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peaches89_gw

Is there such a thing as a clear grout?

peaches89
15 years ago

I'm having someone install glass backsplash 1x1 tile in my kitchen. Today I used a bathroom in a restaurant that had the same glass tile however I didn't find the tile pretty because what my eyes narrowed in on is the white grout. The white grout totally took away from the beauty of the glass tile.

The directions for my tile say use white thinset and grout joint should be a minimum of 1/16" and not butt set. But is there something else I could use? Or perhaps not have a grout at all???

Comments (15)

  • sweeby
    15 years ago

    Sorry - you need grout, and there's no such thing as clear grout. Clear caulk certainly, but not clear grout.

    Try looking at other glass backsplashes until you find a grout color you can live with. A light grey is probably the least intrusive...

  • pbrisjar
    15 years ago

    Bad idea. Glass expands and contracts - even more so than other tiles. If you don't have any gaps the tile will have no room to expand and you'll wind up with cracked / displaced / ruined tiles.

  • peaches89
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    I just found out that colored grout existed. Does anyone know where I can find it?

  • ccoombs1
    15 years ago

    lowes and home depot sell colored grout.

  • sw_in_austin
    15 years ago

    We have a 1-foot-wide accent strip of 1x1 glass mosaic in our bathroom and we grouted it with a light gray grout (the tiles themselves are a mix of light green, iridescent and non-iridescent, and bronze iridescent) and I think it looks great. The tiles are definitely the focus, not the grout. Our tile guy gave us a choice of about 20 colors of grout as I recall. He recommended the gray and he was right.

    Also the 1x1 mosaic tiles come on backing mesh in 1-square-foot sections (or at least ours did), so putting them closer together would be time consuming and, no doubt, expensive.

  • bluekitobsessed
    15 years ago

    I'm attaching a link to Oceanside Glass Tile, which is a quality glass tile company with a ton of pix on their website. Try browsing their examples (design ideas and photo gallery) -- it looks like they're usually using light grey or matching the glass color.

    Grout comes in a dizzying array of colors (just when you thought you'd made all the decisions, suddenly you have to decide on grout between tiles!). HTH.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Oceanside Glass Tile

  • dalcolli
    15 years ago

    sw_in_austin - where did you find your tile on mesh?

  • talley_sue_nyc
    15 years ago

    can't you use caulk between the tiles? Bcs there is clear caulk (unfort. I know, bcs twice I've had folks use clear where they should have used white)

  • JeannieCat
    9 years ago

    I'm using glass tiles to make a new table top for a chest. I had originally picked a nonsanded grout that matched one of the tile colors (there were many from which to choose). I have subsequently found a clear grout with glass beads embedded in it. I'm not sure if it will be more difficult to use than regular grout (which is really pretty easy), but my caulking skills are below par so that wouldn't be an option. I've seen it available from Loews, but not Home Depot. There are other internet sites that carry it as well. Good luck!

  • Vertise
    9 years ago

    There are grouts or additives with sparkle/iridesence. Maybe do a sample board to see if it blends with the glass more. Have never seen it used.

    Use the 1/16" joint. The wider ones are very pronounced and contrast a lot with a glass material.

    You wouldn't want clear. The thinset and It's ridges would show through.

  • CJ Meller
    3 years ago

    This question is over a decade old, but there are now clear and sparkle grout options that allow glass tile to maintain that shimmery look.

  • G Felton
    3 years ago

    where can I get clear grout?


  • G Felton
    3 years ago

    bathroom floor tile... can't find colour I want, looking for terracotta grout, what could use instead, if can't get clear grout?


  • mairie
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Wayfair and Amazon both sell the clear grout, as well as Home Depot. Look for "Crystal EVO by Litokol" It's around $80 for a 5.5 lb bucket and there are lots of YT videos. There is special thin-set as well for glass so all this can be seen on the Tile Doctor website and others as well.