Don t Forget The Grout

9/13/2006

(ARA) - Nothing makes a statement like the beauty of ceramic tile and natural stone. While many homeowners view designing a room and choosing tile as an exciting way to personalize and enhance the home, they're often nervous about the idea of selecting installation materials and actually setting tile.

Fortunately, companies that produce tile and stone installation materials now offer products that make it easy for the most novice do-it-yourselfer to achieve high-quality, professional results. So, if you're considering tile or natural stone for your home, you can rest easy that the tile surface you install will be what you've envisioned.

Grout -- the material used to fill the joints between tiles -- contributes to the finished beauty of the tile or stone surface. But mixing and installing traditional grouts can be problematic for the inexperienced tile setter.

"Grout that is incorrectly mixed and applied can lead to blotchy, uneven color that compromises the look of the tile installation. And, after it's installed, grout can stain and pick up dirt," says Rachel Gibbons, brand manager for the TEC brand at Specialty Construction Brands, Inc., Arlington Heights, Ill., a leading brand of installation systems for tile and stone.

"After you select the tile or stone, it is just as important to consider the grout because it has a big impact on the lasting beauty of the surface," Gibbons says.

Courtesy of ARA Content