Online store site offers to buy a tool for grouting tiles special compounds based epoxy resins, which have become widespread due to the unique set performance characteristics. Mixtures of this type, unlike cement mortars, retain color for a long time, ensure tightness, exhibit high resistance to temperature changes, ultraviolet radiation and others negative impacts. An excellent selection of tools is presented in our catalog.
Our range
- Spatulas. A flat-shaped grout tool with a rubber sole and a rigid handle helps you apply mixture and fill joints as quickly as possible. This is important given the short pot life of grouts.
- Combined sponges. The structure of the product differs from the usual foam rubber: it is specially adapted to work with epoxy mixtures. Using a sponge, you can get tight, even seams in one pass.
- Spatulas with soles made of synthetic fiber . The product is used to remove grout and perfectly removes excess mixture from both tiles and mosaics.
To buy a tool for grouting, call the company website or leave a request in the form on the website.
It would seem that the first one available would be suitable for jointing. rubber spatula for grouting, or even regular rubber. But the ease of doing the job and the final result will depend on the quality of the tool. If you often lay tiles or simply value ease of use, this article is for you. In it I will talk about the tool for grouting tiles, its choice and differences.
In the photo you can see several options for rubber spatulas
- The first spatula is the most popular. It has a comfortable handle, but a small work surface, which reduces work productivity. Imagine how much time it will take to grout a mosaic with such a tool.
- The second option has an inconvenient handle, so it is more difficult for them to work, and your hands will get dirty.
- A third angled spatula will sometimes be handy when plastering works, filling the seams between decorative stone, in corners or in figured friezes.
- The fourth trapezoidal rubber spatula from Raimondi is better than all previous options: it has a comfortable handle and a large working surface. Essentially this is an improved version of the second option.
- Number 5 shows several options grout spatulas from the Raimondi catalogue. Many tilers prefer to work with such floats. They have replaceable nozzles made of rubber or caoutchouc. Such a tool can easily last even ten years, you can see proof of this in the photo. But when working with it, you need to carefully squeeze out the rubber from the remaining grout, otherwise it will lose its elasticity over time. Therefore, I have now switched to a thick rubber nozzle with a cone. With the sharp edge of a grater it is easy to press the mixture even in corners. The rubber is easy to clean and does not become clogged with the mixture.
The spatula with a rubber attachment lasted about 10 years. Over time, the side became uneven, so I had to sand it with a grinder.
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Grouting devices
It is also worth mentioning other tools for grouting.
Tools for cleaning tile grout
Let's sum it up
Master class on grouting floor tiles look at the video:
Basically, all the tools presented are needed for professional tilers. For a one-time job, it will be enough to buy only one spatula-grater with a rubber nozzle.
Grout between tile joints carried out at the final stage of the device. Work should be carried out after the drying time has elapsed. adhesive composition(specified by the manufacturer).
Tools: Small spatula, rubber spatula, sponge, bucket, mixer (nozzle), drill
Consumables: Grout mixture, water, sanitary sealant
The seams must be dry and completely free of glue residues and other contaminants. Before starting work, seal masking tape surfaces and elements bordering the cladding - to protect them from contamination by the grouting compound.
Preparation of the solution
The amount of grout mixture is determined based on the width of the seam, the size of the tile and the total area of the cladding. As a rule, the mixture consumption table is shown on the commercial packaging with grout (see Table 1).
When grouting joints between tiles of mosaic facings, especially if the mosaic cells are thick (more than 5 mm), the mixture consumption can significantly exceed the nominal value. Be careful and always purchase material in excess.
Table 1. Approximate consumption of grout mixture
| Tile size, cm | Seam width, mm | Approximate mixture consumption, kg/m2 |
| 5*5 | 2 | 0,5 |
| 5*5 | 3 | 0,7 |
| 10*10 | 2 | 0,4 |
| 10*20 | 3 | 0,4 |
| 15*15 | 3 | 0,4 |
| 20*20 | 5 | 0,5 |
To prepare the solution, pour a measured amount of clean water into a container. cold water. Pour the mixture into water in small portions and mix thoroughly. Small quantities of the solution can be mixed by hand using a small. Mixers are used to prepare a significant volume of grouting composition. Be careful when adding water - too much water can cause the grout to discolor.
