Large Scale Central

cement tiles

General Discussion
#21

Ceramic Tile Grout
How to choose the right grout for your tiling project.
Posted by Philip Schmidt | Apr 29, 2010
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In case you weren’t sure, grout is the gritty stuff that fills the gaps (called grout joints) between tiles. When properly mixed and applied, grout lasts for decades, which is why you want to choose the right product for your job and, just as important, the right color of grout. Most standard grouts work on ceramic, porcelain, stone, and other types of tile; there’s no special formulation called “ceramic tile grout.” And that leaves your options wide open. Find out how.

Sanded or Unsanded Grout?

Ceramic tile grout comes in two main types: sanded and unsanded (or non-sanded), and it’s important to choose the right type for your application. Sanded grout is for grout joints that are 1/8" wide or wider. The addition of sand in the mix helps prevent cracking. Unsanded grout is for joints smaller than 1/8" and for delicate tiles that would be scratched by sanded grout.

Cement-Based Grout

Cement-based grout is the conventional option for ceramic tile grout and is still used in almost all household tile jobs. It uses Portland cement as a hardener and is available in dry powder form that you mix with water.

These days, most cement-based grouts are polymer-modified (or “polyblend”). This means the mix contains various latex admixtures for better adhesion, workability, stain-resistance, and other positive characteristics. Cement-based grouts are the easiest to clean up and also the cheapest option for ceramic tile grout.

Urethane Grout

Urethane grout is fairly new to the general marketplace and offers some appealing advantages. For some, the nicest feature is that it’s premixed; you scoop it right out of the bucket and onto the tile. Made with polyurethane resins and polymers (not cement), urethane grout has great adhesive properties, is more flexible than cement-based grout, and doesn’t need to be sealed. Sanded versions (the only type currently available) can be used on joints as narrow as 1/16".

Since it is indiscriminate in application area it is used both indoors and out. Used for shower stalls and floors as well as counter and walls. Seems any will work for your application in the mold for our purposes as long as it is labeled NON SHRINKING

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#22

Don Watson said:

I think maybe Bob is referring to concrete grout which is used plug cracks in walls even when they are wet. The other non-shrinking cement grout is used to anchor bolts, etc. in floors. I have used both outdoors and they are definitely waterproof.

Doc Watson

Exactly. Not tile grout, but construction grout. Different animal.

#23

Note; casting listed as a use…

I mentioned CementAll earlier.

"If your concrete repairs, restoration and new construction projects call for a fast-setting, high-strength, non-shrink grout, use Rapid Set® Cement All®. Cement All is your multipurpose product for general concrete repair, doweling and anchoring, industrial grouting, formed work, airport projects and highway repair. A high-performance blend of Rapid Set® Cement and specialty sand, Cement All is non-metallic and no chlorides are added. Cement All is durable in wet environment, sets in 15 minutes and ready for traffic in one hour.

Cement All is comparable in appearance to portland cement repair materials and may be applied using similar methods. Apply Cement All from featheredge to 4 inches thick. One 55-pound bag yields approximately 0.5 cubic feet."

I bring this back because they also offer an additive I used to facilitate casting.

"When you need to increase the fluidity of your mixture, add FLOW Control® to Rapid Set® cement products. Using FLOW Control as a replacement for mixing water increases the strength and reduces the shrinkage of your mixture. With FLOW Control, the same working consistency (or slump) may be produced with approximately 20 to 40 percent less mixing water.

It comes in handy boxes … in home friendly sizes as well as bigger bags, at the big box stores

#24

I’ve “paved” some roads with outdoor grout. It was pre-colored to a charcoal/dark grey color and is a reasonable facsimile of asphalt. It’s held up remarkably well for the three years it’s been out in the weather. The color hasn’t faded, either. Here’s a picture after about two years outside:

The road in the lower left is a concrete pad with grout over it. The crack is because I didn’t think to put any steel in the concrete over that short a run :frowning:

#25

Thanks Ray.

I want it to fade a little bit as they are too bright right now.

The real ones in my grandmother’s sidewalk faded over the twenty+ years they were there.

Here is a photo of a pallet load I made with the red and blue tiles mixed in. I need to get some kind of mesh to hold them on the pallet.

#26

Look in the wedding section, or fabric section, of your local craft store.

#27

James, As modern as it looks to be you may consider cutting saran wrap (plastic wrap) into scale 2’ wide strips and wrapping as they do now in shrink wrap.(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#28

David and David,

I model the late 1950’s so I can’t shrink wrap the tile.

I think what I need to look for in the wedding section of the craft store is toule (SP?), a lacy fabric used in bridal veils.

I wonder if they will sell me less than a yard?

I have made about a thousand of the tile. If I make some more of my pallets I will have s flatcar load.

#29

Ray Dunakin said:

Cool.

Food dye won’t last though. You could mix paint into the mortar. I think a little acrylic or latex paint would do the trick.

Ray, brick layers use a powder they mix in with the mortar to color it. I don’t know what it’s called or where you get it, but I’ll bet that would be permanent.

#30

james royal said:

Thanks Ray.

I want it to fade a little bit as they are too bright right now.

The real ones in my grandmother’s sidewalk faded over the twenty+ years they were there.

Here is a photo of a pallet load I made with the red and blue tiles mixed in. I need to get some kind of mesh to hold them on the pallet.

This whole project is pretty dang cool, James.

#31

John Passaro said:

Ray Dunakin said:

Cool.

Food dye won’t last though. You could mix paint into the mortar. I think a little acrylic or latex paint would do the trick.

Ray, brick layers use a powder they mix in with the mortar to color it. I don’t know what it’s called or where you get it, but I’ll bet that would be permanent.

I use Stucco tints in my cast cement buildings, no fade in the gentle Arid-zona oven…