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 Roger, I have 6×6 tumbled edge travertine tile on my bath floor, it’s very porous, I also want to install it in my shower/steam room, I bought the spectralock grout, is that going to work ok with travertine natural stone? Someone told me the natural stone is too soft and not recommended with epoxy grout, is that a false claim? What is the best way to seal the travertine ? Before grouting or before and after? Thanks.
Hi Gary,
Spectralock is just fine with natural stone – your travertine included. Travertine, however, should really not be used in a steam shower because it is so porous.The steam will infuse moisture into the stone itself which may not be able to get out because water molecules, once the steam condenses inside the stone, are larger than steam molecules. Well, the molecules themselves aren’t larger, but once condensed to water it is more difficult to dissipate when trapped in stone. Steam gets into the stone much easier than water will get out.
Hi Roger,
A contractor tiled our bathroom–all of the tile is up–along with a marble mosaic around the shower. It’s just awaiting grout, but today we were put on hold for yet another week. This was initially a 3 day job, it’s been 2+ weeks. My husband wants to grout it, and I’ve read about the epoxy grout you mentioned. Do you think the largest challenge is getting the grout consistency correct? He’s installed tile before on a bathroom floor, surely that was sanded. Thanks for any thoughts from your end.
Anne
Hi Anne,
Epoxy grout presents many challenges. The correct consistency is actually the least of them since everything is pre-measured. The working time and getting all the excess off the tile are the two biggest. With mosaics it both uses a LOT of grout and presents challenges to get the excess off without digging into the grout lines. It can be done just fine by diy’ers, it just takes careful attention to detail.
1: Love your site.
2: Have you ever used SpectraLock on grout joints of 1/32″? The minimum spec on the packaging is 1/16″ so it raised a flag. We are installing natural polished marble in a very high traffic area. Any input would be helpful!
Hi LC,
Yes, I have. It works fine. You just have to be VERY adamant about getting the grout lines full as you grout. It’s easy to just get it into the very top of the grout line creating a ‘bridge’ which is hollow beneath. As long as you get the grout lines full it works just fine.
Roger,
I just finished with my wall tile in my shower and plan on using your recommendation of Spectralok. All my grout joints and change of planes and even where tile meet the cultured marble base are 1/8″ gaps. One of my two questions is do I still need to seal my grout after using this product? And question two, do I caulk the 1/8″ gap between the wall tile and the cultured marble base, or leave it empty for water to drain back into the base if and when water gets behind the tile/grout? Thanks for this forum it’s very helpful.
Hi Levi,
No, you do not need to seal your grout when using spectralock. You do caulk (silicone) the gap between the tile and cultured marble base, but you need to leave weep holes for water to drain.
Hi Roger
I have a 3 sided ceramic wall shower with a shelf cutout and a acrylic Base. After my contractor finished I caulked the lower join. Shortly after the caulking shrivelled up and peeled off. I checked the remaining grout and its unsanded… My joins are 1/4″, even 1/2″ around the shelf and the grout is cracking away from the tile. This is the grout he specifically asked for… Go figure.. I want to re-grout and seal the lower join to the base. What is the best way to tackle this? I was thinking of taking it down with steel wool about 1/16 – 1/8″ and regrouting with epoxy spectralok. But I would like to get it right this time and I’m open to suggestions. Thanks.. Excellent blog by the way, and Merry Christmas!!!
Hi Jon,
The existing grout will need to be removed (normally scraped out) to 2/3 the depth of the tile before new grout can be installed, even epoxy. Any changes of plane, that includes around the shelf and the tile to base connection, needs to be siliconed, not grouted. If grouted there it will just crack out again.
I have a new shower that is tile and only a year old. the grout corners are cracking. I took out the old grout and found gaps in the corners up to 1/4″. the grout used is a colored grout from flextile. I think the gaps in the corner ate too wide, how do I fix that oor what grout do I use that won’t crack in the w winter?
Hi Tony,
That is a bit large, but they need to be filled with 100% silicone. The colored grout is acrylic and will lose elasticity over time, which causes it to come unbonded from the tile. Silicone will remain flexible.
Hi. I am reading about the epoxy grout in your blog because this is the second time I have the kitchen floor re-grouted. This is a brand new kitchen and we just had installed the floor. The first guy after installation did not seal the grout. After a few weeks I had spots on the grout that could not be removed. The second guy re-grouted the floor and seal it. After only two weeks I have stains that cannot be removed.