IMPORTANT: Prepare exactly as much solution as you can use during the working time of the mixture indicated on the package. Remember - the material loses its plasticity very quickly and it becomes uncomfortable to work with.
Grouting sequence
Grouting of joints is usually carried out in three stages:
- Filling the seam with mortar;
- Forming the contour of the seam;
- Surface cleaning.
Seam filling
Immediately before starting work, lightly moisten the surface of the tiles using a spray bottle.
To increase work time grout mixture - the material should be periodically moistened using a sprayer, while thoroughly mixing the mixture.
Forming the contour of the seam
A straight seam is the easiest to form. This grouting method is effective on large areas, as well as on small tile formats. The direct seam technique is most preferable when grouting the seams of mosaic cladding.
Seams are formed using sponge trowels.
Execution of work
Wet the grater and squeeze it thoroughly to remove excess moisture. After this, using a sponge surface to rub the tiles at an angle of 45 degrees to the seam lines, remove excess grout from the cladding surface.
For final cleaning of the surface, you can use a sponge soaked in warm, clean water.
Conditions for using the method
A prerequisite for using the direct seam method is the special configuration of the tile ends. The ends of all tiles must be smooth (without rounding).
Tiles with a straight end are usually made of porcelain stoneware.
Disadvantages of the method
Significant disadvantage this method grout is rough appearance seams - i.e. their uneven width. However, the manifestation of such a defect largely depends on the qualifications of the master.
The round seam method is used if facing tiles have pronounced roundings (fillets) on the upper end faces.
Most often, fillets are present on tiles.
Due to the softness of the clay, tiles cannot be cut and processed during the production process without the formation of microcracks. To eliminate these defects, the edges are processed and acquire a rounded contour.
Quite often, to create an additional decorative effect, chamfers are used - bevels along the edges of the tiles.
Fillets and chamfers do not allow the use of sponges for grouting the seam - in this case the seam will be too rough.
To make round seams, special rubber spatulas are used.
The seam contour obtained with their help looks aesthetically pleasing and also reliably protects facing seams from moisture.
Execution of work
The joint, previously filled with a flat trowel (or the flat side of a rubber trowel), is drawn with the round side dipped in water. The design of the spatula also allows you to process corner seams.
Forming narrow seams
To form narrow seams (1-1.5 mm), special round spatulas should be used.
This tool is rarely available in retail sales, however, it is quite easy to make it yourself - from a round cord with a diameter of 6.5 mm, used to power computers and other household electrical appliances.
The procedure for performing the work is similar to that given above. A spatula (wire) soaked in water is passed along the seam filled with grout mixture, forming an even and smooth contour.
Professional grouting work
For professional and regular use grouting works for large areas, special kits are used, consisting of a container, moisture removers (grids and rollers), as well as several graters and sponges of different sizes.
In addition to the aesthetics of perception, grout provides an equally important protective function, covering the end edges of the tiles, which are most susceptible to the destructive effects of moisture and microorganisms.
Don't forget - even high-quality cladding will not be durable if its seams have significant defects - potholes and unevenness. The surface of the seams should be as uniform and smooth as possible.
Construction of expansion joints
Expansion joints created during cladding are filled with a special plumbing sealant, which is selected from the catalog (in accordance with the shade of the grout).
The sealant is applied using a gun. The seam is formed with a finger dipped in water or a small one.
Surface cleaning
After the composition has dried (see instructions), excess grout is removed with a dry cloth. To remove significant dirt, you can use a flat wooden (plastic) scraper or spatula.
IMPORTANT: Moisture-resistant grout modifications can be cleaned using a damp cloth or sponge.
Non-moisture-resistant types of grout should be additionally treated with a special impregnation to increase their moisture-repellent properties.
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The final stage of tiling the base is filling (grouting) the joints with special mixtures to ensure the solidity of the finishing coating and the aesthetics of the cladding, part of which is the correctly selected configuration, width and color of the tile joints. Filling tile joints with grout mixture is most often done with a rubber spatula.
