Whether you are tackling floor tiles or wall tiles, making joints cannot be improvised. Here is the material you will need:a bucket, a trowel, a rubber squeegee, a damp sponge and a dry cloth (preferably with a rough texture, mop type). For the mortar, buy a special joint product, usually in the form of a powder to be diluted in water. There are different colors to match your tiles, as you match your lip pencil to your lipstick.
As of the work, you have laid your tiling. When the glue is dry and the tiles have been washed, start grouting. Prepare the mortar in the bucket, diluting it with water as indicated on the packet. Be careful not to make lumps, the mixture should be smooth and creamy, liquid enough to penetrate the joints, but not too much so as not to crack after drying. The ideal? The texture of toothpaste. Do not prepare more than 1 m2 of product at a time, because it dries quickly!
With the trowel, generously fill the joints with this mortar. Continue to fill the joints well with the rubber squeegee, then pass the squeegee diagonally to remove the excess, without digging them. Then smooth with a damp sponge in circular motions, always taking care not to dig into the joints. Wait 15 minutes, then, once the tiles are dry and matt, remove the dust covering them by rubbing with the dry cloth, without going over the joints. Leave to dry for 24 hours before cleaning the tiles again if necessary, with water or with a special cement veil product, if the mortar really resists you. It's finally over! And if you have other jobs to do, courage, consult our survival guide.
