Installing Travertine Tile Without Grout Lines

There is also the argument that groutless tile installation simply looks better and makes the work seem more compact or put together.

Installing travertine tile without grout lines.

As long as the travertine tiles are well bonded to the substrate that you cut open the joints so they are about 1 8 inch wide that you clean the joints thoroughly and let them dry and then if you install a polymer modified cementitious grout meeting ansi a118 7 per the manufacturer s directions it should perform well. Don t do a groutless tile installation. How to lay tile without grout lines. This natural stone is cut to size leaving honed flat edges that make great grout less joints.

It keeps moisture out of the substrate helps keep tile lines straight and. I try to use the smallest grout lines the tile will allow. Set the next piece of tile adjacent to the first piece being sure to repeat steps 2 and 3 for every marble or travertine tile you install. Instead line up the corners of the tiles and use your rubber mallet to gently tap the surface of the marble or travertine until it is butted up tightly against the adjacent piece.

Here s why you need grout. I looked up the idea of no grout lines using travertine and someone said you must have a grout line at least a penny wide. In most other tile i will use 1 16 or 1 8 inch lines. The most common tools used to install travertine tile or most tile for that matter include a tape measure a rubber mallet a power drill and mixing paddle a marker or wax pencil a level a tapping block a torpedo level a chalk line tile spacers a margin trowel a notched trowel and a wet saw.

Just talked to a tile guy today and he did his house with travertine without a grout line. 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. For most granite and marble tile i install i use either 1 32 or 1 16 inch grout lines. Even though you butt the tile together it will still create a very small grout joint.

Still experienced contractors will tell you that this isn t a good option and even the thinnest of grout lines can make a big difference. Grout is a necessary and integral part of many tile jobs for several reasons. He said that it is no issue and is a cleaner look less of a chance for crap to get in the grout line and discolor. Do not use tile spacers.

Make sure you still grout it to fill all of the voids.