Whether you work as part of a new home construction team or work with tile and stone in your home improvement business, seek grout education and training to keep current with grouting equipment, grout manufacturers and the latest grouting products.

Receiving the proper training on a variety of grouting supplies and techniques will ensure you’ve done the job right the first time, reducing customer complaints and maintenance calls down the road. Once you’ve mastered the basics, find continuing education opportunities to keep your tile grout knowledge up to date. Seek to:

1. Sign up for comprehensive training classes that cover basic tile and stone grouting tricks and techniques from grout colorant selection to grout sealing and cleaning.
2. Attend seminars to focus on specific grouting skills and equipment like grout mixers, grout pumps or grout cleaner and to network with other grouting professionals, grout suppliers and tile grout manufacturers.
3. Find self-paced tile grout training like online courses, DVDs or literature to learn more about tile grouting equipment or techniques while you’re on the job.
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find training opportunities with hands-on experience using new grouting supplies and techniques

If you're just getting into the tile or home improvement business or simply need a refresher on the latest grout techniques, find courses to learn new grouting methods from start to finish. Hands-on or instructor-led classes provide practical experience you can use in the field.

I recommend: Stone House Training offers educational opportunities with tile, grout and stone restoration in a real-world setting at the Stone House. Techniques include grout cleaning, stone polishing and tile repair. Get on-site training classes through the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation. Grout and tile courses teach quality installation techniques tailored to your educational needs.

Use seminars for specialized training with grouting supplies and standards to fine tune your skills

Stay current with tile grout issues, equipment or techniques with seminars that address narrow topics. If you're inexperienced with grout selection, epoxy grout or a new grout mixer, for example, workshops can help you fill in the gaps to increase your expertise.

I recommend: Take classes on topics like Tile and Grout 101, stone restoration and OSHA safety training through Stone and Tile Training. Discover how to use the Grout Perfect System through the Colorseal training program offered by Grout Perfect. The seminars cover grout identification, cleaning and ColorSeal application, which completely waterproofs the grout surface.

Obtain self-paced training materials to discover additional skills while you're on the job

Training courses and materials that you can access at your convenience allow you to receive additional tile grout training without missing a day of work. The materials can also become a reference library you can access as a refresher before each job, if necessary.

I recommend: Take a tile and grout training course on DVD offered by Fabchem. The training session focuses on the materials, equipment and techniques of cleaning tile and grout. Steambrite offers a self-paced tile and grout learning module that covers such topics as grout composition, chemical preparations, cleaning and sealing.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Use customer questions, maintenance needs and grouting requests to determine types of grout education and training you need to keep your business marketable and competitive. Keeping up with customer demand is a great indicator of where you'll need to keep current in your grouting skills and services.

Applying grout perfectly creates gorgeous tile floors, walls and ceilings for your construction business customers. Basic grouting equipment -- water, grout, grout removal tools, clean-up equipment, a grout mixer, grout sealant and a coating to keep your tiles free of grout as you work -- when used professionally, can yield great results that impress your customers.

If you run a construction business, applying tile grout deftly is essential, since customers often notice the look of the grout between their tiles. While customers may have no opinion about grout before you start tiling, they will likely be very vocal about work they do not like. Applying grout well is as essential as applying ceramic tiles evenly. In fact, applying grout well can often make tiles look better.

To apply tile grout, you need:

1. Tools designed for properly mixing grout;

2. High quality grout for maximum performance and longevity;

3. The right grout for residential and commercial jobs.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get the supplies you need to properly mix grout

Whether you're working on a residential or commercial property, you need a good grout mixer to do the job right. Hand mixers are portable, relatively easy to operate and are ideal for small jobs. Large grout mixers are quite expensive and bulky, but are your best bet for substantial projects.

I recommend: Chem Grout sells electric hand grout mixers great for residential grouting projects. In addition to electic grout mixers, CS Unitec offers pneumatic grout mixers for safe use around water and with certain materials, like concrete and epoxy. Geo Solutions features industrial grout mixers perfect for large commercial jobs.

Apply epoxy grout for added durability

Epoxy grout is made from resin and hardener, which makes it resistant to stains and chemicals and, therefore, ideal for backsplashes, floors and kitchen counters. Today's epoxy grout includes detergents, so cleanup is easy. Epoxy grout works great in any area where hardness, durability and stain resistance are important.

I recommend: Bostik manufactures epoxy grout products compatible with numerous surfaces, like travertine, slate and granite. Epoxy.com has a number of epoxy grouts that can stand up to tough stains and spills.

Choose cement-based grout for larger industrial jobs

Cement-based grout, a mixture of fine sand and water, is durable and less expensive than epoxy grout. This utilitarian grout works great in commercial and industrial applications and holds up indoors and outdoors.

I recommend: Unifire sells several high quality cement-based grouts that can stand up to any job. W.W. Henry offers cement-based grouts in a variety of neutral shades.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Grout manufacturers produce tile grout in a rainbow of colors and your client can select either a color similar to his tiles or a contrasting color. If your client decides on a matching color, keep in mind that you might need grout colorant to get the perfect shade.
• •  When mixing the grout, you can check for perfect consistency by pushing a float or other piece of grouting equipment into the mixture. If the grout forms a dent and then slowly fills again, you have the right texture. If, as you work, your grout dries up, make a fresh batch. Adding water to hardened grout will only dilute the mixture and make the final product prone to cracking.