Choosing the right grout color can be trickier than you think. You take the grout sample chart or grout sample sticks and put them next to the tile. Should be simple right ? Wrong ! Many grouts do not look the same as the stick. A slight variation can totally ruin the look of your tile floor, shower or backsplash. This issue is especially common with darker grout colors. As a general rule the grout itself will look slightly lighter than any sample chart or stick you may be using. Sometimes you may pick the right grout color but it still does not look right. There are a number of reasons for a grout color not looking right.
1. It was not mixed well so the pigment was not evenly distributed. . This will be evident if some places of grout are darker and some more faded although it is all the same color.
2. The thinset underneath the tile is peeking through and distorting the color of the grout. This is especially common when the color of the thinset and the grout color is very different like gray and white.
3. The grout got dirty from construction dust like sheet rock. This will generally lighten grout that was suppose to be dark.
No matter what the cause of an improper grout color it can be resolved. The simplest fix to grout is to clean it. if grout cleaning is not enough then the grout can be stained or colored to the appropriate color. If grout coloring or grout staining is not effective or appropriate for the circumstances ( which can be in a number of circumstances beyond the scope of this article) regrouting would be the last resort.
Sometimes a grout color is desired that is not available for purchase. No grout manufacturers carry the right color. Sometimes different grouts can be mixed to achieve a shade in between the 2 colors. However some bold or exotic colors may be off the charts literally and not available. Grout Works of Central NJ specializes in customizing grout colors and can produce any color desired to match any tile. We have matched even Disney blue, green and red colors as well as violet, purple and pinks. More often we just slightly change a grout color to make the grout lines blend seamlessly. Just a slight tint can make an overwhelming difference in appearance.
Grout Works of Central NJ is proud to serve most of NJ including Monmouth & Ocean County and the Jersey Shore area Shrewsbury, Little Silver, Freehold, Colts Neck, Morganville, Marlboro, Manalapan, Wall, Rumson, Spring Lake, Ocean Grove, Toms River, Mantoloking, Bay Head, Lavalette, Belmar, Monmouth Beach, Sea Girt, Manasquan, Brielle, Princeton, Holmdel, Asbury Park, Deal, Long Branch, Bradley beach, Avon and more.