When choosing an angle spatula, make sure it has perpendicular sides
If the seams are wide and deep, they are filled using a construction syringe, but evenly and smooth surface The joints are then still formed with a rubber spatula. The quality of this operation largely depends on the tool used. Let's look at what a rubber spatula for grouting is, what requirements it must meet, and in general everything you need to know about it simple adaptation.
What is a rubber spatula
This tool consists of a working part - a flexible but sufficiently elastic plate 3-5 mm thick, and a handle made of rigid material. On small products used in hard to reach places, the handle is also flexible. Elastic spatulas differ from each other by the following characteristics:
- appointment;
- form;
- size;
- working part material;
- handle design.
The main factor here is the purpose, which determines all other characteristics of the tool, so we will consider the division by purpose with a description characteristic properties each group.
Types and purposes
There are three types of rubber spatulas based on their intended purpose:
- soft planning;
- painting;
- grout;
- jointing
Soft planning
This tool is made from strip soft rubber or rubber, fixed along the entire length in a rigid handle. The working edge of such a product has a thickness of 3-5 mm, a length of 25-60 cm and a chamfer at an angle of 45 degrees on one side along the entire length. The format of the spatula with a handle is rectangle or trapezoid.
The spatula for grouting joints is most often made of hard rubber.
A planning spatula is used for smoothing wallpaper and grouting seams of large-format tiles and mosaics using mixtures on cement based. The working side of the rubber sheet is the one on which the chamfer is removed. Such a soft instrument can also be made from high-quality latex, but the price of this variety is much higher, and its use may be limited to one cycle.
Painting rubber
Tool for painting work it is also made from sheet rubber or rubber 3-5 mm thick, but the length of its working edge is 10-25 cm. The chamfer is removed from both sides of the blade, which allows you to work on both sides.
The blade of the paint spatula can be black or white. The color of the canvas indicates the material of manufacture and the degree of its rigidity. The black canvas is made of rubber and has greater rigidity compared to white rubber. The rubber sheet, due to its greater rigidity, allows the joints to be filled more tightly with grout. In addition, rubber sheets are more resistant to oxides contained in grout and cracking, which means they are more durable.
A paint spatula will help apply the plaster and give it its original shape.
The handle of a paint spatula is made of wood or plastic and resembles the shape of a brush handle. In combination with the flexible part, the product format can be triangular or trapezoidal, the handle to the working edge is located perpendicularly or at an angle of 45 degrees.
An elastic spatula can be used to fill oval surfaces and grout complex mosaic-lined substrates. Its medium size makes it a universal device, that is, convenient and productive both when grouting the surface of mosaic columns and when filling tile joints on flat bases.
For filling tile joints
The dimensions of the working edge of this tool vary from 5 to 10 cm, the format of the tool is triangle or trapezoid. The soft part can be tucked into a handle made of wood or plastic. For convenience, small-sized spatulas used in hard-to-reach places can be made from a single piece of elastic material without the use of a rigid handle. The working edge may have a chamfer, or the cross-section of the product may be made in the shape of a wedge. The color of the flexible part of the tool also indicates the material of manufacture - rubber or caoutchouc.
Rubber spatula for grouting joints
This tool is mainly used for arranging seams in ceramics, although it can also be used to fill deep cracks and joints of various joints. finishing materials. The size of the device is selected based on the dimensions of the tile, and the rigidity is selected based on the depth of the joints to be filled. Small-sized spatulas are often sold in sets of 3-5 pieces, differing in format, length of the rubber edge and elasticity of the working part of the tool.
Jointing spatula
This type of tool performs the same function as a mason's steel jointer in production. brickwork– formation of grout on the surface at tile joints decorative profile a certain configuration. That is, the joints of the tiles are first filled with a grouting compound using another device, after which their profile is shaped using rubber jointing definite form with simultaneous compaction of the mixture in the joints.
How to choose the right one
The price of this device varies, depending on the size and area of application, from 10 to 600 rubles. When purchasing, you should proceed, first of all, from the tasks that will need to be solved and the amount of work. If the amount of work is small, the surface to be tiled is simple, and grouting joints is not your regular activity, then you should not purchase expensive tools from well-known brands.
