Saltillo tile grout info? - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

Dklein · 05-24-2009, 05:00 PM

I've read about Saltillo using a sand / cement 3:1 ratio grout. My concern is that do I need to seal this before I grout it? It's an outside front entrance patio. I'm not a big fan of Saltillo but that is what they want.... I hope I can just grout it and then seal it and then be done.

And one other question is that why is regular grout not used for Saltillo?. Maybe it stains the tiles?

Thanks for any help and looks like a nice forum.

Floordude · 05-24-2009, 05:28 PM

Your in way over your head!!

Dklein · 05-24-2009, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Floordude

Your in way over your head!!

Thanks!!

I'm sure your customers appreciate your sense of arrogance.

SLSTech · 05-24-2009, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dklein

Thanks!!

I'm sure your customers appreciate your sense of arrogance.

And yours must appreciate you learning on their dime & redoing the work you FU, but I sense it's your dime & you should be @ the DIY site

Seeing it is the Holiday's I will be nice & say seal it first

Dklein · 05-24-2009, 06:46 PM

Your right... stupid me thinking I can try to get info on the interweb.

What holiday?

MALCO.New.York · 05-24-2009, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dklein

Your right... stupid me thinking I can try to get info on the interweb.

What holiday?

Interweb. That is a British term..........That and the fact that he does not know what Holiday it is here in America.

It is, in fact, the single most IMPORTANT Holiday in our Country, Memorial Day. A day of remembrance of those who perished in order that we have a Country of which to speak.

I do second and third the notion...In over your head.

See Klein. We are not bashing you. This is a site for Tradesman to share their insights and experiences amongst one another. Not a site designed to aide and abet those who are determined to cut us, The Tradesmen, out of the equation. Which is EXACTLY what you are doing.

Although some unlucky Tradesman will be called in, at a Premium, to remedy that which you have so blindly and overzealously taken on.

Please do not take it personally.

naptown CR · 05-24-2009, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MALCO.New.York

Interweb. That is a British term..........That and the fact that he does not know what Holiday it is here in America.

wow we sniff out them feriners real good

MALCO.New.York · 05-24-2009, 07:09 PM

Interweb is used in Britain as a term of mockery concerning the "Junk" or "Misinformation" garnered from the internet.

It is used in America, but not to extent that would make it a familiar term to most Americans.

Dklein · 05-25-2009, 09:05 AM

This just gets nuttier as we go along here. A simple yes or no answer would have done but no... we have to Dr. Phil this to death. And my god, who would pay for cheap nasty Mexican tile in Europe. As an Aussie would say, I'm a seppo. I just don't get much vacation time.

And what?... this site is for tradesmen?. Last I checked it's called contractor talk. Not tradesmen or union talk. I'm a general remodeler. If you think that's cutting you out then so be it. I do what it takes to make a job right and work hard it. That's my right and I have to eat too.

Anyways... carry on with sharing your insights and experiences... . I gotta go finish a tile job that I'm seriously over my head in.....

Rkeister · 05-25-2009, 09:11 AM

Sealing it or using a Grout Release Product will make life easy.

Dklein · 05-25-2009, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rkeister

Sealing it or using a Grout Release Product will make life easy.

Thanks Keister!

It's kinda obvious it would help but the thinset just wipes off the unsealed tile. So I wondered what if.

Floordude · 05-26-2009, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rkeister

Sealing it or using a Grout Release Product will make life easy.

Ya, set up a tub and dunk all the tiles before setting them...

You seriously need to subcontract this part of the project out.
The questions you ask are not the questions a professional would be asking on a contractors chat board. You should already know this stuff like the back of your hand, before you bid and quote to do the project. It tells us, your in WAY over your head. It is not just a slap it on the floor type of job. Satillo is its own animal with very specific techniques, that cannot be communicated in a chat room.

gumba · 05-26-2009, 02:33 PM

All the above comments from these experienced tradesman are not meant to discredit your knowledge of remodeling. Terra cotta especially saltillo requires trades skills where the installer has to perform various arduous steps to permit the body (or the bisque)of the tile to react a desired way and the patina or the top surface of the clay to react a desired manner, You really should let a seasoned tile tradesman who has dealt with many projects in terra cotta perform this work.