Reasons Why Grout Might Crack

Reasons Why Grout Might Crack

Reasons Why Grout Might Crack

If you are facing cracked grout, it's important to find the cause so as not to repeat the mistake. David Pinsley has over 40 years of full-time experience in the general contracting field, covering all aspects of construction with a specialty in kitchens and baths. He is now a part ofFirst Rate Renovations, Inc. and Cultured Marble Products in San Leandro, California, serving the Bay Area. Here, Pinsley discusses the reasons why grout might crack.

It can be difficult to ascertain why grout cracks, especially when it comes to newly installed flooring.In fact, it would be impossible to give an answer without first making a thorough inspection of the site, and looking at your construction details. Saying that, there are a few speculative answers I can give which will cover several eventualities.

In my experience, cracked grout that is virtually coming out of the joists could occur because of:

A combination of poor quality grout mixed with bad mixing additives: It could be the water that was added or even something such as an old latex additive that expired way beyond its shelf life. Weak grout is often the culprit behind cracking, and the glue applied over the mortar in many cases can cause cracking as well.

Bad preparation of the underlay: This could cause movement underneath. So you need to check if the floor underneath, such as a cementious board, was secured properly.

Poor installation: Substandard work could mean the grout could not penetrate well enough into the grout spacing. It could even be that sanded grout was used instead of non-sanded when the reverse was needed, or vice versa.

The construction of your sub flooring: Prior to installation, some floors should be floated with a mortar bed. If not, then not only will your grout crack, but your tiles may eventually crack as well.

Nothing can be more disheartening than laying a tile floor only to have the grout crack soon after. If you are facing cracking grout, then it's a good idea to hire a professional who can fix the grout before the tiles begin to crack as well.

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