Grout – It shouldn’t be an after thought

Dal Tile put out a good article a little while back about selecting grout for your tile.

Most people are so focused on picking tile, trying to figure out patterns, directions, and the rest of their home improvement that it often gets forgotten about, and overlooked, which can be detrimental as the color can make or break the look of your floor.

Generally, you have three options:

• Match the tile
• Contrast the tile
• Go neutral

Matching –

If you want a less pronounced grout look, you might want to pick a color that “matches” the tile you chose. Picking a color that is somewhere around one shade lighter or darker helps pull everything together. This course is also an advisable  when your tile only has one color because it helps create a more fluid look.

Contrast –

If you want to make your tile stand out, you might want a contrasting color. This will frame the tile and will draw attention to them. It might also be advisable to use a thicker grout in this instance to really bring out your choice in tile.

Neutral –

If you want something that feels like the safest choice, you might want to go with a “neutral” color from the tans, beiges, or grays. Neutral colors tend to have mass appeal, a neutral matching color is the most widely recommended approach.

Other considerations –
Your grout color is important to achieve your desired look; but, you still need to consider the type being used on your floors. Grout functions to bond tiles and stone edges together and prevent chipping.  It is important you understand the types available.

You need to consider traffic patterns in the room where your tile and grout will be used when choosing a color.  A light color is probably not a good idea for a busy kitchen, but could be ideal for a less used guest bath.

It should be noted that darker colors will fade more quickly, while a lighter color will show stains and dirt.