Flooring Tile - Tumbled Tile - Grout Lines

I am tiling a kitchen countertop and backsplash with a porcelain tile that resembles a tumbled Venetian stone. My question is regarding the grout lines.

Should they be flush with the top surface of the tile or a little lower than the top? Lower gives me much cleaner grout lines, but I am assuming the whole reason for using a tumbled tile is to get the imperfect grout lines that come with that “look.”

Is this just a preference thing and I can go either way, or is the correct way to have the grout line meet flush with the top surface of the tile?

Thanks!!!!!!

-Steve

I was always taught to leave the grout as high as possible whille still retaining the asthetic value of the grout lines.

If the tile looks good leaving the grout hi if it looks better knocking it down a bit then do that then do it,as long as it does not cause any more problems either by way of looks or the grout joints now looking like troughs for water.

Is this a square edged tile?If so then leave them as high as you can without going over the top of the tile,if it has a bit of a pillow edge then knock it down a little.

Also you may consider sealing the tile before grouting to help witht the cleanup of ther grout in all those little crevices:cool: