When should the tile beautification be done? Is the tile beautification done before or after cleaning?

We all know that decoration is a complicated matter, and there are many details to pay attention to, such as tile grouting, etc. Tile grouting has certain requirements, especially the choice of materials, the determination of time, etc. So when should tile grouting be done? Let's take a closer look!

When should the tile seams be done?

About a week after the tiles are laid, the gaps will be very damp because the tiles need to wait for the cement or adhesive to dry thoroughly before they can be firmly attached, otherwise there will be hollowing, bulging, etc. The caulking agent is also easily affected by moisture and causes it to fall off and discolor, so it basically takes a few days to caulk. This is why we see many caulking masters carrying vacuum cleaners and dryers with them.

During the days of waiting for the grouting, try not to do dusty work, such as carpentry, painting, etc. First of all, we should keep the gaps between the tiles as clean as possible to make the grouting stronger. Secondly, after the grouting, even if dust falls on the floor tiles, it is easy to clean.

The kitchen and bathroom need to beautify the walls and floors, and it must be done before the cabinets are installed, otherwise the situation like my friend's will occur, where the part blocked by the cabinet cannot be beautified, and the joint near the root is incomplete. The same is true for the living room, which must be beautified before the furniture is installed.

Is tile seam beautification done before or after cleaning?

The earliest time to beautify tile grout is after the tiles are laid and the sand and ash are dry. This time should be at least one week when the weather is dry and the temperature is not low. If you beautify the tiles before the newly laid tiles and the sand and ash are dry, the gaps in the tiles will be blocked, which is not conducive to the shrinkage of the tiles and easily causes hollow tiles.

However, there are also big problems with doing caulking at this time. If you do it right after laying tiles, subsequent steps such as installing ceilings, building cabinets, spraying paint, and whitewashing will inevitably damage the caulking.

Therefore, the best time for tile seams is:

After the hard decoration is completed and the sanitation work is done before the furniture is brought in . If the kitchen and bathroom are caulked after the cabinets and sanitary ware are installed, some areas will be unable to be constructed, leaving dead corners. Therefore, the bathroom and kitchen should be caulked before installation. For other areas such as the living room, dining room, balcony, etc., the most reasonable time to caulk is before the furniture is brought in. This will not only prevent the caulking from being damaged, but also avoid moving the furniture back and forth during the caulking!

Things to note when beautifying tile joints

1. Clean the gaps between tiles before seaming

Before the caulking construction, the gaps between the tiles must first be cleaned to remove dust and a large amount of residual cement. In addition, the cleaning must be done carefully. Do not rush and damage the tiles, which will affect the appearance. If the caulking is done directly without cleaning the gaps, the caulking agent will not dry, turn white, fall off, etc., affecting the caulking effect.

2. Take out the cross as much as possible

When laying tiles, we consider doing caulking construction, so we will reserve a minimum gap of 1.5mm for caulking. When laying tiles, we want to ensure consistent caulking, so we usually use a cross so that the gap can be uniform. However, the master often places the cross in the gap when laying tiles, so we need to remove the cross when cleaning the gap. If it is embedded in the tile gap and cannot be taken out, we should try to knock the cross into the innermost part, and reserve as much space as possible for caulking to ensure the quality of the caulking construction.

3. Do not construct in a humid environment

The caulking needs to be done in a dry gap. The gap cannot be damp, let alone exposed water, otherwise the caulking will fade. If it is raining on a humid day, the caulking cannot be done because the water vapor in the air can easily penetrate into the caulking agent, which will also cause the caulking to change color.

4. Use masking paper wisely

Masking tape is one of the commonly used tools for seam beautification. When the tiles are antique tiles or waxed, masking tape should be used to help with seam beautification. Otherwise, the seam beautifier will stick to the tiles and it will be difficult to clean. When pasting the masking tape, it needs to be pasted along the edge of the gap. Do not stick it too far from the gap or into the gap to avoid affecting the adhesion of the seam beautifier.

5. Construction cannot be carried out on hollow floor tiles

When caulking, if there are hollow areas in the floor tiles, the caulking cannot be done because the hollow floor tiles will be deformed by the force of people stepping on them. If the caulking is done at these locations for a long time, the vibration caused by the uneven force in the hollow areas will cause the caulking agent to fall off.