Young House Love

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How To Grout Penny Tile

Let’s talk about grout, because with our penny rounds finally all installed, grout was next on the agenda. It has a way of taking things from in-progress to looks-completely-finished-oh-thank-goodness. Observe:

Grout After Close Up Clean

Grout After Stove Close

Grout After Stove Vertical

So here’s how we got there. First I have a little “materials shot” for ya:

Grout 2 Materials

  1. Bucket of clean water
  2. Putty knife & another bucket to mix grout in
  3. Paper towels because, well, grout is messy
  4. Sanded grout (from The Tile Shop, $19 with discount) – ours is the Mobe Pearl color
  5. Rubber float (from Home Depot, $2)
  6. Flexible Grout Admixture (from The Tile Shop, $17 with discount) – this reduces grout shrinking and cracking
  7. Sponge. Woot!

Oh and we used leftover rosin paper from Home Depot to prep the room, since it was again helpful in keeping the mess off of our counters.

Grout 1 Rosin Paper Down

Grout, like thinset, is another mixture that you only want to make in small batches – since it’ll dry out after about 20-30 minutes. So according to the instructions, I started by pouring a bit of admixture into my bucket and then adding the grout powder second.

Grout 3 Pouring Admixture

Just like with my thinset, I used my putty knife to mix everything together until I got a that toothpaste-y consistency that I found easiest to work with.

Grout 4 Mixing Grout

I had forgotten how much I enjoy grouting. That may be an overstatement, but after the focus it took to actually install the tile it was fun to do something that took very little thinking. It was basically just using the float to smoosh the grout onto the tile and, more importantly, into the cracks. Sherry helped too. She was less into it than I was. Ha.

Grout 5 John Spreading

Once we made sure we didn’t miss any spaces, we held the float at an angle and scraped off some of the excess from the front of the tiles. Then it was time for some sponge-and-water action. This not only cleans grout off the front of the tiles, but also kinda smooths the grout between the tiles. It’s kinda weirdly amazing to me how simple but helpful this step is.

Grout 6 John Sponging

If you want to see these steps in action, we managed to film this little one-take video of it. Clara’s need for a cream-cheese refill cut it a smidge short, but you get the point:

Admittedly the task is a bit tedious – and more than bit taxing on your wrist – but we managed to get it all done in one afternoon.

Grout 7 John With Full Wall

The difference between an ungrouted and grouted tile job still amazes us. Just when we thought we couldn’t love our penny rounds more. You can see the difference below – the left side has dried grout in it, the right side is ungrouted. You can also see how much lighter the grout gets once it dries. Of course there’s still a haze on the grouted tiles on the left, so they don’t look as gleamy as they do once you buff that off with a cloth after it has fully dried.

Grout 9 Corner Hafl Done

Oh, and since people had asked before – here’s a picture of the corner seam after it was filled with caulk that matches our grout. We also caulked the seam where the tile meets the counter (that’s still drying in this pic, so it looks darker along that bottom edge). This was taken before we buffed the tile with a cloth though, so it’s kinda chalky. But you get the idea.

Grout After Corner Close

Here’s the whole room completely done, though it’s kinda hard to make sense of it at this picture size – since it sort of just looks like a gray wall. Haha. But in person it’s approximately 50 times bigger than this photo on your monitor. And those gleaming penny rounds look pretty darn lip-smacking. Yes, I just used that adjective. The penny tile does that to me.

Grout After From Peninsula

So here are some close ups so you can get a better idea of what it looks like in real life. Thankfully even when you enter the room from the frame hallway on the far side of the kitchen you can easily make out each individual penny tile. Which is nice because it would have been a colossal bummer to spend 14 hours tiling the room only to have it look like gray paint from afar. Even from the front door it clearly looks like little round penny tile on the part under the microwave that you can see from there. Whew.

Grout After Under Microwave

This shot is probably best at depicting all the varying tones in the tile. It’s awesomely random. Some tiles are a bit darker and some have a dark ring (or semi-ring) around them – we think it looks really charming and adds to the dimension. And you can see the polished shine on the top right corner of this shot (they look hazy in this pic for some reason, but up at the corner you can see that they gleam in real life). It’s actually a really “marble-ish” look without having to dish out the money for marble.

Grout After Stove Close

Here’s another close up to show how some tiles have darker rings and varied coloring. And you can really see how the grout cleans things up and adds some nice tone-on-tone action where dark holes and mesh once were:

Grout After Close Up Clean

We were a little nervous about the grouting step because we had heard that it can accentuate any seams or inconsistencies in the way that you laid the sheets. But our experience was the opposite: it actually seemed to disguise those little mistakes. It’s probably because our tile / grout color combo is low contrast, but if it was dark it could highlight those flaws instead of bridging the gap and making things look more finished and even. So this isn’t to say that grout solves a bad tile job when it’s low contrast (unfortunately nothing solves a bad tile job) but if there are tiny inconsistencies, similarly toned grout might be your best friend. And thanks to using a good sealer, it shouldn’t be a bear to keep clean (we used something awesome on our first house’s tiled shower and didn’t have to scrub it ever again – even while hosting Open Houses a year later it looked as good as it did the day we grouted).

Here’s a better shot that shows the shine- although it’s only on that portion of tile on either side of the range hood. I blame our terrible kitchen lighting, but it’s next on our to-do list! Yes, we have an appointment with our electrician and everything.

Grout After Stove Vertical

Speaking of other still-to-be-completed projects, we also still have to add a range hood and some open shelves. We think our tile will be a pretty darn sexy backdrop for our dishware and such (knowing Sherry, there will be a whole lot of “and such” up there with our dishes – the girl has plans).

Grout After Corner Vertical

Even though grout is done, our job with the tile isn’t 100% complete. We still have to seal it. And before that we have to do a bit more clean up (aka: more buffing to remove small traces of haze in some areas). It’s pretty common for grout jobs and The Tile Shop actually sells haze remover, but we’ve found that just good ol’ fashioned elbow grease (and a dry dishtowel) can also do the trick. Buff, buff, buff. So we may try that first. That is, once our wrists recover.

You know we’ll be back to share all the goods as we go (applying our sealer, planning/replacing the lighting, range hood happenings, open shelves, new cork floors, etc). In the meantime, have you guys ever grouted? Did you kind of like it (me) or kind of hate it (Sherry). The good news is that we both admitted that it was totally worth the hassle when we were done, so that’s unanimous. Glad to have it checked off.

Psst- Take a wild guess who is the most excited indoor train rider in our family. Might not be who you think. More on that here.

Comments

  1. Lizzy says

    I love it!
    We started to demo our kitchen this week. The previous owners had some sort of laminate panels as a backsplash and while they came off pretty easily, they left a lot of yucky adhesive on the walls. (You can see a not-so-great picture of that here: http://anexcellentadventure.blogspot.com/2012/01/demo-begins.html)
    We’re hoping we can scrape most of it off and then tile over it. Having to re-drywall our kitchen will throw a major wrench in our schedule and budget!

    Reply

    • Inge says

      We had the nasty adhesive when we removed the laminate (red, yikes) backsplash that our condo had when we moved in. We patched any areas where there was significant damage to the drywall, but otherwise, our contractor told us we could go ahead and tile right over it. The thinset evened things out. We used glass tiles, and didn’t have a huge area to do, so if you’re using a particularly heavy tile and lots of it the old drywall might not hold up to it. But for us, it worked fine to tile away–everything’s still rock solid.

      Love how the penny tile turned out! Grouting is a pain, but the final result is so worth it.

  2. Paige Meredith says

    I just got the “Grout Grout Let it all out” reference an hour after I originally read this post.
    Laughed out loud at an inappropriate time. Love those.

    Reply

  3. Patti says

    Oh when this all comes together it’s gonna be amazing, you can already tell! I never doubted you guys would rock it. For me, the only thing worse than tiling and grouting is … hmmm, I can’t think of anything.

    Reply

  4. Kelsey says

    WOW!! I am loving your kitchen transformation and I am officially in love with the penny tile! I saw blue penny tile in a yellow and white kitchen in Martha Stewart living last month and loved that too!

    Reply

  6. Sandy says

    I’m with John on enjoyment of grouting! I actually think it’s fun. Maybe because I used to like to play in mud as a kid? Anyway, I love how your penny tile came out. The grout makes all the varied colors pop out and look fabulous. You guys must be doing the happy dance every time you walk in the kitchen now! I know I would be. Thanks for the inspiration.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Isn’t that cool? It’s super durable tile actually- we were really surprised. I have smashed into them trying to get thinset out from certain spots between tiling jobs and they’re surprisingly resilient!

      xo,
      s

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, two other folks said it was similar which is kind of a funny coincidence. Our blog design is subconsciously influencing our house design- and vice versa probably!

      xo,
      s

  13. Penny says

    Another TFF fan saying thanks for the awesome 80s flashback! I actually owned the 45 inch single of Shout. Good lord I’m old. The grouted tile looks beautiful and Sherry, you always crack me up on your videos! I love your narration.

    Reply

  15. Emily says

    To be honest, I wasn’t sure how thrilled I was with how the penny tile was looking pre-grout. But OMG. The finished product is INCREDIBLE! TOTALLY sold on the penny tile!

    Reply

  17. Lindsay says

    The tile looks amazing..so so pretty!! But I’m not loving the Grellow anymore..does that make me an awful person?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha- no worries! In person we love it (sometimes the pics are funky on different monitors) and we know once we get floating shelves up there with colorful accessories and dishes it’ll tie things in!

      xo,
      s

  18. Heidi P. says

    I can’t believe the difference that grout makes! I love it even more!

    Q: Does the sealer make the grout wipeable? like smooth and not all gritty? Or does it stay gritty but just easier to clean or something?

    Reply

  19. Lori says

    Hey Youngsters! (Do people still call you that?)

    Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that the Amazon link to the ruffled mirror on your sidebar wishlist isn’t working. The mirror looks beautiful, but the connection is broken.

    Also, we have the camera remote that you also have listed and we LOVE it. We simply couldn’t do a family shot without it. I can imagine it would be very helpful for you guys as well.

    Thanks and keep up the great work- the tile looks AMAZING!

    Reply

  20. Dinka says

    Okay, I gotta admit…though I always thought that the penny tile was fun, I didn’t know what I thought about it when you started putting it up! I was a little nervous for you…but it’s surprised me! I really, really like it now that the grout is in! What a difference it makes! Just lovely. :-)

    Reply

  21. Charlotte says

    It’s so pretty!! So thankful for your videos and step-by-step photos. Taking on my own penny tile project in the kitchen today and it’s going very smoothly thanks to your tips! I can understand the tile petting urge now as well :)

    Reply

  22. Ann L says

    Today, I hate you both….because I CAN NOT get that Tears for Fears song out of my head now!! I read the entry when it first went up around 10 and 4 hours later, I’m still singing it to myself.

    Quick, name another song that might get stuck in my head, at least so this one isn’t anymore! :)

    PS: The tile looks awesome. I have shiny ball syndrome and that would totally distract me every time I’m in the kitchen.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Britney always gets in my head. How about “I think I did it again” (boom boom) “I’m dreaming of when” (boom boom) “hmm, what are the rest of the words?”

      xo,
      s

  23. Daniela says

    The grout is coming along great! On a random note, I was perusing Urban Outfitters and came across something that reminded me of John (yeah, that’s not weird or anything)…It’s on sale too!

    http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=23131915&color=007&itemdescription=true&navAction=jump&search=true&isProduct=true&parentid=SALE_APT

    Also, we just got our Kreg Jig in the mail a few days ago…my husband can’t believe he has lived this long without it! We are in the process of building a California Closet style system with it….It’s amazing how much easier it makes things. Thanks for introducing it to us!

    thisshack.blogspot.com

    Reply

  25. Amanda says

    Oh John, oh John. I can’t believe you missed an awesome pun moment in your post. Can you find it?

    I’ll give you a hint:

    But our experience was the opposite: it actually seemed to disguise those little mistakes.

    I hope you can find it, I seamed to be able to find it very well. ;)

    The penny tile looks like dollars (I’m Canadian — we have one dollar coins; loonies — so that reference actually makes sense to me) and is definitely very sexy penny tile.

    Reply

    • Amanda says

      I suppose I’ll tell you … haha.

      You wrote the sentence:

      We were a little nervous about the grouting step because we had heard that it can accentuate any seams or inconsistencies in the way that you laid the sheets.

      Then this sentence (which I already showed you):

      But our experience was the opposite: it actually seemed to disguise those little mistakes.

      For a pun worthy sentence you could of wrote

      But our experience was the opposite: it actually seamed to disguise those little mistakes.

      Note: seamed

      PS: I think this entitles me to 1000 YHL points. 500 for noticing a pun moment in your post, and 500 for having to point it out to you. ;)

  26. Michelle says

    Can’t wait to see the new lighting. I truly detest fluorescents. I live in an apartment and switched out the lighting fixtures in my kitchen, and the switch completely reinvented the room.

    Reply

  27. Amanda says

    Are you guys going to caulk at the join of the tile and counter? I have caulk ready for ours, but I’m debating (procrastinating?).
    PS – I hate grouting. LOL.

    Reply

  28. Beth says

    It looks great, YHL! How do you think this tile would fare on the floor? Too much grout=cleaning nightmare? Maybe possible w/ a sealer. I think it could be a great alternative to marble (looks so similar!) and you don’t have to worry about water!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think if you sealed it it could be great! We have had little hex tile in our first house’s bathroom and this house’s hall bath as well, and all the grout stays pretty clean if you scrub the heck out of it and seal it really well (or in your case seal it as soon as it’s applied).

      xo,
      s

  29. Gaby says

    I love it! Seriously, it looks amazing. I also really like all of your video tutorials…you’re making me think I might actually be able to do some of this stuff to my own house (and by “I” I mean my handy husband and myself, ha).

    Reply

  30. Christina says

    I hate to be unlight or unfun :), and I’m not sure where to post this, but why haven’t you guys addressed the SOPA/PIPA issues? Since the internet is your livlihood, I would assume this legislation is important to you? Any thoughts?

    Reply

  31. Brittany says

    Your tile looks beautiful, but I would expect nothing less from you two! I live near Portland and would love to come see you at the Home and Garden show but I can’t seem to find exactly what day/time you will be there. Let me know if you can! I plan on dragging my husband there to see that there truly are real people on the other end of these blogs I love : )

    Reply

  32. Tarin says

    Anyone else feel like this tile is looking vaguely familiar? I will give you a hint… look left or right to the edge of your screen…

    Reply

  33. Elizabeth says

    Your kitchen looks amazing!! I love the tile, it came out great. I can’t wait to see the final pictures! Question about when you painted the cabinets…did you pull out your appliances or leave them in and paint around them?

    Reply

  34. Anita says

    It is really, really beautiful!! I am amazed by the projects that you guys do, and wish I had a house of my own where I could try to be just like you :)

    I am curious about if you’re thinking about re-doing the wall color now that the tiles are in. I obviously don’t know what it looks like in real life, but in the photos, I wonder if you might think about going with something a little more neutral or beachy to match the tiles better? Just curious!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      In person we love the grellow but can see how it looks weird on some monitors. It’s a soft avocado color so that looks so nice with white and gray, and we worry that something more neutral will be flat with white cabinets, white counters, and gray tile (you know we love a little color – haha). We think once we get better lighting it’ll be easier to photograph well and once we get floating shelves up with some colorful accessories on the back wall of tile it’ll tie in the wall color a lot more too!

      xo,
      s

  35. KIM says

    obsessed with penny tile now! and this is an aside but is there a current YHL promo code for shades of light?? I see codes under some of your other sponsors and just found a pendant on shades of light, figured I check in and see if I am missing the code before i shoot in the order :)

    Reply

  37. Nikki Kelly says

    Me!

    My bf and I tiled our kitchen floor about 2 years ago. Our grouting process was him floating the grout into place, then I did the sponging afterward. Omg, it was a loooong weekend. We were so sore and tired, but we officially upgraded to a real floor from one covered with cardboard. (I am totally serious!) one thing I noticed is that John isn’t wearing gloves, do your hands feel super tight and scratchy? Oh, and I looks phenomenal! I’m really jealous right about now.

    Nikki – the ambitious procrastinator

    Reply

  38. mp says

    Use a spray sealer! I got a great one from Lowe’s last year when I had to replace a couple of tiles in my shower surround.

    Reply

  40. LR says

    Great job!

    I hate cleaning grout :( Do you have any tips? Have you tried any of the new kinds of grout like Spectralock? I would love to hear a review on how well it cleans up.

    Reply

  42. maggie says

    Well, I’d commented on here before, that I hated grouting among small tiles, but it was really cleaning the excess grout and dehazing that I found tedious. Of course, the end result is what matters, and your penny tile looks really good.

    As to drill bits for tile, they are not expensive, and widely available. They are not the same as bits for drilling concrete. They come in various sizes. I have a small assortment that covers several sizes of holes.

    As you get ready to do your shelves, I hope you post a tutorial on drilling tile, because there are lots of ways to do it, and your readers will appreciate your experiences and tips.

    Reply

  46. Shareen says

    I am now obsessed with penny tile (thankyouverymuch). I’ve learned that an easy – and quick – way to buff tiles is to get a buffing pad for your sander. Yes, they’re meant for other things, but they work wonders making tiles nice and shiny!

    Reply

  47. Sara says

    Hey Guys, I LOVE the tile and am slightly jealous of your new and improved kitchen.

    I wanted to also let you know that I typically check your blog on my lunch break on my iphone Safari web browser. The other day something went awry and the Habitat for Humanity logo is showing up tiled as the background of all your posts making it impossible to read. HOW SAD! I swear I thought I was going to go nuts. On my computer it is totally normal and great, but it makes me sad I can’t have my mid day young house love pick me up.

    Just wanted you to know that I was bummed, but now have something to look forward to when I get home.

    Reply

  48. Christian says

    Your living room looks awesome with the new curtains!

    Also now that your kitchen is all beautiful and shiny and clean, I don’t feel that the green/yellow/celery is doing it any justice! I hate to say it but I think it needs a new colour!

    Also, you live in Virginia, right? I’m Canadian and I want to move there because it looks like you guys always have perfect weather…

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, we have been having pretty great weather this winter! No complaints! As for the kitchen wall color, we love it in person (light avocado looks so pretty with gray and white) but hear it can look funky on certain monitors, so hopefully when we get new lighting it’ll photograph better. And once we get some shelves with colorful accessories it’ll tie in even more!

      xo,
      s

  50. Kathryn says

    Do you guys ever watch CougarTown?? Because every time I read “penny tile” and I think “penny can!!!” Hope I’m not the only dork who gets excited over that. :-D

    Reply

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