Handyman Tip For Perfect Grout Lines
If you've ever grouted a floor or wall, you know that grouting is not a difficult job. However, the perimeter of the area can be troublesome if you are not careful.For example, on a ceramic tile floor that meets the baseboard, you can really create a mess if you try to push too much grout into the gap between the edge of the tile and the baseboard, and the grout gets on the baseboard and looks sloppy.
Some people will try to cut the tile right up to the baseboard, but you still are forced to deal with a small gap. The way around that, of course, is to remove all the baseboard, install the tile, and then reinstall the baseboard over the tile. This creates additional work and also raises the baseboard which may cause problems if the room is adjoining and the other room's baseboard isn't being raised up as well.
My handyman tip is to use painter's tape. You can use a roll of the painters tape and lay it flat on the ceramic tile after the mortar has cured. By laying the roll flat, you are aligning it flush with the surface of the tile, so that the finished product will be seamless.
So before you start grouting, lay out a strip of the tape (1" or 1 ½" wide works well) around the perimeter of the room. I start a strip on the baseboard and then, laying the roll on the floor, pull the roll out and stick the section to the baseboard. I do about a foot or so at a time until all of the baseboard has tape on it. You don't need to completely cover the baseboard, just at the bottom where the grout could touch it.
Once you grout the gap between the tile and baseboard, you can pull the tape slowly off the baseboard. This will essentially cut the grout perfectly level with the surface of the tile. The trick is to pull it fairly soon after you've grouted the area. If you wait too long and the grout has dried, the tape will rip and not be able to pull through the grout. A few minutes is all you will need after you have grouted the perimeter. When you pull the tape, the grout will crumble off of the tape and you will have a perfect finish right up to the baseboard.