Grouting tile

When removing the mortar from the shower pan, I used a grout bit because it was too hard to use the grout saw with the smaller hexagonal tiles. It was super easy to use but would have been difficult with the larger floor tiles.

So for the larger tiles, I used a grout saw.

It’s pretty simple. I placed the saw between the tiles where there was any excess mortar and sawed it away.

Using the same saw, I removed the mortar from the edge tiles on the wall.

Finally, using the same saw, I removed the mortar between the decorative wall tiles.

Using a grout float, I applied the grout to the grout lines.

In this part of the process it is important to get the grout all the way into the gaps. To do this, you push the grout into the spaces at a variety of angles.

I love the darker grout, but it makes a huge mess! So instead of applying the grout to the entire tile, like I have seen in my research, I only applied it to the grout lines.

When applying grout, you should only work with a small area at a time so the grout doesn’t set before you can wipe it off. here you see my small area.

After spreading the grout, I used my grout float to remove any excess grout.

Next, I let it sit for a few minutes to let it harden.

Using a damp sponge, I wiped off the remaining grout and this is what it looked like. Yuck!

A few tricks I learned during this part of the process:

1. The sponge should be rung out so that no more eater can be squeezed out. This limits the mess and does not effect the grout remaining in the lines.
2. Clean your sponge religiously. This involves rinsing it in a bucket a million times, but it is worth it.
3. Keep 2 or 3 buckets of water with you for cleaning your sponge. It is easy to rinse it in a bucket at first, but as you go on, the water gets gross and you need a fresh bucket.

When the floor was finished, which took forever, I moved on to grouting the walls tiles.

Here you see the same process of applying and scraping…

Then sponging and wiping.

Here is the same process when grouting the tile in the shower pan. You can see how each one was a little different. With smaller tiles, it make more sense to spread it over an entire area rather than just the grout lines.

One other tip I learned… I started using a regular lint-free cloth to wipe the grout from the tiles, but it was not very efficient. I tied using cheesecloth as suggested by others, but I was grouting such a large area and would go through it like crazy. Finally, I settled on a microfiber cloth and wish I would have started with that. It was highly efficient and removed the grout better than all of the other options.

I did also end up using the cheesecloth for the final wipe-down. It removed any sand or remaining grout nicely.

Here is the final shower pan!

For the areas where the wall and floor meet, as well as the corners, I used a sanded ceramic tile caulk to add more protection against water and moisture.

Using a caulking gun, I applied a bead to the corners, then used my finger to push it into the corner. There are tools for this, but I enjoy getting messy sometimes.

The sanded caulk is really messy but can be easy to clean up. I used a damp microfiber cloth to remove the excess caulk and it turned out just fine.

I also used the sanded caulk on the edge tiles. For the clean edge, I used painters tape before applying the caulk.

Because I used epoxy grout, I don’t technically need to seal the gout, but I am a belt and suspenders kind of girl, so I did it anyway.

After the grout had set for 72 hours, I applied a grout sealer to the grout lines as well as the marble chair rail tile.

I’m giving you a sneak peek of my shower fixture because I was so excited to continue finishing my bathroom, that I forgot to take an after pic before starting my other work.