Craft Gossip

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Tips for Grout Issues from CMA

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This was in an email sent to members of CMA (Contemporary Mosaic Art) website…

A message to all members of CMA

CMA Member News Reporter

Submitted by Tricia Huffman

May 14, 2011

Grouting Continued..

Since this is the finishing touch to your hard work, I am expanding on the issue of grout issues from last report to address some questions that came to me as a result.
I went to the experts whom manufacture these products, with my questions about it; here is what they said. “Over mixing or adding too much water to the mix would indeed weaken the strength of the grout joint and cause pin-holes and possibly efflorescence. If mixed according to manufacture instructions, adding more dry grout would not be needed. ( Though some artists use this technique when water supplies are limited, and have claimed great success with it.)
As far as using pigment to over-colour cured, unsealed ,non-epoxy grout joints, he indicated that using dry (French) pigments mixed with a tiny amount of water would indeed be permanent, and would have the same effect as grout stains currently on the market .
The last issue to address this month would be efflorescence, which is a white, chalky haze that sometimes appears on grout after it has cured. Here is a list of some of the causes.
1. Too Much Water was used when grout was mixed.

2. Concrete substrate had not fully cured or had a moisture vapor issue prior to adhering mosaic.

3. Water used in mixing or cleaning the grout was high in chlorine or had a high mineral content.( Pond water or home water softeners and city water that is heavily chlorinated or has a high mineral content can contribute to efflorescence.)

4   Temperatures were too cold while grout was curing.

5. Grout joints were wiped excessively during initial cleanup.

6. Standing water was left in empty grout joints prior to
grouting.

7 Tile was especially dense and nonporous.

8 Grout was prematurely exposed to heavy amounts of water before it had a chance to cure.

Always consult manufacture instructions for your particular needs.

Have you read?

Book Review: The Festival of Lights

As if Diwali weren’t colorful and fun enough, The Festival of Lights: A Lift-the-flap Diwali Celebration by Namita Moolani Mehra, illustrated by Darshika Varm, makes it even more fun to read about with flaps and things to lift and pull to see more information or details in the illustrations. 

The book is a story about a family getting ready for Diwali and what happens on the different days of the five-day celebration. There’s cleaning, shopping, crafting, food preparation and getting the home altar ready for the big day. 

It covers decorating the outside of the house with rangoli, diyas and lanterns, buying sweets to share with family and friends, the sights and scents of the mandir (home temple), getting dressed up in new fancy clothes, the story of Diwali and celebrations with relatives.  

Flaps (there are more than 140 in all) give you vocabulary words for different foods and definitions, as well as fun things like what’s inside the shopping basket or where the cat is hanging out. They also help illuminate the story of Diwali, which is the triumph of good over evil as Lord Ram defeated the demon Ravana to save his wife, Sita. 

This pretty and colorful book helps kids understand what Diwali is and how it is celebrated, regardless of whether they practice it at home. This would be a nice book to keep in a classroom (it’s rated for kids ages 3-7) or to have at home to teach kids about Diwali even if it’s not something you celebrate. Where I live there are a lot of people from India so we are probably exposed to Diwali more than some other regions of America, but it’s a nice holiday to know about wherever you live. 

Combine with the book Diwali and check out some fun lantern crafts and printables for kids to round out your experience. 

About the book: 24 pages, hardcover, published 2025 by Wide Eyed Editions. Suggested retail prices $22.99.