clé recommends the use of mapei ultracolor plus fa grout and a 1/16" grout joint with this collection. similar to zellige, grout is customarily used to fill any gaps left by wedge spacers between tiles as well as any pits, chips or cracked portions of eastern earthenware.
important: we do not generally recommend using a contrasting grout color with eastern earthenware, as it will highlight the thin hairline cracks/crazing found on the tiles, and fill in any pits, and/or chips. if you choose to use a contrasting grout (i.e. white grout with black tile) please order 20-30% overage in order to cherry-pick the tile of the imperfections that are standard to this tile. additionally, you must make sure to apply a penetrating sealant or grout release prior to grouting in order to minimize the possibility of the contrasting grout curing in the inherent hairline cracks, pits, and/or chips.
grout color selection is always up to our client and/or their design professional. however, clé is often asked for our opinion on best grout selections for our tiles. and due to the large array of grout colors that are now available, clé would like to offer this general guideline on a foolproof grout color selection for any of your clé tiles.
- first, have your professional tile contractor complete your tile installation, except for the grout portion.
- next, when ready to grout, ask your contractor to bring ALL grout color charts from his preferred grout manufacturers, for your review.
- lastly, choose a time of day when you are most pleased with the lighting in your space (either natural lighting, installed lighting or a blend of both). during that lighting and time of day, select the grout color that best matches your tile selection.
note that the full mapei ultracolor plus fa color catalogue contains 40 colors to choose from. visit the mapei website to view.
for more information about grouting please see our eastern earthenware installation & maintenance guide.
