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How Staining Grout?

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Choose a grout stain. Most often, people resort to dying their grout because it’s lost its previous luster and now appears brown and dingy. Rather than going back to the original hue, find a new color to cover up the wear and tear. Although it may sound strange, grout stains that are close in color to dirt are typically the most successful, because you won’t have to worry about the grout becoming discolored again over time.

Light hued grouts blend in and hide the shape of your tiles, while dark grout makes your tiles stand out and is very bold. When possible, look for grout stains that are also a sealant, so that you can skip the final step of sealing the grout. Clean the tile and grout. Get out your cleaning supplies and grab a little elbow grease, because before you can begin staining your grout you need to give it a thorough cleaning.

Use a bleach-water scrub to kill any mold or mildew that might cause problems. Although it might be uncomfortable, use a damp sponge/scrubbing brush to clean your grout and tile, even if it is on the floor. The grout stain cannot be applied to damp grout, so wait 30 minutes or longer after cleaning to begin the application process.

Apply the grout stain. Some grout staining kits come with a small applicator brush, but if yours didn’t, simply use a very small stiff-bristled brush for application. Dip the brush in the grout stain, and carefully paint it onto only the grout. The stain is permanent and cannot be removed from your tile after it dries, so be careful to paint in the lines and wipe off any stain from the tile.

Add additional coats. Depending on the look you’re going for, you may need to add more than one coat of grout stain. If so, wait at least 24 hours for the first layer to dry, and then carefully paint on the second coat of stain. Again, be careful not to accidentally get any stain on the tiles as it is very difficult to remove.

How Establishing Your Layout Lines?

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Calculate the square footage of the room. To determine the square footage of a square or rectangular room, simply find the length of 2 adjacent walls in square feet and multiply them together. For irregularly-shaped areas like closets, alcoves, and counters, multiply the length and width of the extra space separately, then add this number to the square footage of the main part of the room.

If you’re measuring a rectangular room that’s 18 square feet (1.7 m2) x 12 square feet (1.1 m2), for example, the total square footage would be 216 square feet (20.1 m2). Figuring out the room’s square footage will tell you exactly how much tile you’ll need for your flooring project, which may influence the size and style you go with.

Note the size of your tiles. Once you’ve picked out a style you like, jot down the tile’s dimensions in a notebook or on a separate sheet of paper. You’ll need to know their exact length and width in order to determine how many will fit within the floor space of the room you’re tiling.

The size of the tiles should be plainly displayed on the product listing, packaging, or order invoice. It may be a good idea to measure the tiles yourself just in case the listed dimensions are off by a centimeter or 2. Be sure to measure the wall using the same unit as your tiles. If the length and width of the tiles is given in inches, for example, you’ll want to measure the room in inches, as well.

Find the length of the room’s longest walls. Run a tape measure along the wall from corner to corner. Record this number in your notebook, being sure to specify which measurements are which. If the room you’re working in is perfectly square, you can start with either set of opposing walls.