Friday, August 3, 2007

Grout

OK, I have to get the depressing post off the front page, so to speak.

I have spent several hours during the past few days, installing a ceramic shower in our basement. Tonight, I finished the grout. Adding grout (what is the verb for this? Grouting? maybe) is a pain in the butt.

It is also a pain in the hands since it is basic. I should know better. I'm a chemist, and I know exactly what a caustic substance will do to my skin (i.e. turn some of it into soap). However, I didn't wear gloves. After a couple days of this, my skin is dry and it feels funny.

My hands feel like when I'm using a base bath and the elbow length glove springs a small leak in one of the fingers and the glove fills up with base bath. That's always a lot of fun.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

(to) grout is the verb ;-) That´s at least what leo says...

Ψ*Ψ said...

Grouting is definitely a pain. My sympathies.

Anonymous said...

From a former glue geek who now works for a grout (and thinset) mfr.:

You don't "grout" grout-- you "float" it.

And, yes, it can be a bit stiff. You can usually spot a tile setter by the size of his forearms.