given to grouting neutral, calm shades, but today designers have turned to bright, rich tones. Increasingly, red, orange, green, turquoise, blue, purple and black grout are being chosen to decorate a bathroom.

If you have chosen white ceramic tiles for finishing the walls or floor in the bathroom, then it will be difficult to make a mistake when choosing the color of the grout. After all, absolutely all colors go with white. Some combination will be more successful, some less, but there will not be a complete failure. When working on creating a color pair, remember that it should be in harmony with the colors that are used in the bathroom interior. Therefore, try to choose a grout that matches the color of the furniture, doors, ceiling, etc.

It will be more difficult to choose a partner color for colored ceramic tiles. We advise you to use a special fan palette, which no designer can do without. Experiment with different color combinations, and perhaps you will be able to find a truly beautiful and original solution.

Is colorless grout universal?

Many people believe that a white grout mixture is called colorless. This is not entirely true. White grout is, indeed, considered universal and is suitable for tiles of any color. True, with dark shades it forms contrasting combination, which will probably not appeal to connoisseurs of traditional solutions.

Relatively recently, grout for tile joints has appeared on the building materials market, which actually has no color. New material It is made on the basis of epoxy and contains glass. Due to its light-absorbing properties, the effect of “invisibility” of the grout is ensured. This grout mixture is also called a “chameleon”, as it adapts to the color of the ceramic tile.

Colorless grout is a rather expensive product, but it is worth the money. Created using modern technology, it has excellent characteristics: easy to apply and easy to clean, not susceptible to mechanical damage, does not interact with aggressive chemicals, resists the appearance of fungus and mold.

Colorless grout is most often used to work with glass mosaic and for creating decorative tile panels.

It is better to purchase grout at the same time as purchasing tiles. This way you can sort through everything on the spot possible options and settle on the most successful combination. The choice of grout color depends, among other things, on the type of ceramic tile chosen.

• Multicolored tiles. Consider all the color tiles in the picture. Determine which one is the darkest and which one is the lightest. Then everything is decided by the size of the bathroom. If the room is small, choose the lightest shade, and if the bathroom is spacious enough, you can choose the darkest color.
• Plain tiles. If all the walls in the room are decorated in the same color, then the shade of the grout should be chosen based on the importance you attach to the decor of the bathroom. If you want to draw attention to furniture and plumbing, then buy grout to match the tiles. And if in the center of the interior there is a wall or flooring, it is better to choose a contrasting color for grout.
• Mosaic. Traditionally, for a mosaic, either a shade is chosen that contrasts with its main tone, or neutral color, for example, beige or gray. You can also use colorless grout to decorate the mosaic: it contains transparent components that absorb color and mask the tile joints.

The following recommendations will help you choose the color of grout for ceramic tiles:

• Go to the largest hardware store for grout. This is exactly the case when a variety of choices benefits the result. The more tile + grout combinations you try, the more likely you are to find the perfect color match.
• Some stores have test samples of grout that you can apply to the tiles and evaluate the result right on the spot. This opportunity must be taken advantage of. Be sure to wait until the composition dries, as wet and dry grout differ significantly in color.
• For panels made of ceramic tiles, it is better to choose grout that matches the background or dominant shade - this way the pieces of the picture will be combined into a single whole. But for small mosaics, contrasting grout colors are welcome.
• If the entire room, including furniture, plumbing fixtures and accessories, is decorated in one color scheme, try to “refresh” the interior using grout of a contrasting color.

Colors: what to do if the desired color is not on sale

Unfortunately, even in the largest construction stores the choice of colored grout for tiles does not cover the entire existing color palette. If you have chosen a color for grout that is not produced by any manufacturer of grout mixtures, do not rush to change your decision. Grout colors can come to your aid.

Here you have several options: buy a special coloring paste, buy a regular water-soluble colorant, or use gouache or watercolor as a colorant. Using any of these components you can color white grout, or make the shade of colored grout more saturated.

If you decide to paint the grout using a tint, remember two important points:

• Try to do the entire amount of work in one day. Otherwise, the grout will dry out, and you most likely will not be able to repeat the resulting shade the next day.
• After some time, the grout usually becomes lighter, so you should use a color one or two shades darker than intended.

Applying grout (jointing) is one of the final stages of laying tiles. Correctly selected quality material and professionally carried out work are a guarantee of protection of the cladding from moisture, dirt and dust, an excellent addition to general appearance surfaces. Grout (fugue) allows you to mask those minor defects that arose during. What needs to be taken into account so that the grout emphasizes the beauty of the tile and protects it?

Types of grout

The choice of fugue must be based on the following parameters: purpose, type, manufacturer. Before purchasing a material, read its characteristics and make optimal choice for your specific case.

According to the purpose of grout there are:

1. for mosaic;
2. for tiles.

They differ in composition and characteristics.

In terms of composition, grout mixtures are based on cement, latex, varnishes, epoxy resins and various impregnations. In addition, there are silicone sealants, designed for processing complex areas of cladding.

Video - correctly grouting the seams of ceramic tiles

Cement-based grouts

Cement-based grouts are dry, which must be diluted with liquid latex or water before use and are ready for use. If such a material contains sand, it is recommended to use them for processing joints more than three millimeters wide. For smaller joint widths, it is better to use mixtures without sand.

Areas of application for cement-based fugue are tiles made of glass, ceramics, stone, laid on brick, plaster, concrete and other durable bases; cladding of deformable surfaces (terraces, heated floors). Used for outdoor and interior works. Sanded grout is not recommended for use on marble or glazed tiles.

Cement-based grouts with fillers

Polymer modifiers and mineral fillers can be used as additives to cement-based joints. Seams treated with such mixtures have an increased degree of protection against moisture penetration. They are used for grouting tiles in cafes, restaurants, industrial kitchens, showers and bathrooms, where the coating is constantly exposed to steam and moisture. Used to process seams between glass, ceramic tiles, artificial and natural stone (except light rocks); for interior and exterior work.

As an example, use the Ceresit CE40 aquastatic mixture.

Two-component epoxy-cement joints

To process the seams between smooth and durable tiles (clinker tiles, glazed tiles, mosaics, glass), a grout containing cement, mineral fillers and epoxy resins is used. The result of using such a mixture is seams that are resistant to various chemical reagents. The optimal use of epoxy-cement fugues in hospitals, production premises, swimming pools, laboratories on wastewater treatment plants. Used for interior and exterior work.

An example of such grouts is Fuga Epoxi 710, Ceresit CE44.

Epoxy grouts

The most resistant seams to chemical and mechanical influences are made by mixtures based on epoxy resin and hardener. These are universal and beautiful grouts; they retain their original color for up to 50 years. Environmentally friendly, safe to use material is used in various laboratories and production workshops. Such fugues are quite expensive, very viscous, and require certain working skills. Entrust the application of epoxy grout better than a professional. Used for mosaics and tiles.

For grouting floor joints - Ceresit CE48, for treating walls - Ceresit CE47.

Choosing a color

The color of the grout is purely a matter of taste. It is important to remember:

• If you want each tile to stand out, the fugue shade should be darker than the tile. This approach will help create a clear picture of the composition.
• If the grout is lighter than the tile itself, the surface will visually blend in.
• The contrast between the tiles and the joints is advantageous in the case of mosaics and small tiles.
• For a mosaic panel or photo tile, a colorless fugue or a mixture of the same color with the tile would be ideal.
• If you can't choose a shade, use a win-win option - white grout (just not for the floor!).

Good luck with your tile laying, see you on the pages -