Tiles That Do Not Need Grout
My questions are on the use of luxury vinyl tile lvt flooring my wife would prefer to go with either the lvt or a high end single sheet product that is tough and will hold up to water.
Tiles that do not need grout. Diy friendly groutless stone tiles are about 12 per square foot. The best thing to do is use the smallest grout line your particular tile will allow and get a grout that closely matches the tile. Unsealed tiles such as clay and natural stone must be sealed. The tiles can be installed over concrete hardwood ceramic tile natural stone vinyl and linoleum.
Seal the tile not the grout. Setting real stone tiles in mortar or sand is mind crunching work. Porcelain and ceramic tiles are not porous. When you install tile or stone you need grout and you need the right grout.
Don t let anyone convince you otherwise. These outdoor tiles are backed with plastic grids with interlocking tabs that simply snap together. Epoxy grout is a tough water resistant material that doesn t require sealer but it s not right for every tile application. In most other tile i will use 1 16 or 1 8 inch lines.
Therefore in order to get the grout lines to match you may need to cut either the floor or the base board tiles which can add considerable cost to your project in terms of labor and material. Many tiles especially natural stone such as slate marble and limestone are porous and need to be sealed. There are three main downsides to skipping the grout when installing tiles. For most granite and marble tile i install i use either 1 32 or 1 16 inch grout lines.
Dirt can get beneath them and damage them in the long run. Grout helps to. If i was to venture a guess the sizing of the base board tiles may not equal the floor tiles this is not uncommon. If the tiles are not identical they will appear unaligned.
Grout is an essential part of your tile installation and choosing the right grout can make all the difference between an installation that looks and performs beautifully over time and one that rapidly deteriorates into a dangerous eye sore. Because the tiles don t require mortar or grouting there s no drying time. Even with rectified tiles it is not recommended to lay tiles without grout. No grungy grout to repair or refill.
Yes it s technically possible to do a groutless tile installation but as the article pointed out above it s not exactly worth it. Things you will need.