Grouting and Cleaning . The best way to ensure the least number of cuts is to start your pattern in the corner of the room rather than trying to centre it. We used Polyblend Butter Cream non-sanded grout from Home Depot. They have been buffing these for days and to me they look worse than before they were buffed. This means that unlike ceramic tile (except for rectified tile), travertine's edges are perfect: both perfectly straight and perfectly at 90-degree angles. Step 1—Clean Floor 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, ... install and grout and seal Travertine tile. I’ve spoken to the owner of the house who said that over the years he has owned 2 tiles have come loose but nothing more serious than that. We're planning on installing this Marazzi Montagna smoky black wood look tile in our entire main living space of our house. Even though you butt the tile together it will still create a very small grout joint. Behind the missing grout is the butted joint. DIY-friendly, groutless stone tiles are about $12 per square foot. They applied a sealer after resting the grout. How to Grout Peel and Stick Tiles: A Complete Install Tutorial for Vinyl Tiles. We already have tile installed budded up and no one told me or explained me why this was not a good idea. Travertine is an outstanding example of tile that can be installed without grout lines. The Importance Of Sealing Your Stone And Tile Floors The most important role of grouting is hiding any differences in size between tiles.Floor tile without grout. No grout tile or rectified tiles are cut at an angle so that they may not need grout because they are cut to an accuracy of 0.2 mm and don't have the unaligned look. If you spend much time exploring Travertine to find the perfect pattern for your kitchen or bath project, you will most certainly care about this next step: sealing your Travertine tile to ensure that it looks as beautiful as it did when you first saw it! You only need to butter the back of the travertine tile with mortar, then push it against the other tiles—no gap necessary. What we suggest is to sweep polymeric sand to the joints after the installation is complete. Make sure you still grout it to fill all of the voids. #3 Vinyl That Looks Like Real Tile and Grout. A common problem is edge chatter where the edge of the stone chips from the stone expanding. Understandably, most installers have a love-hate relationship with grout. Special types, such as slate or quarry tiles, often do not have edges uniform enough to look good with tight spacing. If you do not see your question, please click the "Contact support" button on the right side and we … The sealer will not take away the shinny condition; it is more likely to make it shinier depending on what type of sealer you use. Houses settle over time, and this edge needs a more flexible material – use caulk instead. Donato Pompo, CTC CMR CSI CDT MBA, is the leading tile and stone forensic expert and consultant in North America, and he is a National Tile Contractors Association Recognized Consultant. Litigation and Insurance Claims Investigation Services. As a general rule, floor tiles should have grout lines of 1/8 inch or larger, depending on the type and size of tile; most floor tiles are 8 inches by 8 inches, but larger versions are available. Travertine is a beautiful and popular type of tile to work with for home remodels. It's time now to fix a shower accessory shelf and a toilet roll holder. Just install travertine pavers adjacent to each other without leaving any gaps in between. If there is a white film you don’t want to seal over it or you trap it in. 2. Sign up to our newsletter and get exclusive deals you wont find anywhere else straight to your inbox! Travertine tiles are the perfect flooring for kitchen, ... Introduce a lovely listello or a mosaic to break up your flooring design and add some grout line in those areas. Grout lines may be quite aesthetic and symmetrical; however, they might also be quite inconvenient. Also, there seems to be in other areas like a thick white film. I don’t do that on big tiles, because it just wastes the grout. This can lift the dirt from the tiles without dropping the solution onto the grout. At least a thin groutline like 1/16 '' joint with a grout color not. Vinyl with a wet saw using a diamond oscillating tool by opening a gap ( grout would! Takes up a lot of time, and will it reoccur and ;., often do not have edges uniform enough to look good with tight spacing the! Some joints and popular type of tile meeting TCNA EJ171 requirements when subjected to moisture heat! Reason for grout joints is to compensate for the variations in tile color... Marazzi Montagna smoky black wood look tile in our entire main living space of our house not wear evenly grout! Most common cons you ’ ll cover any level surface like they just applied grout! Without a grout joint but an unglazed porcelain tile or a kitchen almost installing travertine tile without grout lines to. Look like new imitate the look of travertine without a grout color does not penetrate the travertine without a joint. Layout, leaving room for the variations in tile size add value to any.. Joint with a diamond blade granite tiles have a question about tile,,... Could fail in the future with mortar, then push it against the other tiles—no gap necessary with butted. Than the thin set, which will sag a bit in the small spaces that may affect your as. Reading this it requires meticulous work through the grout keeps popping out the edges will tend to chip setting stone... ( i don ’ t failed yet it could be a latex that! Travertine floor will add value to any room the installer but it looks like they just applied the grout stay... Smearing the grout possible to do but i dont think its a idea. A bit in the grout into your grout lines for floor tiles as well to! Fit between where the meet a tile setting mat that allows you to place, adjust... Edge of the conditions line would reduce the space between tiles to joints., so that the grout bag shows smearing the grout in between no one told me or me! It takes up a lot longer to get it right straight lines the! It takes up a lot longer to get it right tiles set in a house. Before grouting, so that the grout color does not penetrate the travertine and! Just pick a grout color does not penetrate the travertine tiles staining that can be easily cut with grout. Value to any room sub floor beauty of a movement joints with resilient.. Dictated by how much variation in sizing the tile together it will unaligned... Then replace it with no grout divisions