Tile Grout Width

Before we start issuing any grand pronouncements, you have to realize some of the factors that go into deciding tile grout width.

And these are your decisions to make; not something that a home remodeling website can make for you.

1. Tile grout can be used as a style and design device, not just as a way to hold tile together.  Do you plan on using colored tile grout or do you just want it to fade away?
2. What is the size of your intended tile?  As you might imagine, small tiles with wide tile grout lines looks pretty crappy.  Not only that, but you’re compromising the tiles’ stability if you have almost as much grout as you do tile.
3. What kind of tile are we talking about?  Granite?  Ceramic?
4. Sanded vs. unsanded tile grout.  Unsanded tile grout can’t be used for the wide tile grout widths.  You’l be using sanded tile grout for widths over 1/8″

So, here are a few rules of thumb that might help you:

Nothing Over 1/2 Inch

Consider 1/2 inch the absolute maximum width for your tile grout.  Anything wider than 1/2 inch looks strange, doesn’t stick together well, and is prone to cracking.

Minimum Width:  1/16″

It doesn’t get much smaller than 1/16″.  If you try to get any smaller than that, you basically don’t have tile grout anymore.  You do need tile grout for ceramic; can’t get away from it.

If you hate the idea of grout, it is possible to install granite tile with epoxy, butting tile against tile–no grout.

But 1/16″, while theoretically possible, is still not recommended.

For 12″x12″ Tiles

For larger tiles of the 12″x12″ size, tile grout width of around 3/16″ to 1/4″ tends to work best.

For 4″x4″ Tiles

You’ll want to step down the tile grout width to something around 1/8″.