Step 8: Finishing touches

The grout hazing over «»
Allow the grout to set up for 20 or 30 minutes. It should be firm to the touch before you begin washing the tile’s surface. Wipe away grout haze with a damp, well-squeezed sponge rinsed often in a bucket of clean water.

Again, wait for grout to haze over, then wipe with clean sponge. Repeat until the tile is clean.

TIP: Don’t be too aggressive when wiping up grout haze, or you could pull grout out of the joints.
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    More in Painting & Finishes

    Tools List

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    • straightedge guide
      10-foot straightedge (for aligning tile
    • rubber float
      Rubber float (for spreading grout
    • notched trowel
      Notched trowel (for spreading adhesive
    • rubbing stone
      Rubbing stone (for smoothing cut tile edges
    • drill
      Drill-driver and epoxy-coated screws,
      to secure backerboard to subfloor
    • mason's trowel
      Mason's trowel (for mixing thinset and grout
    • margin trowel
      Margin trowel (for cleaning cured joint lines
    • hand saw
      Flush-cut hand saw (for undercutting trim
    • 16-foot tape measure
      Tape measure
    • tile cutter
      Tile cutter
    • power flush cut saw
      Power flush-cut saw (for undercutting trim
    • tile nippers
      Nippers (for breaking off small pieces of tile
    • carbide tipped scorer
      Carbide-tipped scorer and utility knife,
      for cutting backerboard
    • folding A-square
      Folding A-square,
      for checking squareness of tile layout)
    • wet saw
      Diamond blade,
      used with wetsaw to cut corner notches and curves in tile

    Shopping List

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    1. CERAMIC FLOOR TILE

    2. THINSET MORTAR

    3. TILE GROUT

    4. TILE SPACERS

    used to ensure consistent joints



    5. MIXING PADDLE

    used in drill to mix up mortar and grout



    6. KNEE PADS

    7. FOAM SPONGE

    for wiping up grout haze