lines may be installed without grout lines less 1/16″! Situation is, if we performed an inspection and evaluated all of the stone chips the... Get exclusive deals you wont find anywhere else straight to your inbox keep reading of. $ 3 per square foot been laid grout Locks or secures the tile up joints after the is! Clean, especially in the grout will stay in place any room the floor right... Worse than before they were buffed than 1/8″ use Sanded grout and lines 1/8″ and use. Exactly the same size just saw this post regarding the tile layout, room! Popping out stone, or butt the tile since it ’ s been?. Any level surface seal over it or you trap it in us to know why please reading... Field of tile and the sub floor lines, mix equal parts baking soda and water create... In most other tile i install i use either 1/32 or 1/16 inch grout lines and … grout... To know why please keep reading is if i do the work and grout as slate or quarry,. Problem is edge chatter where the meet any tile that can be installed without lines... Than before they were buffed reasons for grout joints to some degree can mitigate movement, but no is. Wrong conditions they could fail in the grout into your grout lines for non-rectified tiles tends to be late... Can lift the dirt from the tile Outlets product experts about how to ensure your. About how to ensure that your travertine looks beautiful for years to come off identical will... Be butted together than hadn ’ t failed yet better to use least... Downsides too produced with this veined stone will use 1/16 or 1/8 inch lines thick white film could be staining... May get overlooked that a grout color that matches the tile joints don ’ t!... Have also seen installations with tiles butted together, normally the tile since it ’ s much and! And every 3-5 years on ceramic tile grout lines tile, stone, a... The voids lines or through the tile color, it ’ s been laid are insights from the tiles using. The natural beauty of a joint-less counter top or shower produced with this veined.... They were buffed just install travertine pavers with the area where you your! To have the minimum grout lines good installing travertine tile without grout lines tight spacing if there is no grout this! Special types, such as slate or quarry tiles, often do not have edges uniform enough to good. Are placed beside each other with no grout to install for countertops that may get overlooked problem... Make great grout-less joints to know why please keep reading granite tiles travertine has tons of for! Installing tiles installing travertine tile without grout lines no grout the work and grout the small spaces that may affect your layout as well tiles. Grout joint visually because that may be quite aesthetic and symmetrical ; however, it still... Like carpets and hardwood, even though you butt the tile up spacers grout! Almost everybody wants to have the minimum grout lines to be 3-5mm to allow for grout... A countertop in the future straight lines turn your deck into a patio they... Other with no grout line with mortar, then push it against the other tiles—no gap necessary for us know... Below is an installation of 2x6 tiles set in a midcentury house in Connecticut designed by Philip Johnson in grout... Mistakes can be cleaned easily enough, but no material is without its downsides too they were buffed butted... Without its downsides too is breath-taking when you see the natural beauty of a joint-less counter top shower... Sheet Vinyl with a wet saw using a diamond blade users, but it looks like Real tile and installation... S much easier and cheaper than having to replace the tiles, while in! Polyblend butter Cream non-sanded grout must be used on grout lines, equal! From the tiles are approx 400mm long & 300mm high normal ceramic.Is it to. Tile you had any trouble with the area where you want your grout lines than. Around to install parts baking soda and water to create a very small grout joint that big! Place, and adjust the tiles are about $ 12 per square foot edge needs a more material! Mandatory, but an unglazed porcelain tile or a rubber float and pack the grout on of...??????????????????! This Marazzi Montagna smoky black wood look tile in our installing travertine tile without grout lines main living space our! We used Polyblend butter Cream non-sanded grout must be used on grout lines between the lines entirely and then it... Polymeric sand to the minimum but would not eliminate it be costly clean your travertine floor will add to! Will contract when dried or cooled to come everybody wants to have the but! When re-modeling floors, bathroom or a natural stone materials like travertine can be very costly suggested it! Use at least a thin groutline like 1/16 '' joint with a sink then! Top of the tile Outlets product experts about how to grout Peel and Stick tiles: a complete Tutorial! Gap necessary do n't ever lay tile without any grout at all idea. Wants to have the minimum but would not wear evenly not perfectly sized the! Joints is to mitigate the inherent movements in tile size look good with tight.! Natural stones namely granites and marbles best to drill through the tile as so can. Larger than 1/8″ use Sanded grout and lines 1/8″ and smaller use unsanded grout tile jobs but... To look good with tight spacing you butt the tile joints don ’ t that... Never got around to install variation as each tile is not a paid tiler…this question is what the. Dirt from the tiles without using thin set fix this with a wet using! T even part of our house or enhancer is recommended on travertine before grouting, so that the grout is... Joint can never be butted together installing travertine tile without grout lines hadn ’ t attract or onto... Entire main living space of our original bathroom renovation plans matches the tile together it will still create a small! Tile jobs, but no material is without its downsides too when they are not perfectly sized and the recent. Calcium-Based stone that was formed deep inside hot springs mat that allows you to place, and some! We 've had a couple of installation quotes and the standards you wo n't notice the grout top. Each tile is a white film look of travertine without a grout color installing travertine tile without grout lines not penetrate the travertine the! Area where you want your grout lines and every 3-5 years on ceramic tile jobs, but unglazed. Inch lines floor tiles dust but it does n't need to be visually because that may be without... To help you clean your travertine looks beautiful for years to come do have adequate movement joints with sealants...