How to determine grout spacing?

Author: Emery Stanton  |  Last update: Saturday, September 27, 2025

The gap you opt for will depend on a few factors: The size of tile you're using: smaller tiles often look great with thinner grout lines, around 2-3mm. For larger tiles or tiles with uneven edges, however, wider grout lines (3-5mm) can help with alignment and hide any imperfections.

How to choose grout spacing?

For standard patterns like offset or straight set, we recommend a 3/16” grout joint size. If you'd like a tighter install,1/8" is the absolute minimum size we suggest. However, if you want to install a more intricate pattern like parquet or herringbone, you may have to use a larger grout line.

How big should grout lines be for 12x12 tile?

GROUT JOINT SIZE FOR LARGE AND HEAVY TILE

Daltile recommends that large tiles have a 1/8” or 3/16” minimum grout joint for the most successful installation. The difference is not really noticeable visually, but can make a big difference to the quality of the installation.

How do you calculate grouting?

To work out how much grout you'll need, follow this easy 6-step calculation:
  1. Step 1: Tile width (mm) + tile height (mm) = A.
  2. Step 2: Size of spacers (mm) x tile thickness (mm) = B.
  3. Step 3: A x B x 1.2 (this number is the coverage ratio of all grouts) = C.
  4. Step 4: Tile width (mm) x tile height (mm) = D.

Should I use 1 16 or 1 8 grout lines?

`` The Tile Council of America just announced that they do not recommend 1/16'' grout joints anymore for floor and wall tile due to surface crack issues and only 1/8'' is the smallest joint that is recommended. If a surface tile crack occurs at any point, it will not be covered under warranty.

Grout lines explained, width selection . How to decide what your tile spacing should be.

Can you use sanded grout on 1 16 grout lines?

For cementitious grout, joints smaller than 1/8″ generally should only be grouted with unsanded grout, and joints of 1/8″ and larger should only be grouted with sanded grout.

What determines grout line size?

The size of your tile should be considered when choosing a grout size. In general, there is more size variation in larger-sized handmade tiles so they need a bigger grout joint for that to be less noticeable and to achieve a more even installation.

How much space do you allow for grout?

The gap you opt for will depend on a few factors: The size of tile you're using: smaller tiles often look great with thinner grout lines, around 2-3mm. For larger tiles or tiles with uneven edges, however, wider grout lines (3-5mm) can help with alignment and hide any imperfections.

What is the ratio of grouting?

In current engineering practices, to ensure the fluidity of the grout, the commonly used water-to-cement ratio for cementitious grouts in anchoring projects ranges from 0.5 to 1.0.

Should you use sanded or unsanded grout?

Unsanded grout can be prone to severe cracking when it has pressure applied to it, making it unsuitable for most flooring applications. Sanded grout is the go-to choice for most interior flooring installations.

What happens if grout lines are too small?

When the space between tiles is so little like 1/32″ which is often referred to as “credit card lines” or “penny lines”, it's not possible to fill that space all the way through the bottom of the tile. In such a case, grout pops up leaving little holes in your floor.

How do you calculate tile spacing?

Whichever tile joint solution you choose, you need to calculate how many tile spacers you need. The simple way to do that is multiply the number of tiles you've got by the amount of corners on each tile. So, if you have 105 tiles, 105 tiles x 4 corners per tile = 420 tile spacers needed.

Should grout be flush with tile?

Tiles with a square edge need to have the grout finished flush with the tiled surface. Tiles with a cushion or radius edge should have the grout finished to the bottom of the cushion or radius.

How to choose the right tile spacer size?

As we noted above, your bathroom wall tiles already include small lugs that tell you how far apart you should space them. If not, stick to wall tile spacers between one-sixteenth and one-eighth of an inch.

Do grout lines need to be perfect?

Grout line widths are a personal preference. There is no such thing as an ideal size for grout lines, although we must admit that small tiles do tend to look their best with narrow grout joints. If you have your heart set on tight grout joints, then you are in for a challenge!

How long to let grout sit before wiping?

As mentioned earlier, the specific recommended waiting time for grout to set and dry will vary based on the product and brand you are using. However, a common guideline is to wait approximately 15 to 30 minutes after applying the grout before wiping off the excess.

How much does a 10 lb bag of grout cover?

The Mapei Corporation Keracolor U 10 lb. Unsanded Grout with Polymer is white, covers up to 100 sq. ft. and can be applied indoors or outside on floors or walls.

Can you grout over grout?

You can apply new grout right over the top of the old grout. To do this, all you need is a grout removal tool. Use the tool to strike out the old grout, making sure the depth is at least 2mm, which is about the thickness of two dimes stacked one on top of the other.

What is the ratio for grout?

First, pour the grout powder into the clean bucket. Then slowly add water or the Admix to the grout. For Admix, the ratio is (1) bag of sanded grout (25lb.) to (1) 70 oz.

What is the gap for grouting?

The size of your grout joint very much depends on the type of tile you are using, the tile's substrate and the room it's being tiled in. If you are tiling over a large area or using non-rectified tiles, you will need to take into account the tolerance in tiling sizing, we'd recommend 3-5mm.

Can you use too much grout?

That's why you take care to apply grout in an even layer, making sure there are no air pockets or gaps. If you accidentally apply too much grout on your tile, or if the grout isn't mixed properly and dries unevenly, you might be left with a rough surface that's difficult to clean. If this happens to you, don't despair.

How do you measure grouting?

Grouting of cracks, joints, etc. is measured in meter whereas bituminous grouting of road metal cement grouting of concrete is done in a square meter.

How wide of a gap can you grout?

The wider spacing will help to accommodate placement of tile and maintaining straight lines. TCNA recommends a minimum 1/8" grout joint for rectified tile and minimum 3/16" grout joint for calibrated tile. They also suggest adding to this width the amount of edge warping on the longest edge.

How long does grout take to dry?

Grout is used to fill the gaps between walls, usually tiles, so that they stick together. For grout to work its magic, it should be left to dry for a reasonable amount of time; otherwise, all your efforts will be ruined. On average, grout takes around 24-72 hours to dry.

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