Tile School: Grout Lines and Tile Patterns

So you’ve chosen your perfect tile, and found a beautiful pattern to install it in–now let’s talk about grout lines. Although this detail may seem small, using the correct grout joint size is crucial to a successful installation, and since you’ll be looking at your tile for years to come you’ll want to ensure that your install is as perfect as possible!

For standard patterns like offset or straight set, we recommend a 3/16” grout joint size. If you’d like a tighter install,1/8" is the absolute minimum size we suggest. However, if you want to install a more intricate pattern like parquet or herringbone, you may have to use a larger grout line.

Our conversion factors use the standard 3/16” grout joint size to calculate the amount of tile for an order, and we always recommend that you order 15-20% overage or attic stock to ensure that you don’t run out of tile. If you choose to proceed with a smaller grout joint than we recommend, we strongly advise you to add an additional 2-3% overage to the recommended 15-20% to cover cuts and waste.

If you want to be on the extra safe side, don’t hesitate to add a little more to your order. Tile layout circumstances vary widely and all calculations are estimates, so we can’t always guarantee you will have enough tile for your unique installation.

Have a look at this beautiful bathroom by Claire Thomas in our 3x9 tiles below for reference. You can see that for the parquet pattern, the grout line is not significantly larger than the vertically stacked pattern next to it; the size of the grout line just gives the tile the right amount of room to create a clean, even parquet.

It's important to remember that because our tiles are handmade with recycled materials, they’re not modular; with handmade tiles, sizing is variable. A wider grout line may be required in certain patterns for the width of the tile to fit within the length of the tile.

Whether you’re installing your tile yourself or working with an installer, it’s important to review our Tile Specification and Installation Guides as grout lines vary between our materials. Read more about what grout lines we recommend for our different materials here.

Below is an installation of 2x6 tiles set in a herringbone pattern. If you look closely you can see that the grout line varies between roughly a 3/16 and 1/8 grout line to adjust to the tile size. The 3/16 grout line is by no means thick and leaves a perfect amount of room for the natural variation of the size of the tiles.

This is also an example of a very clean, well-done installation. When looking for a tile installer, be sure to ask if they have experience with installing handmade tile to ensure you're happy with the final result.

You can see in the bathroom floor install below that grout lines had to be expanded to accommodate a timeless subway tile parquet pattern.

Grout lines can be an elemental part of your design in the best way–not only are they good for your tile, but they’re also a great way to show off the pattern of your choosing. If you've opted to go for a pattern like herringbone, parquet, or basketweave, make sure to keep the grout line in mind.

If you’re worried about the pattern being too bold with a wider line, just go for a grout color that most closely matches the color tile you've chosen. Using tonal grout can help disguise wide grout lines or joints that are slightly different sizes.

Have more questions about grout? Learn how to choose the right grout size for your tile here, or discover how to choose the right grout color for your tile here. But most importantly, know that we're here to help and advise you if you have any questions along the way!