Neat grouting will make or break your work!

I would always advise using sanded grout for mosaics – it’s far less likely to crack, and I find it easier to work with overall.

If you’ve used a top quality adhesive for your work (as you should), the quality of your grout products become less important. I generally use a standard coloured grout & use a polymer additive to improve strength, flexibility, water resistance & to avoid efflourescence (when a limey white colour seeps out of your grout).

You can colour your own grouts using cement oxides or acrylic paint pigments available from hardware stores & paint shops

We’ve demonstrated how to grout mosaics with a boat grouter, but you can use any grouting tool, or a plastic spatula to spread your grout. There’s nothing wrong with using your fingers for the tricky bits, but use gloves or be very careful – the tiles can be razor sharp.

	To make your completed work easy to handle, run your tile file around the bottom corner of your edge tiles. File the corners until you can safely run your fingers around the base without any sharp edges.
	Measure out 100ml of your sealant, add 400ml of clean water and mix. This is the liquid you’ll use to make up your grout. Note that this applies only to sealant purchased from us – you may have different mixing ratios if you’re using another product. You can also buy grout additives from tile shops – they will add strength, flexibility & water resistance.
	Prepare your grout in the same way as your glue – make sure you have some dried powder left over for repairs later. A little liquid goes a long way, so add your water mix slowly – you’re once again looking for that toothpaste consistency. Your prepared grout will last up to an hour or so – so take your time, neat grouting can make or break the look of a completed work.
	Once your grout is ready, spoon by spoon put it on your mosaic & spread with your grouter. Make sure all gaps are filled with no air bubbles.
	Scrape grout into the edges as shown
	Make sure you’ve got all the spaces between the edge tiles.
	The idea is not to have the piece looking neat at this point, but to have every spaced filled with grout
	Rinsing your sponge regularly in a bucket of water, and then wringing dry, clean off the surplus grout. Don’t be tempted to overwater by using a wet sponge
	I tend to clean the work completely using the sponge – it’s easier than rubbing & polishing the surplus bits later.
	Leave your grouting to dry for 15-30 minutes, and a fine film will develop over the top of your tiles. It’s then simply a matter of polishing the film off with an old towel, to reveal your masterpiece! Don’t be too vigorous rubbing with your towel – you could remove more grout than you’d like.
	Once your grouting is finished, leave the work to dry for 24 hours before sealing the grout. It’s wise not to hang the work for a good few days to allow sufficient curing time. Clean up your containers & utensils, dispose of your leftover grout thoughtfully.