My contractor told me my grout lines were too wide and I had to redo them

So last year I was tiling my own bathroom floor in Cleveland and I left these huge gaps between tiles, like almost half an inch. My contractor buddy stopped by and said those wide lines would crack and collect water within months, he was right. I ripped out 60 square feet of tile and reground everything to a quarter inch max width. Has anyone else made this mistake on their first tile job?

2 comments

2 Comments

brooke_jones2d ago

That thing about cracking is so true... I had the same issue with my first tile job in the kitchen. I thought wider lines looked more modern but after one winter the grout was crumbling in spots where the floor had any movement. The bathroom is the worst place for wide lines cause of all the moisture and temp changes. Quarter inch is the sweet spot for floors, I'd say even smaller if you're using bigger tiles. My buddy told me to stick a dime between tiles as a spacer and that worked perfect for keeping things even.

jordan_henderson131d ago

You ever try to pop a tile out that was set with no gap? It's a nightmare. I've pulled up floors where they butted tiles tight and they were cracked all over from expansion. Quarter inch gives room for the floor to breathe. And moisture in a bathroom? That's exactly why you want the grout line wider - gives the sealant something to bite into so water doesn't sneak under the tile and rot the subfloor. Dimes are too small for modern homes with OSB subfloors that flex way more than old plank stuff.