What Size Joints For Vinyl Tile

Luxury vinyl flooring is so thin and flexible you can almost tie it in a knot but it s also durable enough to last for years.

What size joints for vinyl tile.

Luxury vinyl lv is tough and good looking and the easiest flooring material you ll ever install. To lessen the mess with groutable vinyl tile use the narrow end of a rigid rubber float to work the grout into the joints. If the overlap is placed at 50 like most brick joint patterns the joint will bring together the ends of the tile where there is less bowing and the center to the neighboring tile where the bowing is at its greatest and that makes for a floor that. Joints in ceramic and natural stone tile installations in a108 02 section 4 3 8.

For example if you take two 12 inch tiles and compare them side to side and there is a variation of 1 16 inch in the two tiles you are recommended to use at least a 3. The tile council of north america and accompanying tile organizations recommend an average grout joint width of 3 16 inch for every 1 16 inch variation in the size of the tiles. Due to the amount of size variation in the tile the actual grout joint width may need to vary from what is requested or specified. Grouting vinyl tiles differs slightly from grouting hard tiles in a number of ways.

First the smallest grout lines less than 1 8 inch are ideal for rectified tiles. Buy the grout the manufacturer recommends. Tiles that vary in size and shape need large grout joint widths 3 8 to 1 2 inch. A smaller joint will exacerbate the differences between tiles as the human eye can readily see very small differences as a percentage of the total grout joint.

Filling this joint helps make the tile floor water resistant as well as less likely to attract debris or dirt between the edges of the tiles. Large grout joints will require the use of sanded grout. Scrape off the excess in a 45 degree motion. When it comes to thickness our ceramic tiles are 5 16 thick.

For example while a difference of a 1 16 of an inch may seem small on a 12 tile this is readily apparent compared to a 1 8 grout joint. Rectified tiles are perfectly uniform with precisely defined edges requiring the least amount of grout. All other cuts of tile from tumbled to chiseled to punched contain slight variations in shape and size. Our brick is 1 2 thick and our glass tile is 1 4 thick.

Newer versions of vinyl tiles often include the option of a 1 4 inch grout joint between the tiles. Because a medium size grout line is easier to work with and in most cases can hide some slight imperfections it is often the choice of both experts and the average diy homeowner. These tips and tricks will help you get the job done right.