Finally learned why my grout kept cracking after 6 months

Was using too much water in the mix, made it weak. Took a tile pro in Nashville pointing it out at a job site for me to get it right. Anyone else have a basic mistake that took way too long to fix?

3 comments

3 Comments

alicemurphy1mo ago

Yeah @phoenix573 nailed it, too much water turns grout into weak mud every time.

keith_bennett1mo ago

Wait, is THAT why my first attempt at grouting a backsplash looked like a total mess? I followed the instructions on the bag but it still came out super runny and I couldn't figure out why until my buddy who does tile work walked in and laughed at me. He said it looked like I was making soup, not grout. I spent the whole weekend scraping it out and starting over, it was the worst. Seriously, it's crazy how a tiny bit too much water makes the whole thing fall apart like that. Next time I'm just going to use a scale to measure the water instead of eyeballing it.

phoenix5731mo ago

Watery grout like watery marriage proposals, neither one holds up. Six months of cracking and you were just giving it a little too much love with the hose. Next time you'll know to mix it like concrete, not pancake batter. At least you caught it before the whole floor looked like a dried up riverbed. Amazing how the pros spot it in two seconds while we've been doing it wrong for years.