Wood and tile question

Rob, I’m no expert on this, but I think you need to seal the wood that would come in contact with the grout. I’m thinking you should use shellac. Not much grout should touch the wood, I would think only the grout lines may. When you are ready to actually apply the grout to the tile, which if you are like, is very messy, you do want to mask off the wood.

I would do the wood finishing before grouting. Use blue painters tape to mask it off. Make sure the finish is good and dry first.

Hope this helps. I’m sure others will chime in.

-- Betsy - GO BUCKS!

I think Betsy must have seen me do one of my tile top tables. I usually use several coats of pure tung oil, followed by a coat of shellac. I tape off the edges with blue tape and apply the grout. After it dries, I sand off the shellac and apply several coats of tung oil/varnish mix.

-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com

I have done what you are talking about. The tung oil varnish (a couple coats at least) will be fine as long as you let it dry well. A couple of days depending on your humidity levels. Do mask off the frame prior to grouting. We will be expecting pictures when you are done. <bg>

-- If we learn from our mistakes, I'm getting a fantastic education.

When I combine tile& wood I usually use a colour matched caulking as a substitute for grout. Mapei makes a colour match for almost every grout that they produce, so I make my choice and head to Brolain Distributers for a tube. It cleans up nicely, and is less likely to bleed into the wood.

-- The only easy wood project is a fire

matched caulking would be a great alternative! Matter—- what’s the price difference?

-- Betsy - GO BUCKS!

Thanks for the tips everyone, I think I have my bearings now. I wasn’t even thinking of masking off the wood but I definitely will. And thanks for the Brolain recommendation Matter; I looked them up and wouldn’t you know it, they are right here in my hometown. How convenient is that!