tinting fake grout tiles with concrete tints? will it work?

[HiDelight]

Hi there

I am not new I lurk a lot here with the odd outburst ..so much great info I never feel like I can ask or start a new topic as I am too busy reading about yours!

we had a near disaster hiring a concrete guy who was in a rehab program and had not totally rehabed! and urgent change of plans ..we have since done all our remodel ourselves..

I am going to use grout to make a fake tile ..it works beautifully (I have searched and searched online to find the instructions for something a friend taught me to do..and can not imagine they were the only ones doing int ..they made a magnificant patio out of this method! ....all you put down a layer of good grouting tinted to whatever color you want the grout of your fake tiles to be then strap with strapping tape your stone or tile outlines ..lay the next layer of colored grout and when dry pull the tape up and voila you have fake tiles made from bags of grout..mind you you have to lay backer board of somekind or whatever prep you would do to lay concrete ..but the tile itself is a wonderful easy project (I am going to do my entire patio next summer it is so fun and easy)

now back to the tile project

I was left from the mentioned concrete floor failure with three 5 gallon buckets of concrete tint

this project I want to do now is to make the new windowsill in our basement room match our brick hearth

can I use some of this big bucket of brick colored concrete tint to tint my second layer of skin on the faux tiles (I have a bag of almond grout I was going to just try and see if it works ..someone said to sprinkle the tint on the tiles ..someone else told me to mix it into the grout ..what do you think?

Help please! I want to make use of what we have here and try to make the bricks look like bricks ..

thanks so much in advance ...


btw grout is cheap ..very sturdy and makes great tiles the floor I did has had a lot of traffic water spills and looks great still!

 

[big brown horse]

Hi HiDelight! This weather makes good indoor remodeling weather, eh?

 

[HiDelight]

Hi HiDelight! This weather makes good indoor remodeling weather, eh?

it does but everything costs money ever notice that?

no answers huh? think I will just try it and see what happens then!

thanks

 

[Big Daddy]

Mix a small amount in and see how it looks. If you're actually grouting lines then it is best to mix it. If you wnt to color dry grout they sell a liquid coloring that goes on the grout and penetrates it If you are actually grouting over old grout then remove some of the old grout so the new will stick. Be sure you are usng usanded grout for 3/16 or smaller lines. Sande grout wont work in narrow grout lines.

 

[HiDelight]

Hi thanks BD

here is what I am doing ..it sounds confusing but it is really simple and I am surprised more folks do not use this method to save a ton of money and supplies when remodeling

my husband framed out a windowsill with a really nice area to put plants ..so he framed out the top and then put some sealed backer board in on the framework instead of a wooden top there is also some wire mesh to hold it together a bit better

ok I poured some oyster shell gray mixed up grout and smoothed it out last night (this gray will end up being my grout line to match the brick hearth)

today I am going to tape out the brick lines with strapping tape ..then use a grout that is kind of off white (sanded grout to give it a better brickish feel) ...someone told me you tint concrete by sprinking the tint on top ..I wonder if that makes sense to me? I was going to just add some to a small amt to test it and see just on a piece of cardboard ..but it is hard to do the math in my head and I just wanted someone to tell me if it can be done ..because if I can just mix the tint in and it does not hurt the grouts setting process I would like to do that if possible ..if I have to sprinkle it on top ..and that does not make sense to me sounds more like a mess waiting to be drug all over the house!....

I have googled every combination of words and

1. can not even find this method of making fake tiles ..and that stuns me because I have seen it used on driveways!

2. can not find the answer of if you can use concrete tint to tint grout ...I guess I could call Home Crappo and ask?

thanks I am always open to more suggestions ..but heading in today! wish me luck! it could come out fanstastic or we could end up never speaking of this again

 

[DrakeMaiden]

My husband says yes. The only difference between grout and concrete is aggregate (particle) size. So the tint will work fine with grout. I think we mixed some of that into the grout we used in our house.

He says you need larger aggregate and/or steel added to concrete to make a patio that will last over the long haul (grout won't be strong enough). The concrete also needs to be a certain thickness.

But if you are just using the grout for a windowsill, I don't think you will have any structural problems.

 

[HiDelight]

thanks DM

it is going to be a beautiful window!!!

I have to tape it off in the morning then apply the skin tomorrow ..I am going to sprinkle the tint right on the skin and see how it goes ..not even going to do a test batch

living on the edge here!

 

[injunjoe]

Hello Hi This sounds good except I would add a bonding agent/poly additive to the mix instead of water!

It is not cheap but makes it strong and will bond without popping off in a year or so! It runs about $10.00 or so at the "big box" stores.

Good luck, I'm going back to TEG see ya over there.

Joe

 

[HiDelight]

thanks Joe!

I am waiting to see what happens now and kind of nervous

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Sounds cool!