Grout is considered one of the most essential elements to harden tiles. It is a mixture of cement, water, and sand that is used to fill the joints between tiles once they have been placed on the surface.
In today’s article, we will be discussing the application of grout in tiles.
Can you tile without grout?
Although you can tile without grout, it is recommended and advised that you shouldn’t attempt to tile without grout. It is necessary to protect your tile and the wall behind it. In addition to that. certain elements such as dust or debris might get between your tiles if they’re not grouted.
Table of Contents
Most of the grout consists of powder mixed cement. Since the grout is considered the most essential element when placing a tile on the surface, it is recommended to use it in between the tiles to help join them together and fill the gaps in between them.
You can place the tiles without grouting them, but it will cause the tiles to grow and accumulate debris, dust, and other elements in them.
You might think that putting the tiles together without grouting them might help them look compact, eventually it will weaken the texture of the tiles. Grouting the tiles takes a lot of time and effort but this will provide you with benefits in the long run.
Since the grout less tiling makes the texture of the tiles weakened, there’s a higher chance of breaking the tiles. You might think your tiles look identical, but there might be differences in the sizes of the tiles.
As a result, grout less tiling will be unable to provide you with symmetric tile positioning. Since all the tiles are not the same in size, grouting might help them to fix the difference in size and hold them perfectly to the surface.
Due to the long-term use of the grout less tile surface, the tiles might start accumulating dirt and debris. In addition to that, the adhesive strength of the tile might get weakened and cause them to start moving.
That is why it is highly recommended and advised to avoid putting tiles without grouting them.
Is there such a thing as groutless tile? What kind of tile does not require grout?
Due to the blessing of modern technology, it is technically possible to install groutless tile. But most people do not recommend it.
Nowadays there are some tiles available in the market that are made of solid backing with no grout or sealer used to hold the tile down. These tiles use a stainless-steel wire mesh that covers the surface of the tile.
Some tiles that are commonly known as clicks or groutless tiles and don’t require any sealer or ground to hold the tile down.
This tile features high technology machines such as patented tongue and groove interlocking joints that simply hold the title to the surface without any grout needed. This is a cost-effective and time-saving solution for tile installations.
Since the groutless tile doesn’t require extra material to hold the tiles together to the wall and they don’t take long to dry up, they are considered a convenient solution.
3 reasons why you should not tile without grout
There are plenty of benefits of using grout over tiles. Grouting helps the tile to fill up the gaps in between the tiles and hold the texture of the tiles. In addition to that, the grout color blends with the tile on the surface and creates an aesthetic look.
Grouting the tiles properly is important to waterproof the tiles, improve stability and prevent dirt and debris from accumulating inside the gaps. As a result, grouting will help to extend the lifespan of the tiles.
Exterior grouting is important to prevent the tiles from adverse conditions of weather. Just like the foundation of a building, which is basic functionality of it, grouting is also considered as a basic function of tiles.
Moreover, proper grouting will prevent moisture out of the tiles as well. As a result, your tile project will look finished and won’t cause you any problems. Some of the reasons why you should not tile without grout are discussed below:
Prevents dirt from accumulating inside tile:
The biggest drawback of installing tiles without grouting is, it will accumulate a large amount of dirt, debris, and other particles in between the tiles.
As a result, the finishing will lose its beauty after a certain tile. Grouting helps to avoid the dirt from accumulating inside the tile.
Creates an attractive look on the surface:
Grouting will add an attractive look to the tile surface. Some people prefer using grout that has a contrasting color compared to the tile to make the surface look more beautiful.
Adds strength to the installation:
Grouting will help to hold the tiles together on the wall from the side. It is a type of sealer that seals any holes under the tile to prevent causing any damage to the wall and tile texture.
What happens if you don’t grout tile?
If you’re thinking about installing the tile without grouting, you are missing the biggest part of using the grout, the attractive look. Grouting adds an aesthetic touch to the tile surface and creates a beautiful texture on the surface.
In addition to that, installing tiles without grouting will weaken the strength of the tiles to hold them to the wall.
Since the basic rule of grouting is to cover the gaps in between the tiles, installing the tile without grouting will cause dirt, debris to accumulate inside the tile and make the finish look bad.
So, grouting should always be done to extend the lifespan of the tiles. Sometimes, if the grouting is not done in the tiles, it causes the tile to accumulate moisture inside the wall and weaken the tile.
That is why, to ensure proper installation of the tiles on the surface, grouting is important.
How to lay tile without grout lines?
Grouting is an essential part of tile installation since it helps to prevent moisture, dirt, and debris from accumulating inside the gaps or the walls. The grout is useful to prevent dirt and debris from accumulating in between the gaps.
But, if you’re willing to install the grout without tiles, there are still options left for you. There are various types of grouts available in the market that can be used in the drywall.
Although it is technically possible to install tiles without grout, rectified tiles can be a good choice. Here are some steps to follow when laying tiles without grout lines:
Use rectified tiles:
Consider purchasing rectified tiles. Rectified means you can buy porcelain or ceramic tiles that are accurately precise in size and shape.
The tiles are known to have a maximum of 0.0025 inches of variation in size. But the larger variances require very little grout joint.
Place the tiles evenly:
Place the tiles evenly and carefully when joining them. Start from the corner of the wall by placing the tiles first.
Just in case they have a difference in size, cut them accurately in size to prevent variation. If cutting is a hassle, simply use a little bit of grout.
Let them dry:
Once you have cut and placed the tiles in the wall, it’s time to put them inside the wall and let them dry. Sometimes, the tiles might require proper curing to keep their hold tightly on the wall.
How to minimize grout lines when installing tile? What can I use instead of grout?
Grouting is always considered the best solution to prevent the tiles from accumulating dirt and debris in it. That is why most of the experts consider putting grout in between the tiles.
The better the mixture, the stronger the installation process will be. In case you want to reduce using the grout lines, you can either use porcelain or ceramic tiles that are almost accurate in size and shape.
These tiles are considered to have a very minimum size variation so you will need a very little amount of grout when joining.
Since the grout is a mixture of cement, water, sand, and other powder-based materials that are used to hold the tiles to the wall and fill the gaps in between them, you can use other materials as well which are considered as non-cement glue.
You can use urethane grout, epoxy grout, latex additives, silicone sealant, etc. Grouting should be done on the surface since it prevents the tiles from cracking if not used properly.
In addition to that, it will provide the surface with an attractive and aesthetic look to your tile project.
Final thoughts
The grouting is considered an important and essential element to make the tile project look more attractive and prevent it from cracking and prevent dirt and debris from accumulating on the surface. You can use rectified tiles to avoid using grout or use minimum grout if you want.