Great news, friends! The hard part of the tile installation process is behind you! It is now time to grout that gorgeous tile! In this post, I will share how to grout floor tile in just five steps using Mapei’s Ultracolor Plus FA grout.

This post is all about how to grout floor tile

Over the last few years, I have become a huge fan of Mapei’s Ultracolor Plus FA. It is a non-shrinking, fast-setting, simple-to-use replacement for sanded and unsanded grout. Mapei uses what they call DropEffect technology that prevents dirt and water from penetrating the grout joints, making it very stain-resistant. It also does not require a sealer!

If you have not done so already, I recommend sealing your tile as a grout release before grouting. If you aren’t sure what I mean, look at my post, How to Easily Apply Sealer on Tile as a Grout Release. This will prevent the grout from staining the tile and make post-grout cleanup much easier.

Tools Required

• Mapei’s Ultracolor Plus FA Grout
• Grout Float
• Mixing Bucket
• Paint Stick (or any other mixing instrument)
• Bucket of Water
• A Couple of Sponges
• Microfiber Cloth
• Knee Pads

How to Grout Floor Tile

1. Get Prepared

The best way to ensure a successful and stress-free grout project is to ensure you are prepared. Also, as Ultracolor Plus FA is a rapid-setting grout, you want to have all your materials ready so you can start grouting as soon as you mix the grout.

Prep the Floor

Use a shop vac to remove all dust and debris from the floor. I also recommend using a damp microfiber mop or cloth after vacuuming to remove any remaining dust from the tile.

Collect Your Materials

In the space you are grouting, you want to have a grout float, a bucket of clean water, a couple of clean sponges, a microfiber cloth, and your phone so you can set a timer.

 

2. Mix the Grout

The manufacturer’s instructions call for 1 – 1.1 U.S. qts. for a 10 lb. bag and 2.6 – 2.8 U.S. qts. for a 25 lb. bag. Unless you are feeling very ambitious, I recommend doing half-batches. For me, a half-batch is the right amount of grout for the amount of time it takes to apply it and clean up. If you decide to mix half-batches, split the bag and the water in half.

The manufacturer recommends using a grout mixer to mix the grout. This is where I deviate from the manufacturer’s instructions. I found that when I used a mixer, the grout set up way too quickly. That is when I went to mixing it by hand in a bucket with a paint stick. I mix it for 5 minutes by hand. Mixing it by hand makes a huge difference! It allows plenty of time to apply the grout before it sets up.

For those of you like me who like to follow the rules, I reached out to Mapei before publishing this to ensure there aren’t any issues with mixing by hand. They responded by saying that they recommend mixing by hand, especially when working with small batches. So there you go!

 

3. Apply the Grout

Once applied, the grout has to sit for 15-30 minutes before wiping the area with the sponge. With this in mind, I like to work in 3-foot sections around the perimeter of the room. This allows me to work my way out of the room. I recommend setting a timer for 15-30 minutes once you start so you know when to go back to sponge off the tile.

Holding your float at a 45-degree angle, press the grout into the tile joints. The goal is to fill the tile joints with grout. I go over each joint a couple of times to ensure the joint is filled. Ensure to remove any excess grout using the float.

 

​4. Wipe the Tile

Wipe the tile and joints with a slightly damp sponge once you have allowed the grout to sit for 15-30 minutes. The goal of this step is to remove excess grout from the tile and joints. Be careful not to pull grout from the joints. I have found that wiping across joints at a 45-degree angle cleans up the grout joint without pulling grout from the joint.

 

5. Buff the Tile

To remove any leftover haze from the grout, buff the tile using a microfiber cloth. Again, be careful not to pull grout from the joints. Once you have buffed the tile, you are finished! Your tile should be walkable in 3 hours!

 

 

Summary

In this post, I explained how to easily grout floor tile using Mapei’s Ultracolor Plus FA grout in five steps! You should now be ready to grout your tile!