I have always asked for good quality grouts that are easy to clean. The current grout in my kitchen floor comes out whenever I try to clean a spot on the grout. The paper towel becomes the color of the grout…it is porous but it has been sealed…which is not working anyway. Now for my other project I am tired to constantly pay people for poor work. I asked to buy a very good quality that doesn’t stain easily. I wonder why the workers have not proposed that to me…
Anyway I have asked the contractor if he knows how to install epoxy grout and he said yes, but he also said that it will be more money because it takes more time and doesn’t clean that easy. Can you please tell me if there is any difference in the installation of regular grout and epoxy one? I am tired to deal with issues all the time.
Hi Raffaella,
Yes, I charge much more for installation of epoxy grout than I do regular grout. It is much more difficult to work with, requires knowledge and experience to do it correctly. The epoxy also costs much more than regular grout. It is worth it, but yes, you will pay more for it.
Thank you so much for replying and answering my question.
Roger,
All of the information that you have on the website is very helpful. i have a question about the different types of Spectralock. I noticed that Lowes carries a brand of Spectralock where I live (Portland Or) but it does not look like Spectralock Pro. Looks like I will need to go to a distributor or online to get Spectralock Pro or Spectralock Pro Premium. Should i go for Spectralock Pro vs the Lowes variety
Hi Bob,
The Lowe’s version is the regular spectralock pro, even though it doesn’t say so. Go ahead and use it, it’s good stuff.
Roger,
Again, thanks for this most excellent resource. The only thing better would be if you were in Missoula, Montana to do the work! Anyway, here is my question, have you heard of or ever worked with the product called TEC Power Grout? It claims to offer permanent stain resistance, crack resistance and uniform color and is backed by a limited lifetime warranty. I went to my local tile store and was wanting to order Spectralock and they suggested I take a look at this product. Thanks.
Nik
Hi Nik,
Power grout is a good grout. It does what it says it does. I prefer the spectralock, but power grout is definitely a comparable product for those purposes.
I have a problem in a restaurant; the hot water moping (to get the grease off the floor) seems to be leaking through the floor.. from the floor of the kitchen to the adjacent wall in the hallway, rotting the baseboards. Can I use epoxy grout between the floor tiles?
Hi Ken,
Yes you can, but it likely won’t solve the problem unless you have base cove tiles along the wall around the perimeter. They are required in most hospitality structures. If there is the yes, you can use epoxy.
Roger – Most DIY sites say when installing substrate for a tub surround to bring it down to no more than 1/4″ of the tub to prevent wicking and then filling in the gap with silicone caulk. Pictures that illustrate the point are typically not clear enough to see if the 1/4″ is between the substrate and the top of the tub flange or between the substrate and the horizontal surface of the tub from which the flange rises. Which is it? Thanks.
Hi Ron,
I have no idea, because most diy sites hire writers who WRITE for a living, not install tile for a living. I will say anyone who places a 1/4″ bead of silicone on anything at all has no idea what the hell they’re doing. That is huge – and wrong.
If you have a proper substrate (backerboard) and it is properly waterproofed wicking is not something you need to worry about. Gravity is more powerful than capillary action. Backerboard will not wick a significant amount of water from a tub to do anything at all. That, coupled with the fact that YOUR SUBSTRATE WILL BE WET ANYWAY leads me to believe that whomever is writing these has no idea how fluid dynamics work in a shower. Tile and grout are not waterproof, water will get behind the tile and into the substrate (unless you have topical waterproofing). The pressure of gravity pulling down on five feet of surface water behind your tile will negate any upward pressure of wicking from the bottom of the backer. It’s just not going to be an issue.
Or, the short answer – likely from the tub arm, but you don’t want to fill it with silicone as you would block the needed drainage from your membrane on the wall.
Thanks, Roger. Your answer makes sense to me. Seems that what those others recommend is analogous to putting a bunch of locks on the door to a room, and if anyone succeeds in breaking into the room, having a bunch of obstacles inside the room to prevent them from exiting it. Sounds like a recipe for rot.
We had a tile shower installed about two months ago. We are noticing some small cracks at the right angles. We have contacted the contractor from this job regarding the issue. What would you suggest for fixing this issue?
Hi Drew,
Installing silicone at all changes of plane rather than grout.
Roger,
Thanks for the help. I am not quite sure what you are saying. When I speak with the contractor what should I ask them to do that will be the best solution? The cover the length of two tiles where the walls meett. Previously the contractor used Polyblend 1/16 grout.
The changes of plane need silicone. Any place the wall changes directions or meets the floor it needs to be siliconed rather than grouted. Silicone can compensate for differential movement, grout can not – it will crack. But you knew that part already.
