They help keep your tiles in straight lines and prevent damage from the tiles rubbing against one another.
Install ceramic tile without grout lines.
If you want the job to last then you need to use grout.
You ll also need a 25 pound bag of thinset mortar and a 5 pound bag of unsanded grout for the tile joints.
Very few homeowners like the look of grout.
Grout is necessary.
The unsanded type of grout is best for the small grout lines that will be less than 1 8 inch.
Grout is a necessary and integral part of many tile jobs for several reasons.
They are smooth and uniform edges that let you get the smallest joint possible usually 1 8 or 3 16.
Grout can become dingy looking quickly making a tile installation look old.
Because the tiles don t require mortar or grouting there s no drying time.
Without these precise edges much more grout is needed to even things out across the floor.
Rectified tile has very exact edges.
It keeps moisture out of the substrate helps keep tile lines straight and.
Minimal or zero grout lines will also accentuate any lippage between adjacent tiles.
The tiles can be installed over concrete hardwood ceramic tile natural stone vinyl and linoleum.
But here s the thing.
How to lay ceramic tile without grout.
Fiberglass mesh tape a 1 4 inch notched trowel a putty knife margin trowel and grout float round out the long list.
For most granite and marble tile i install i use either 1 32 or 1 16 inch grout lines.
In most other tile i will use 1 16 or 1 8 inch lines.
How to lay tile without grout lines.
Groutless tile has a higher chance of breaking meaning that you would need to resume the work.
Your best bet for minimal grout joints will be by using a rectified tile.
If your tile project is in a dry area you can install a specific kind of ceramic tile without grout.
It can chip become stained and create a grid effect on an otherwise smooth tile installation.
I try to use the smallest grout lines the tile will allow.
In a zero grout layout or even with a 1 16 grout joint any deviations in tile size will throw your pattern off as you move across the floor.