In most cases, you should choose a spatula designed specifically for filling tile joints with a working edge length of 5 to 10 cm. If the tile thickness exceeds 4 mm, then to better fill the joints, you should choose a more rigid tool.
Rubber spatula is designed for sealing small cracks
To grout the mosaic, you need to purchase a rubber paint spatula with a working edge of 10 to 25 cm. The rigidity of the flexible part does not matter in this case. big role, since mosaic chips have a thickness of no more than 4 mm, filling which with the correct consistency of the grouting composition is not difficult.
The comfort of the handle is determined individually, and its size or presence depends on the accessibility of the seams to be filled. It is believed that wooden handle It is inferior in durability to plastic, but wood rubs your hands less and in any case will outlast the elastic part of the tool.
When purchasing a rubber spatula, you need to carefully inspect its elastic part. Rubber or caoutchouc, when bent, should not have microcracks or holes, since at the first use they will be filled with grout, deform the working edge and soon lead to separation of the flexible part. After bending, the elastic part should immediately restore its shape without changes.
If necessary, select quality instrument it is advisable to purchase products domestic company"Zubr" or foreign companies STAYER, SPARTA or FIT, which have proven themselves well in the Russian market.
Rubber spatula, white “ZUBR”
Instrument care
The main requirement for ensuring the durability of an elastic spatula is to use it for its intended purpose and wash it after finishing work.
A rubber tool cannot be used for puttying plastered or other abrasive surfaces - this will ruin the flexible working edge after the first few movements. Do not use a rubber spatula for grouting with epoxy resins.
After finishing the work, the spatula must be thoroughly washed from the grouting compound with water and dried. Do not scrape to clean rubber. After drying, the rubber part of the instrument is rubbed with talcum powder or chalk.
Clinker tiles were invented in the first half of the 19th century and are tiles in the form of ceramic stone. It is made from baked clay, and its first production was established in Holland.
The tile turned out to be quite durable and began to be used as a building material in those countries where mining natural stone was not enough to satisfy the need. They began to use it to pave roads and sidewalks, to use it in the construction of houses, as well as for their decoration.
Currently, clinker tiles are made from special slate clay, which has elevated temperature melting. In addition, impurities such as salt and carbonate must be completely removed from the clay. To color it or give it additional properties, various metal oxides are added to the composition.
Process heat treatment occurs over 36 to 48 hours, maintaining a temperature of more than 1300 degrees. But the result is excellent. The tile is baked completely and evenly. In addition, it acquires water-repellent properties, it is very durable, does not change its color under the influence of UV, is resistant to aggressive environments, and, very importantly, it is environmentally friendly. Naturally, these properties of the tile make it very popular. building material.
The use of clinker tiles in house construction and landscaping It is used to line swimming pools, house facades, sidewalks and roads, and much more. For example, building a house from face brick is very expensive. You can even use used brick and cover it with brick-like clinker tiles.
This material is used for both exterior and interior works. Used as cladding in the bathroom has the advantage that the foot practically does not slip on wet floor. It has also proven itself well for lining fireplaces and stoves.
Work on laying clinker tiles
For the beauty of this material to fully reveal itself, it must be laid correctly. It is very important to achieve beautiful and even seams. No matter how beautiful the material is, if it is laid ineptly, it does not create the appropriate appearance.
The use of grout or, as it is also called, grout, is also intended not only to improve the appearance, but also to provide protection from moisture getting under the coating, while preventing the growth and spread of mold. This applies to indoor work.
If the tiles are laid outdoors, it is important to protect them from moisture so that when they freeze, the tiles will not swell after the “freezing-thawing” process.
Of course, there is also a purely aesthetic purpose - you can choose different colors grout so that the color of the tiles looks advantageous. There are also situations when you need to align the edges of tiles, which sometimes have slight unevenness. A fugue can help hide this.
For the job, special tools are used for grouting tile joints. They come in two types: a tool for grouting clinker tiles and a tool for removing grout from tile joints.
