There are three basic types of grout available for your tile installation. They are:
- Non-Sanded (also known as Unsanded)
- Sanded
- Epoxy
Choosing the correct grout for your particular installation will not only complete the job correctly, it will also cut down on maintenance. Properly installed and sealed grout will last for the life of your tile. So which to use and when?
Non-Sanded (or Unsanded) Grout
Unsanded grout is made specifically for grout lines smaller than 1/8 inch wide. This is a general rule. I use unsanded grout only in tile with grout lines smaller than 1/16″. Unsanded grout (all grout to different degrees) will shrink as it cures. The reason for only using it in smaller grout lines is the wider the grout lines, the more grout must be used to fill them. The more grout you have, the more it will shrink. If you try to fill grout lines that are too large the grout will shrink enough to pull away from the sides of the tile.
Unsanded grout is easier to work with, especially on vertical surfaces such as a shower wall, because it is “stickier” than the sanded variety. You can spread it onto the wall and it will stick there while you force it into the grout lines. It is also much easier on the hands than sanded. Although it is easier to work with, you need to make sure that the application for which you are using it is correct.
Sanded Grout
Sanded Grout is used for any size grout lines 1/8″ and wider. Although the specifications state unsanded grout be used in grout lines that are exactly 1/8″, you really should use sanded for them. It will ensure proper adhesion to your tile and guard against too much shrinkage. No, not Seinfeld shrinkage, grout shrinkage.
Sanded grout has fine sand added to it. This prevents the grout from shrinking too much as it cures. That’s why it is used for larger grout lines and should be used for the majority of tile installations.
If you have a polished stone such as granite, marble, limestone, and some polished travertine, you should be careful about using sanded grout. While sanded may be the correct choice for the size of grout lines, it may not be the best choice. Depending upon the polish of the stone the sand in the grout may actually scratch it. If you decide to use sanded make sure you test it in an inconspicuous area first to ensure it will not scratch your finish. Or use epoxy which would be a better choice anyway.
Epoxy Grout
Epoxy grout is the top of the line and best choice for any tile application. It can be substituted for sanded or unsanded grout. It is more sturdy than both as well as being waterproof and stain resistant.
Epoxy is a two or three part chemical consisting of the base and the activator. With some brands the color is an additional part that must be added. Once the parts are mixed a chemical reaction begins. From that point, depending on the brand of epoxy, you have only a limited amount of time to get everything grouted before the grout becomes stiff enough to be unworkable. When it reaches that point, if you do not have everything grouted you are SOL.
To help slow the cure time you can mix your epoxy then put half of it in the freezer. The cold air will slow the chemical reaction and lengthen the working time. You can then work with the other half until it is all used. Clean it up, wipe everything down, then grab the second half out of the freezer and finish up. When you first pull it out of the freezer it will be, well, frozen. It thaws quickly, though, so should be workable within a few minutes. This essentially doubles the working time of your grout and ensures you don’t have to rush through it.
Since most epoxy grouts do not contain sand (or at least not in the classic sense of sand) it will normally not scratch your tile. If you have highly polished granite or marble that’s important. Be sure to test first anyway!
Different brands of epoxy have different working times as well as some being more difficult to work with than others. The brand with which I have had the most luck and the only brand I ever use is SpectraLOCK from Laticrete. It has a longer working time than any other epoxy grout (at least any I’ve ever used) and is virtually stain proof. Please don’t take that to mean the you can grout a jacuzzi with it, fill it with cherry kool-aid, and expect it not to be pink (Don’t do that). It just means that for all intents and purposes it will not stain without concerted effort. In my opinion it is the best on the market.
The only drawback of epoxy grout would be the price. It is fairly expensive. When weighed against the upside, however, it is well worth it. Low maintenance demands and high durability of epoxy grout make it well worth the money.
Picking the correct grout for your application is a key part of a proper tile installation. If you choose incorrectly you could end up with a multitude of problems and headaches. Grout, chosen and installed correctly, will complete your tile installation and push it from a good tile job to a great one. Do not underestimate the power of the grout.
Hi FloorElf,
I am doing kitchen backsplash with 3”x12” glass tiles and 1/16 grout lines. http://www.lowes.com/pd_526283-93840-20-677_0__?productId=50122097
What kind of grout do you recommend for this glass tile: Laticrete 1600 unsanded, Laticrete Spectralock Pro Premium or something else?
Thank you,
Hi Bill,
Either of those would be fine. The spectralock would be stain-resistant, which is a better option for a kitchen.
