Congratulations! You’ve made the perfect tile selection. Now you have another decision to make – grout. While this might seem like an inconsequential choice, it’s quite important. The right grout can really make or break the look of your installation. Not only is it important from a durability and maintenance standpoint, but the color choice can really influence the overall aesthetic. So how do you know where to begin?
The most important thing is to consider the tile choice. Regardless of where you purchase your tile (although bonus points if you purchased from Riad Tile), the distributer or manufacturer will more than likely have a recommended grout type for your specific tile. It’s always a good choice to start there.
Different tile types will determine what kind of grout it is recommended you use. Larger format tile will use a sanded grout to prevent shrinking and allow for a stronger bond. For smaller format tile, or mosaics, an unsanded grout is recommended to prevent scratching. While a ceramic tile can usually use most any type of grout, it is typically recommended to use a flexible grout to allow for the stone’s natural movement as the temperature changes.
Any designer or contractor will tell you to anticipate some movement, especially depending on where you live. Where we’re located in Texas, it is quite common to have foundational shifts in your home. Your actual foundation might have a lot to do with that as well. The right grout can alleviate some inevitable cracks that will happen throughout the lifespan of your home. From experience, I can tell you that cracked grout is much easier to fix than a cracked tile.
It's also important to follow your manufacturer or distributor’s recommended sealer (and order of use) for your installed product. While grout can also be cleaned, it will be much easier to maintain in the long run if you are following your installation guidelines.
As you can probably imagine, color is also crucial! In most cases, it’s a safe bet to select a color that closely matches the material. At a minimum, we would recommend that it is the same hue. This creates a seamless installation and doesn’t draw attention to any flaws. Tile installation is done by hand and it’s normal to have some variances even with mesh mounted mosaics.
For a while, there was a contrasting grout trend where white tile was often grouted with black grout. It was extremely difficult to achieve a perfect install and often just looked sloppy. Moral of the story - keep it timeless! Pick something close in color to your material.
We don’t hide our love affair with Zellige, the glazed Moroccan tile that has become synonymous with Riad tile. We always tell our customers that due to its handmade characteristics, there will be imperfections. It is hand chiseled in Fes, loaded onto a truck, driven to Casablanca where it is then transferred to a container to be stacked on a ship. After that, it makes a very long journey to a port in the United States before being driven to our warehouse here in Dallas. That adventure doesn’t even include the transport time to its destination – YOU! Given all that movement, you can imagine there is quite a bit of jostling which leads to some chips in the glaze. This is normal and adds to the overall character of this material. Grout is a major player in a Zellige install. It unifies and disguises many of these chips while also creating a subtle backdrop for this beautiful product.
If you’ve checked out our Zellige offerings lately, you’ve likely noticed the variety of colors available. No, grout doesn’t come in merlot or sky blue unfortunately. In these cases, we’d recommend a warm or cool grey that is similar in tone to your selected color. The goal is to make sure that the grout doesn’t conflict with your tile. You want it to kind of disappear. If you’re ever stuck or need assistance, our showroom is happy to help! We also have several boards mocked up with grout options so you can see those in person and help you visualize those pairings for your own space.
