Luisa's Photo

{{!gwi}}

P.S. Black thingys are my attempts at figuring out how to mount a narrow shelf on this tile to hang a puck light from.
Maybe I will build a gray tile (each is 2 x 4) shelf so it will blend into the background. Everything is currently spread on the living room floor.

I personally would grout the grey in grey grout that blends in and then do the tan/brown areas in a color that matches the predominant tile color. I also wouldn't do any of this without picking the grout color myself...from a grout sample book which you contractor should be giving you to look at.

I'll show you an example of a mixed grout application...
This tub has black grout in the black granite strips and a soft cream on the rest. To do the same color (cream) for all I'd loose the frame look on the black when it was broken up with tiny stripes all over:

The grout stripes here are 1/16th. I prefer as tight as possible unless you're using a tile with an uneven edge profile (as in my kitchen) where I used a much larger grout line:

In my kitchen, the grout is part of the design on the above run, but with a multi colored BS I wouldn't want to see that large of a grout line. It was about 1/8 on the tile spacing, but the edge profiles are varied and that is what made the grout wider (if you have a perfectly flat tile 1/8 would end up 1/8 but with slope you get more). I wouldn't do any more than 1/16th for yours.

I also think one grout color would be better, and grey would be a good color, since that's the predominant color in the backsplash. Pretty design. I like the mix of colors.

Thank you guys so much. Igloochic, I love how you have not allowed the grout to intrude on your beautiful composition. I too would like an unobtrusive grout line, but the manufacturer(Heath) suggests no less than 1/8 since it is hand-made tile. Would 1/16 work for this type of tile?
I wonder if a matching gray grout would look strange in the beige-orange-brown bottom section if we use all one color?

I'd go with the dark grey too. It almost looks like you have that color already in some of the shadows in your mockup and it looks fine with the browns. And I agree that a narrow line would be good--how narrow depend son tile but 1/16 seems like a good target.

It's going to look great.

Ok first, two grouts are incredibly easy :) My tile guy has done it all over the house for me...for instance, each row of this carpet has a different grout color: (this is pre grout by the way, but the grout is perfect in each row and matches exactly):
{{gwi:1473913}}

So don't let that stop your decision. It's an easy process. They just apply blue tape where the grout isn't supposed to go, and then apply as usual. No biggie at all!!!

Follow the manufacturer instructions! I did't know it was handmade. Mine is as well and there can be variation in both slope and size by very very little, but when you put up the tile, that variation becomes huge. 1/16th here and there isn't visable to the eye, until you try to make your poor tile guy do a 1/16th grout line. So go with the manufacturer recomendation.

With larger grout lines, it's even more important to think of color of grout and again, I'd say use two. The reason being, look at my tile...if I'd used say a white or beige grout, (the grout is called Pear) the grout would scream at you, but the pear blends in pretty well. Big grey grout lines in the tan tiles isn't going to flow as well IMO.

That is an incredibly gorgeous tile design, Igloo! Obviously 2 colors were the right way to go here. Did you seal all the tile before grouting?
I am debating using EPOXY grout since it is behind the stove & sink. I am under the impression it will make clean-up easier & eliminate the need for sealing the grout. But my contractor has never worked with it before, although he is willing to do it. It probably is more difficult to work with. Any comments?

Dawn, tell him to tear it all out. I changed my mind-- I'm on my way. :-)

Hi Luisa
I like the two colors of grout. My guy said epoxy grout was a pain to put in so we didn't do it. I'm not sure what kind of long term maintenance we're looking at. Our tile is also behind a stove and sink.
Igloo, where did you put that tile it's great!

LOL Bill be careful what you wish for...we have another house to start in a couple months heh heh

And yes all of that was sealed before grouting, then gouted and sealed again :)

My guy used epoxy in some places and didn't use it in others (and I can't tell you where without asking). I think this was epoxy because it's in the entry and if I remember right the stove hood is epoxy but not other floors...gad I don't remember, there was A LOT of tile in this job, and it was all treated differently. I do know he used epoxy in the cat room on their travertine floor :oP

Fish are still biting Bill heh heh (and let Bill answer you on the epoxy or not epoxy...he's the man!)

Igloochic says you are the one to ask about using epoxy grout or not on tile backsplash (the thread is Two colors of tile...) Contractor hasn't used it before but is willing. Is it worth it for future wear & tear or not worth the extra difficulty (is it very much more difficult?) & expense from your experience?

The ONLY place I advocate using epoxy grout in a residencial situation is on a countertop, where you need to keep from absorbing meat juices into the grout. Anywhere else in the house, including the kitchen backsplash, I feel it's overkill. I'm not saying it's a BAD idea.... just that it's not necessary for the added expense, both in material and in labor cost. If you look through my backsplash gallery, you'll see that almost every one of them are grouted in light colors. Several of the people whose backsplashes appear there, I still keep in contact on a social basis, so if they were having problems, I'd know about it.

Here is a link that might be useful: My backsplash gallery

Lowes has a color called 'mocha' that I think would suit very well-- its somewhere between brown and gray, a nice warm tone. I think its made by Mapei...