Hi Roger, 2 quick questions… 1) I am about to grout my shower, and I’m wondering if you would recommend the urethane grout. I have the 7 days to let it cure, and I’d rather not use the epoxy. I’ve used the epoxy grout before and it is a pain in the butt! Also, it is a shower in a cabin, so it won’t be used every single day
2) how in the heck do you grout in the cubbies I built? You can’t get a full float back there, do they make a smaller float?
Hi Bob,
1. Yes, the urethane grout will work just fine provided the correct curing time.
2. Smaller float, or your fingers.
has anybody tried laticrete plasma grout??
Yes. It’s a good grout. Do you have a specific question about it?
Hi Roger!
I’ve been enjoying reading your site! Do you have any thoughts/opinions on urethane grout? I read that it is more flexible than traditional and epoxy grout. Is it more stain resistant than traditional?
Also, on the subject of choosing grout: Are there any special considerations for glass tile?
Hi Laura,
Urethane grout is more stain resistant, not necessarily more flexible for movement purposes. Evey type of glass tile is different, the manufacturer will have recommended grouts for it. I would follow them.
Hi Roger,
Thanks for all of your help.
I used granite tiles on the floor and didn’t do a great job mixing the tile at install (areas of dark tiles and areas of light tiles). Will a darker or lighter grout lessen how noticeable the groups are?
For example, it is a grey/black/white tile. Grey would blend in perfectly while a black grout would emphasize the grout joints.
Thanks in advance.
Matt
Hi Matt,
Probably not. You’ll have 1/8″ (or whatever size) grout line surrounding 144 square inches of tile. It won’t make that much of a difference. A darker grout would likely work better because your eye would be drawn to the grout line more than the tile at first, but it’ll still be noticeable.
To whom it may concern .
I would like to purchase :
Grouts
I need you to email me back with the various types and pricing you stock at the moment . Awaiting to hear from you soon .
Regards
Roger,
First, nice article on waterproofing the tub walls — very easy to understand; great job here!
Second, the contractor just remove the existing wall during renovation that seems to consist of drywall and plaster. I was a bit disappointed that they remove the plaster walls above the tub.
Third, is plaster (seems like cement board) better or less or the same as the cement board?
Fourth, would it be overkill to put the 4 mils plastic, regular drywall (1/2) and then 0.42 inch hardibacker plus Red Gard. 2 asks:
– is it ok to use regular Drywall or needs to be replaced with hardibacker? 2 layers due to the stud locations
– with additional 4 mils plastic, can it cause less air circulation that may cause mildew/mold in the future? especially there will be R-13 insulation since one of the bathroom facing outside?
Thanks a bunch, Justin
Hi Roger,
My flooring is black leather finish limestone. (1) To cut costs, is there any major disadvantage in using sanded grout (for eg. Laticrete -500 series) instead of epoxy? (2) what is best grout to use for same tiles in terrace area exposed to rain and heat (of India); can we use epoxy here – i read somewhere that weather exposure can cause epoxy to become yellow over time – (3) what is the difference between Laticrete spectralock and Latapoxy SP 100
Floor Elf,
I want to use the epoxy grout in my bathroom but it says it can’t be exposed to water for 3 days! If I had more than one bathroom that would be fine. Any suggestions to help speed this project up without messing it up? I’m not sure my coworkers would appreciate the camping for a week perfume
Thanks and I love this site!
Los Angeles, California.
I would like to dance on my floor and make my tile floor as smooth as possible. I would guess use an epoxy and make it as flush with the tile floor as possible?
Hi what would we use for a tumbled travertine (not polished and has fossil type character and holes in it) kitchen backsplash with 1/8 joints? We bought sanded but the local hardware store said probably unsanded.
Hi Bethany,
I would use sanded grout on that.
What grout should i use on travertine with 3/16″ wide grout lines? Not polished and not worried about finish. Worried about cracking and longevity of floor.
Thank
Hi Lee,
Regular sanded grout.
We just had a River Rock floor installed in our shower. They’re not “flat” rocks like some of the tile that I’ve seen. We liked the natural look of the rocks. However, our installer warned us that the grout between the rocks would be large and that I may have some grout issues (that it may not last very long). In his defense, he’d never worked with this type of flooring and sure enough, the grout is coming apart in chunks only 2 weeks after installation. We love the look and feel of the rock floor, what can we do? Is epoxy grout the answer? Do we have to tear apart the entire floor and start from scratch?
Hi Dan,
Epoxy would definitely work, as will a really good grout (I’m guessing here – purely a guess…), polyblend from home depot is not the proper grout.
You do need to ensure that the rocks around the cracking portions are securely bonded and that isn’t the problem. It’s difficult to get round rocks securely bonded and supported.
