How Thin Should My Grout Lines Be?

“How Thin Should my Grout Lines Be?”

© Licensed under Creative Commons: Andy Chase (September 14, 2008)

To answer your question, there is no one width for grout lines! The width of your grout lines really depends on your own personal preference, as well as the type and size of tile you are using. There are three general sizes in basement floor tiling.

·         Small tile – Up to 8 X 8 inches square

·         Regular – 12 X 12 up to 16 X 16 inches square

·         Large tile – 18 X 18 inches +

So for small tiles you don't have to really worry about grout since most small tiles are self-spacing. However, if you are using tiles that aren't self-spacing, you should use 1/16" spacers, or 1/8" spacers for a larger grout line. You would also want to use small lines for a mosaic.

Regular sized tiles usually look better with large grout lines, so a minimum of 1/8" lines on your basement floor. Just make sure that the absolute biggest width you use is 3/16", otherwise it looks sloppy.

Large tiles can be a bit tougher, as the size of the grout lines depends on the type of tile. Large format tiles look best with a 1/32" to 1/16" grout width. The larger tiles look great with the small lines because it just looks like one large piece of tile.