Kitchen Backsplash project questions

[Dano382]

Thanks again Bob. I will go with non sanded and watch for cracks. Just worried using the 100% silicone because tiles are not of smooth clean edges like a ceramic or porcelain tile, and getting a clean bead in there without to much transfer onto the stone worries me because I know what a pain 100% is to work with in general. Maybe I will buy bothe and do a trial on some tile to see if I like it. Just want a good seal behind sink area, not worried about the rest of the counter.

[bbcamp]

Painter's tape is your friend.

[Dano382]

Well got all of the tile finished Wednesday, took the day off yesterday but did manage to run the sanded caulk along the base of tile. Man that stuff shrinks alot. Maybe should of ran it thicker with 30% shrink factor So I bought non sanded grout but think I will be returning and going with sanded and just smooth it the best I can. I used it in my shower and it didn't scratch the glass so will hope for the best. Here are some finished pics, I had to use a different batch of tile from local store for window sill because it was wider then 3" so I used some 6x6's and cut then down. I will post again after it's grouted and sealed.

[cx]

Not usually a good idea to caulk before you grout, Dan.

[Dano382]

Uh Oh...what issues can arrise? I only ran lower bead so I'm sure I can still pack it in on the vertical gap. Is it because of water in the grout mix?

[Flaus]

The grout will stick to the caulk and will be not a lot of fun to clean out and re-caulk...

[cx]

You're gonna need to wait a long time (some days) for the caulk to cure sufficiently not to be easily damaged, as Adam suggests, and you still might have a bit of problem in that regard.

Your cementitious grout, to be properly installed, needs to be a fairly dry mix and it should require a good deal of effort to force it into the joints adequately. This is not gonna be good for even well cured caulking.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[Dano382]

Ran into a issue today after sealing with 511. I thought the grout would darken a bit but seems I have some efflorescence in the grout. What are my options to clean the top layer? I tried a little copper wire hand brush on one grout line and re-applied sealer and it darkend like it should. With all the glass grout lines that will take alot of time. It seems blotchy so what can I do to get it color even?

[Houston Remodeler]

Dan,

Got a pic or two?

You can bump your thread on Monday, later in the day when the folks who know more about this than I are on the forum.

[Dano382]

So here are some pics of effloresence, this is haystack color so should be darker. I read that I should wait 5-7 days for it to fully dry before trying to clean. Any recomendations on what to use. This is a bumb from prior post.

Thanks,
Dano

[Dano382]

TTT,

[Dano382]

I guess I'm on my own. Any professionals have any suggestions?

[cx]

Some of us don't see the problem, Dan.

Grout being too light is not usually an efflorescence problem. And I see nothing in your photo that I could identify as efflorescence.

The cleaning usually recommended for grout that appears too light starts with vinegar and moves up in acid strength from there.

Frequently the only fix is a grout colorant.

My opinion; worth price charged.