Hi Roger, I have large marble tile on my shower walls with 1/8″ grout lines, and 12×12 marble floor tile with 1/16″ grout lines. Which type of grout would you recommend for each installation? Thanks
Hi Steve,
I would actually use either spectralock or regular sanded grout on both. Be sure to check the sanded grout on a scrap piece of marble first if you go that route to ensure it won’t scratch it.
What are your thoughts or recommendations on the new grout called TEC Power Grout in the dry form (not premixed)…..from Lowes……thank you
Hi Greg,
It’s really a great grout. Works very well.
Lowe’s quit handling spectralok couple of years ago. I called spectralok and they gave me dealer in my area. It’s the best grout on the market, in my opinion.
Hi Mark,
I have white marble bathroom floor, and have removed the old grout and cleaned the floor.
I found your website, and decided you knew what you were talking about with regard to Spectralock product.
Although SpectraLOCK from Laticrete, is listed as being available at Lowe’s, it is not available there.
The bathroom is a 7×7 powder room……and I am not sure exactly what product size I need….or where to purchase from. I need “Grouting for Dummies”, and hope that you can help me…as I would like to finish before Thanksgiving! I also do not know what type of sealer to use.
I imagine I would need to hire someone to come in and polish it as over the years , it has become pretty scratched. Don’t know if I could handle the polishing.
Great blog by the way, and thanks for all of the information!
Kathie J
Hi Kathie,
You can order it online. For that size of bathroom (if your tiles are 12×12) you should only need one mini-unit.
Your opinion on Acrylic grout vs. Fusion grout?
Hi Gloria,
They are identical. Fusion is an acrylic grout.
My contractor told me un-sanded grout was for the walls and sanded was for the floors because sanded was rougher?
Hi Curous,
That’s bullshit – find a new contractor, one who knows what he’s doing.
Hi Roger,
Two questions for you:
1. If using the epoxy option for grout, how do you get different colors for example with the SpectraLOCK epxoy grout?
2. If using expoxy is it NOT necessary to use a sealer then? (such as the miracle 511 impregnator)
Thanks in advance!
Your site and articles are extremely helpful! Thanks for sharing your expertise with all us DIYer’s!
-Greg
Edit to my question 1:
1. I see now (after re-reading your article) that you must add color for epoxy, is that the case for the SpectraLOCK or is SpectraLOCK sold in different colors?
Also quick google search says Lowes carries spectralock which would be really convenient if so!
Thanks,
Greg
Hi Greg,
1. I don’t really understand this question – spectralock comes in different colors (part c) just like regular grout.
2. Not for the grout, you may need it for stone if you’re installing that, though.
Ok, so I have random grout line widths – the minimum is 1/16″ (based upon the blade I used to scrape them with) – and they go up from there. I’m guessing the widest is 3/16″. It looks like the tiles were attached using their little nubbins as spacers instead of actual spacers, sort of, maybe.
I bought grout before measuring those lines and it’s sanded. I see now that maybe I should’ve bought unsanded because they are so narrow? Or maybe it won’t really matter? Am I in for trouble?
(BTW: we recently-ish moved to MD from FtC. There are days we’re pretty darn homesick!)
Hi Margaret,
Sanded grout is what you want, it’ll work fine in the smaller spaces as well.
Why would you EVER move from FtCo???
Based on your recommendations, I have used SpectraLock on many of my recent tile projects. At this point, I would not consider using anything else given my results. However I just learned that it is no longer carried at Lowes. I’ve looked at the Laticrete website and all the locations listed within 100 miles of my location are all still shown as Lowes.
I know I can order it online at Amazon. But my interior design consultant (wife) would like to see (insists on seeing) the actual Part C color options. While there are charts online, the colors on a computer monitor are often not accurate reproductions of the actual colors.
Any ideas on how I can allow her to see the actual color choices while not holding up the project for another few weeks?
Thanks
Hi Mark,
Contact laticrete and tell them you need grout samples. They’ll send you the sample chips.
It worked! I used a Makita 20 oz caulk gun, Permacolor grout in 12.5 lb batches. My hands are sore but still working. You can only fill the tube 4 times before the grout gets too thick & wash tube immediately. Went back and floated it. Now the next project is a laundry room floor. Time to get your book out! Thank You!
Good to hear Randy.
Hey Floor Elf,
I would like to tile my VW camper van floor with these rounded 1″ tiles (http://www.builderelements.com/tile/mosaic-tile/porcelain-pebble-tile/3243.html). Given that the space between each tile varies and that it might need to be somewhat flexible to account for bumpy rides, what type of grout would you reccommend?
Thanks for all your advice! You rock!
Hi Candice,
I would look for a urethane-based grout. It’s not necessarily flexible, but it solidifies the installation for what you need. I would also place a membrane of some sort beneath them to compensate for any movement flexibility you may need. Redgard would be a good solution for that.