Installing Travertine Tile Without Grout Lines

Here s why you need grout.

Installing travertine tile without grout lines.

I try to use the smallest grout lines the tile will allow. It keeps moisture out of the substrate helps keep tile lines straight and. Yes you can install the travertine without a grout joint. As long as the travertine tiles are well bonded to the substrate that you cut open the joints so they are about 1 8 inch wide that you clean the joints thoroughly and let them dry and then if you install a polymer modified cementitious grout meeting ansi a118 7 per the manufacturer s directions it should perform well.

Travertine is an outstanding example of tile that can be installed without grout lines. This natural stone is cut to size leaving honed flat edges that make great grout less joints. Even though you butt the tile together it will still create a very small grout joint. How to lay tile without grout lines.

It is breath taking when you see the natural beauty of a joint less counter top or shower produced with this veined stone. For most granite and marble tile i install i use either 1 32 or 1 16 inch grout lines. Grout is a necessary and integral part of many tile jobs for several reasons. Instead line up the corners of the tiles and use your rubber mallet to gently tap the surface of the marble or travertine until it is butted up tightly against the adjacent piece.

Just talked to a tile guy today and he did his house with travertine without a grout line. The most common tools used to install travertine tile or most tile for that matter include a tape measure a rubber mallet a power drill and mixing paddle a marker or wax pencil a level a tapping block a torpedo level a chalk line tile spacers a margin trowel a notched trowel and a wet saw. In most other tile i will use 1 16 or 1 8 inch lines. Don t do a groutless tile installation.

I looked up the idea of no grout lines using travertine and someone said you must have a grout line at least a penny wide. The best thing to do is use the smallest grout line your particular tile will allow and get a grout that closely matches the tile. There is also the argument that groutless tile installation simply looks better and makes the work seem more compact or put together. Do not use tile spacers.

Make sure you still grout it to fill all of the voids.