Tile grouting tool The first tools are needed to apply the mixture between the tiles and compact it well. The quality of the work depends on how tight the seam is. For a tool such as mason jointing, a semi-dry grout is used. It is used for working with brick-shaped tiles, since with this tool a seam with a slightly rough structure is obtained, as it should be with real brickwork.
Use narrow thin spatulas to level the seams and a spatula or trowel made of either plywood or metal sheet.
Grouting tool - a special trowel for applying semi-dry mixtures Of course, only competent and experienced specialists use this method. Another drawback is that you can only get two colors of grout - gray and beige.
There is also this type of grout application - this is the application of a composition that has the thickness of store-bought sour cream, which is then leveled and compacted with a special grater with a rubber sole. After drying, the residue is removed either with a special tool for removing grout from tile joints or with a special sponge, placing it on the edge at an angle of 45 degrees. Usually, if the grout good quality, it can be easily removed from the tiles. If the grout Bad quality or it was not removed in time, they are used special means, with the help of which the tiles are cleaned of dirt.
Process of working with liquid composition grout. Of course, the price for such a composition is high, especially taking into account the waste, but it is quite versatile and durable to use.
Finally, a gun is used on the wall masonry to apply the compound, diluted to a paste. At the same time, excess composition does not stain the tiles, which is especially important when applied vertically.
Applying the composition using a gun Then a certain time is maintained, which is indicated in the instructions. We must remember that each manufacturer gives its own recommendations for using grout. After the specified time, the excess is removed, and the seam is leveled with a special tool for grouting clinker tile joints.
Aligning a seam using a tool Again, the high-quality composition does not leave streaks. True, special substances are added to the composition that make the grout more flexible and convenient when using a gun, which increases its cost, but there are many shades for application and it is easy to work with such a composition.
To perform all this work you need good tool, which it is advisable not to make from improvised materials, but to buy in specialized stores.
To buy a tool for grouting tiles, you need to know what composition you will be using. If this is a composition for continuous application, then you only need a grater, which has a rubber sponge at the bottom, and the body can be made of plastic or wood.
For example, it could be like this:
It’s easy to buy a set of tools for grouting clinker tiles; the main thing is to make sure that they will work well. To do this, it is better to buy the instrument in person, and not through an online store, if possible. It is better to take Polish trowels themselves for leveling and filling seams - the quality is good and the price is not exorbitant. True, for a pistol you will have to pay an amount of 3,500 rubles. But the cost of the work will quickly pay for the cost of a good tool.
Grout gun Work with laying corrugated tiles
In addition to the long-known clinker tiles, which have a great advantage over other types ceramic tiles, designers together with technologists have released a type of cladding such as porcelain stoneware tiles with a special surface that has the appearance of convex and concavity in the form of a pattern.
Applications of corrugated tiles When laying, a single pattern is obtained, and during the manufacture of such tiles, the edges are leveled and polished, so the seams remain practically invisible. In addition, it is very convenient for laying on the floor in the bathroom or kitchen, since the ridges prevent slipping. After additives were invented that prevent dirt from remaining in the tile pattern, its use received a new round.
Laying corrugated tiles After laying the tiles on the surface, they need to stand for a day. This optimal time, since there is still some moisture left under the tile, which will work well for better adhesion of the fugue to the tile. Since the composition does not need to be used in a creamy state, it is better to use grout in the form of a semi-dry and paste mixture.
The best tool for grouting grooved tiles is either a gun or a spatula, it depends on the size of the surface being treated.
Applying a fugue to the seams when laying corrugated tiles After which all seams are coated with a special soft cloth or a special grater with bottom from a sponge (not to be confused with foam rubber, this is different).
The next step, without waiting for complete drying, using a tool for removing grout from the tile joints, remove all excess, wipe it. This tool is called a grout remover and is used specifically for these purposes.
Tool for removing grout from seams. You can simply do without this tool, just use cardboard for cleaning as you work, then a soft rag and rinse after a while.
If you need to update the grout to provide additional antifungal properties, you can use various electrical accessories, for example, Dremel.
Removing old grout using a Dremel. We clean the work area with a brush and rag and apply the desired new composition.
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