Neighbour came in recently and I showed him my recently relayed pamments and quarry tiles in the kitchen, pantry and a small area in the sitting room. I was bemoaning my lack of skill at maintaining the almost impossibly thin grout joints that existed before I dug them all up and laid limecrete and then relaid them. Don't get me wrong they still look great but I would love to know:
a. how they ensured the joints were only 1-3mm when all the tiles are slightly different sizes.
b. how they grouted the tiles so evenly without smearing/coating the tiles with lime.
So my neighbour, who has a few years on me, said he'd seen old tilers working and there were two methods he saw used for (b):
1. Butter the edge of the tile before laying and push up against the ones already laid.
2. Use a slurry of lime and fine sand and pour across the area to be grouted (probably in small areas at a time). Once all the joints are filled throw sawdust over the tiles and rub in. Continue to rub in until the sawdust has soaked up the surplus lime.
Unfortunately having finished grouting I can't test either of the theories but I did find an old tile that appears to have been used as an practice for grouting. It has a straight line (less than 1mm) cut into it to a depth of about 3mm. Leaving aside the question as to how the line was cut, it is perfectly grouted with no staining and completely flush with the surface. Might give it a go with an old tile as I have a few spare and plenty of sawdust.
I just hope there's enough time to recover the old techniques before they're lost.
a. how they ensured the joints were only 1-3mm when all the tiles are slightly different sizes.
b. how they grouted the tiles so evenly without smearing/coating the tiles with lime.
So my neighbour, who has a few years on me, said he'd seen old tilers working and there were two methods he saw used for (b):
1. Butter the edge of the tile before laying and push up against the ones already laid.
2. Use a slurry of lime and fine sand and pour across the area to be grouted (probably in small areas at a time). Once all the joints are filled throw sawdust over the tiles and rub in. Continue to rub in until the sawdust has soaked up the surplus lime.
Unfortunately having finished grouting I can't test either of the theories but I did find an old tile that appears to have been used as an practice for grouting. It has a straight line (less than 1mm) cut into it to a depth of about 3mm. Leaving aside the question as to how the line was cut, it is perfectly grouted with no staining and completely flush with the surface. Might give it a go with an old tile as I have a few spare and plenty of sawdust.
I just hope there's enough time to recover the old techniques before they're lost.