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Grout for Vinyl Tile

WayneL5 | Posted in Construction Techniques on December 18, 2004 10:54am

Due to a job move I sold my dream home and relocated to a new town.  The house I’m in is not my dream home, so I’m willing to risk experimenting with techniques to save money which I would never do in a good home.

I want to replace the flooring in the entrance with vinyl tile that looks like slate, but I don’t like the look of butting them together.  I’d like to space them as if they were real stone and grout the joints.  But, the tile is only 3/32″ thick or so, so I doubt standard grout would hold up being that thin.  I was thinking of experimenting by mixing powdered grout mix with white glue or with latex caulking instead of water.  Or making grout by mixing caulking with sand to give it a grout look.

Has anyone tried or seen any method of getting an authentic grout look with vinyl tile?

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  1. FastEddie1 | Dec 18, 2004 11:03pm | #1

    My tile supplier (not HD/Lowes) sells grout caulk in colors that match the regular grout colors.  It's sanded caulk, so it almost perfectly matches a normal installation.  I use it for the joint between tile and wood.

     

    I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.

  2. DanH | Dec 19, 2004 05:48am | #2

    The problem is that you need something that will adhere well and yet be durable. Regular grout won't adhere well in such a thin layer, regular caulk isn't likely to be durable enough, and something like epoxy would be very difficult to deal with. Not sure there is a good answer.

  3. User avater
    RichBeckman | Dec 20, 2004 10:28pm | #3

    I'd be willing to bet that by the time you finish searching and experimenting, it will have been much easier and quicker to just lay real slate.

    Rich Beckman

    Another day, another tool.

  4. DonCanDo | Dec 20, 2004 10:51pm | #4

    Vinyl expands and contracts considerably with temperature changes.  Unless vinyl floor tiles are a different kind of animal, I can only assume that there is no problem when they are butted because either A) there is no place for them to go or B) we just don't notice the small movements.

    Since grout (a masonry product) does not flex (much), it would seem doomed to failure between vinyl tiles.

    -Don 

    1. WayneL5 | Dec 21, 2004 01:08am | #5

      Thank you, everyone.  I'll think about it over Christmas.

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