The previous article, Mr. Shen, told us about the importance of tile gap processing. And advice on the size of the seam. Today, we will continue to talk about “How to make the details of the tiles more perfect.”  — The devil’s in the details – tile gap filling(A)
The gap-filling time should be appropriate
Mr. Shen told us that the time of gap filling is generally 24 hours after the completion of the tile-laying. In doing so, it ensures that the tiles are completely intact and there is no offset. If the whole interior is renovated, you can put the gap-filling properly at the end of the renovation. This will reduce the damage to the tiles and grouts.
Material selection is the most important
Common materials are white cement, putty powder, tile grout, ceramic tile sealant and so on.
  • White cement and putty powder are traditional grouting materials. Although the price is cheap, it is rarely used now. The biggest reason is that it is easy to blacken or fall off, and the waterproof performance is extremely poor.
  • Then there is the second generation of grouting, the grout, especially for the tiles. Generally divided into two kinds of sand and no sand. Sticking vitrified bricks is suitable for use without sand, and matt bricks or antique bricks are suitable for sand. But the specific choice is based on the width of their tile gap. These products are available in a variety of colors and are generally classified as tile-like or other colors. This product is an upgrade to the old product, but the defects are obvious.
    First, the operation time is too long. The application of this type of product is similar to the traditional white cement construction, and it needs to be mixed before using.
    Second, the color of this type of product is blunt. Due to the attribute of the product, there are phenomena such as uneven stirring, color, and unstable bonding effect.
    Third, the application requires a certain experience. Workers spend a lot of time on the application, which leads to an increase in labor costs.
  • Then came the third generation product – Kastar ceramic tile sealant. It perfectly solved the defects of traditional white cement and the second generation of epoxy grout. Excellent performance in terms of mixing ratio, color performance and construction.
The tile gap-filling process has a particular attention
Different ceramic tiles have different caulking processes. For example, irregular tiles such as cultural bricks and antique bricks, etc., when filling the gaps, you need to pay attention to the angle and scale of the grouting. Avoid affecting the tile display. Tiles that require gap filling on a large scale, such as outdoors, or where there is little impact on visual effects or relative vision. It is recommended to replace the white cement because the white cement is very cheap.
Finally, Mr. Shen jokingly told us that he has an easy way to improve the strength and color of white cement, but the effect is also very limited. DIY: white cement paste + latex paint + glue
But this is just a joke from Mr. Shen because we haven’t delved into the mix ratio and the actual operation. Interested friends can try it.