Although 1 16 of an inch may seem unimportant for example on a 12 tile it represents a 50 variation in a grout joint 1 8 inch wide.
													
																	Medium size tile bond pattern shower wall tile grout sizing. 
									
	
		
	
																	Finished grout lines will vary from 1 16 to 3 16. 
																	Though if you re tiling a closet sized shower a medium size tile such as 4 x 8 and 6 x 8 could work better for the floor larger tiles square hexagon or rectangular with tighter and fewer grout lines can similarly make a room seem more open. 
																	Tile patterns one size pattern tile size percent a 4. 
																	Actual finished grout spaces will vary from 1 8 to 1 4 if 3 16 spacers are used. 
															
													
									
	
		
	
																	If midsize tile fits better with your design consider plank size or a 4 x 4 or smaller wet application tile as the bathroom and shower floor. 
																	Nominal centerline of all joints shall be straight with due allowances for hand molded or rustic tiles. 
																	This is a twist on the basic offset pattern where each tile s edge is only offset by one third of the width of the tile above or below. 
																	Tile size percent a 6 x24 100 running bond brick. 
															
													
									
	
		
	
																	Even small variations can throw off the pattern of the tile if adjustments are not made in the grout joint. 
																	Medium sized grout line widths 1 8 to 1 4 inch require the use of sanded grout and are typically featured when moderate size variation occurs among the tiles or when tiles with lugs are used. 
																	For tile having a total variation of 1 6 inch in facial dimensions a minimum of 3 16 inch grout joint shall be used. 
																	This thickness leaves room for the natural variation in size and the perfectly imperfect edges of handmade tile. 
															
													
									
	
		
	
																	If smaller spacers like 1 8 are used it will accentuate the size difference of handmade tile. 
																	Especially in a small shower a larger white tile can make it feel less cramped. 
																	Tcna recommends a minimum 1 8 grout joint for rectified tile and minimum 3 16 grout joint for calibrated tile. 
																	For example if the edge warping of a rectified tile is 1 32 the minimum grout joint is 1 8 1 32 5 32. 
															
													
									
	
		
	
																	This will help to visually stretch every inch of the room. 
																	For shower walls generally it is best to use larger tiles from 4 inch by 4 inch tiles on upward to large format tiles in the 15 inch by 30 inch range. 
																	Note that using the smallest grout possible will increase installation time. 
																	From a visual standpoint tile smaller than 4 inches square creates a busy appearance.