Your best bet is to grout the accent first, making sure to leave the joint that runs directly above and below it, open to be grouted when you grout the field tile. If you tape anything off during this first part of it, just tape the end of each perpendicular grout joint where it runs up to the accent. The border joint you can clean out with a utility knife after you're done grouting. Once the accent is grouted, let it dry over night, and then tape off the edges of it, being careful not to let it run off and cover part of the border joints. In the case of the pencil liner, just put a liece of tape over each joint in the liner, and then take a utility knife (with a new blade for a crisp clean cut) and cut off the excess tape, off the edge of the liner. Then you grout the field, pull the tape, and WAA LAA! :-) Matter of fact, I'll be doing that tomorrow myself, on a kitchen backsplash I just did for a friend-- black grout in the accent stripe, and a tan grout called chamois for the tumbled stone field.

Bud, PLEASE!! People will talk! 1) Although tile WILL help with the longevity (it'll protect the ceiling much better than paint will) it's not necessary, so long as the shower isn't completely enclosed by the glass. If it's completely enclosed, then tile is pretty much a must. 2) Install a light in the shower! most people do, anyway, whether or not it gets tile on the ceiling.

It used to be that 1/16th was called out for rectified tiles. With the new specs for manufacturing, you start getting more variations in tile size. Even in rectified, believe it or not. The new installation recommendation, which has actually been around for a few years, is to have the grout line 3-times the size of the variation within the tiles. This usually comes down to an 1/8th inch grout line. Lippage can also be an issue based on the pattern. A stacked pattern might not show lippage whereas a running bond could. The larger the tile, the more chance you have of lippage with offset patterns. That's all due to the tiles not being perfectly flat. A slight warp, pillow, or pringing (like the pringles potato chip). The grout needs depth. Otherwise it'll just pop out. So a 1/32nd gap with a beveled edge, you may not have durability, because the installer may not pack the joint (if there even is an actual joint) with grout. So: Not to dump on the guy who plans on going 1/32nd...but I'd nix that. Someone who tells me they're going with 1/32nd, I think they're just going to lightly butt the tiles together and get whatever grout penetration they can. And it'll likely be nothing more than topical grout with very little actually packing whatever gap there would be between the tiles. With the new specs, 1/8th inch is the new standard. You could still go 1/16th if the tiles and pattern allow for it, the installer is comfortable with it, and it's called out in the specs...but I'd not advocate going less.

cheri-- it depends. For installing terracotta tile (which is what you're talking about), you actually use TWO different sealers. The first is a grout release, which should be a water based penetrating sealer, such as Aquamix's Sealers Choice. The second is a top coat sealer, unless you want it to have the raw look to it, in which case, you'd just seal the whole thing after it's grouted with the same water based penetrating sealer. If the grout gets dirty before I seal it, do I have a problem? Or can I clean out the dirt before I seal or color it? OMG, yer gonna hafta rip it all out! (just kidding. :-) Did I get your heart racing?) Seriously-- if it gets dirty, hitting it with oxyclean and then rinsing it well will take care of it-- either way, for the colorant OR the sealer. Bill do you think it wasn't mixed correctly or used to much water when cleaning it? Or I heard tap water could make the grout lighter. Positano, there are more reasons for the grout to come out lighter than stars in the sky, starting with it being a chronic problem that grout charts are sometimes printed more "vividly" than the actual colors. Without analysing a piece of the grout, it would be impossible to say for sure, although your assertions are all possibilities.