Installing Vinyl Tiles With Grout

If you are after a flexible self-adhesive tile that is sealed like a ceramic tile floor, installing vinyl tiles with grout gives you the perfect alternative to more costly natural stone or ceramic flooring. However, grouting vinyl tile is totally different from grouting ceramic or natural stone tiles for several reasons. To start with, groutable vinyl tile flooring uses an acrylic based grout instead of traditional cement-based products. Groutable vinyl floor tiles are also thinner, so the joints will be shallower. Installed properly, grout vinyl tile flooring can offer you years of service and look great with minimal expense.

Lay Down the Vinyl Tiles

To lay down vinyl tiles with grout the first step is placing them on the area where they will be installed, paying careful attention to the joints. Groutable vinyl floor tiles come in different styles, but the majority will have either rounded edges or bevelled edged. If your grout vinyl tile flooring has rounded edges, you will need to space them as you would ceramic tiles. Otherwise, they need to touch each other and the grout will be placed right above the joint. You may need to cut some tiles to fit the edges of the floor. If you already know how to install vinyl floors, the procedure is exactly the same at this point.

Attach the Tiles To The Subfloor

If you are using peel and stick vinyl tile squares you will need to remove the backing and glue them to the floor. For non adhesive vinyl tiles you will need to use vinyl floor tile adhesive to make sure they are perfectly glued to the floor. The floor needs to be perfectly clean and flat in order for the vinyl to stick. If the floor isn’t dry or clean enough, or the surface is not even, the tiles will lift up and you will need to glue them again. Use a vinyl tile roller to make sure there are no bubbles and the tiles stick to the floor. You will need to leave the vinyl tile adhesive to dry for a few hours, usually overnight, but check out your manufacturer’s instructions.

Installing Vinyl Tiles With Grout

So far, installing vinyl tiles with grout is not very different from installing normal vinyl tiles. So the next step after the tile adhesive is dry is actually grouting your new vinyl floor. You will need to mix the grout following the manufacturer’s instructions, and scoop a bit of it with a grout float. Place the grout on the joints of your groutable vinyl floor tiles and drag it carefully, making sure to cover the joint while remaining level with the tiles. Start with a small amount of grout to avoid making a mess and remember you will need much less grout than if you were installing ceramic tiles.

Once your new groutable vinyl tile flooring is done, you will need to use a damp grout sponge to wipe the tiles and shape the grout lines. However, you will need to be extra careful because the grout joints at this point are very shallow and you could just wash out the entire thing and would need to start again. Once you are done, you will need to wait between 24 to 48 hours before walking on the floor to give time for the vinyl tile grout to dry, and then it’s time to enjoy your new grouting vinyl tile flooring.