Hi Roger,
First of all I would like to say thanks for all of the helpful information that you have been posting. This is a great site for the “try to be” DIY’ers like myself. I am currently remodeling my master. The tile I have purchased is all porcelain and I have been looking at the Laticrete Pro Premium epoxy grout. Which made me feel much better with your comments on Laticrete’s epoxy grout. All of the info for their epoxy says that it is for use with ceramic and stone ect., but never refers to porcelain. Is this something that is understood or should I look for a different brand that would be compatible? If so, do you have any recommendations. Thanks
Again
Hi Jamie,
Porcelain tile IS ceramic. It simply gets a porcelain label if it is baked twice (makes it denser) and meets the absorption requirement for porcelain tile. Spectralock works fine on porcelain.
Roger,
I am about to install 8×16 travertine tile in a pin wheel pattern around 4x4s. The travertine is not consistent in thickness. Can you suggest an installation process that will eliminate lipage? What grout joint size would you recommend? Will any of the tile leveling systems help?
Thanks
Gene
Hi Gene,
You can place additional backer behind the thinner tile (like ditra), use a medium-bed mortar or use a leveling system (they all work). Grout joint size is determined by the consistency of your tile.
What thin set or adhesion and grout would you recommend for a mosaic project that will remain outside year round in the elements. Live in West Texas. Thanks so much Susan
Hi Susan,
I would go with Laticrete 255 multi-max or 4XLT as your thinset and spectralock if you are using a lighter color, or regular cementitious grout if you have a dark color. Direct sunlight can cause havoc with uv rays and discoloration in darker epoxies.
I have asked the tile guy to use nonsanded spectralock on my marble bath. I have grey carrarra marble on the shower and picture framing floor.
The floor itself is white carrarra basketweave with grey dots. I was thinking a delorean grey grout but my concern is the white marble being stained with grey grout. I assume they should seal stone in bath prior to grout, will this be enough to keep the white carrarra from staining?
Hi Pamela,
The thing that stains stones and tile int he grout are the pigments. The sand in specralock is the pigment – it doesn’t have normal pigments in it. There is no such thing as unsanded spectralock.
I am doing a subway tile backsplash:
– 3×6 ceramic tiles
– 1/16″ grout lines
– mastic
– primed and painted “green board” substrate
1. Anything I could do differently before I install the tile?
2. I have had trouble determining the trowel size for this application — suggestions?
The main question I have, though, is about epoxy grout. The “kool aid test” post convinced me that I wanted epoxy grout, and the “this isn’t the grout I fell in love with, but I’ll get used to it” post has me pausing to reconsider. Other sources (books, which may be outdated — from the late 2000s time frame) have me shaking in my boots (well, I’m not actually wearing boots and I’m not actually shaking, though I feel like I should be).
– Is it a good choice for my project? (are 1/16″ grout lines too small? Does it work well on a wall?)
– Is it a good choice for a fist timer? (I do all sorts of other things, just haven’t done tile yet)
– Is the SpectraLock that Lowes sells the same as the old stuff? The same as the new stuff? It doesn’t say “Pro” or “Pro Premium” – as far as I can tell it just says SpectraLOCK on the bucket.
– Should I just use regular grout and seal it instead?
Hey Steve,
1. Nope, you have everything you need.
2. Use a 1/4″ x 1/4″ v-notch (or u-notch) trowel for that.
The spectralock works a hell of a lot better than ANY epoxy grout which existed 12 years ago, even the original spectralock (the new stuff is the fourth incarnation, I believe). The only reason I stated that about the new stuff is that I was simply use to the old stuff. People who never used the old stuff love the new stuff, and I’m actually beginning to. If given the option I would absolutely use spectralock for that.
Thanks Roger. I think I’m going to revert back to using an unsanded grout with a brown tint versus beige. I’ll save the epoxy idea for another project.
Hi Roger, I am a novice tiler and recently tiled my kitchen backsplash with a mosaic mutli colored glass/marble/stone tile that has varying heights per piece making up each 12X12 tile (I would guess an 1/8in. variance). I want to preserve the non-grout look and came across your site when searching for clear grout. Do you think the expoxy clear grout will work well with this type of tile given the difference in multiple piece heights? Also, do I need to seal the stone tile pieces before using expoxy?
I used the double sided adhesive sheets to adhere the tiles to the wall. Today, some of the tiles had fallen down. Should this be a concern prior to grouting? Will the grout secure the tiles and negate them from loosening/falling once the project is complete?
Hi CW,
The grout will NOT hold tile in place. It needs to be held in place by bonding it to the substrate, which is why I use thinset. If the mat isn’t doing that you may want to change it.
I know of no such thing as clear epoxy grout. To my knowledge no such thing exists.
Do you have any thoughts about the Fusion Pro grout from custom building products? I am thinking about using it for a shower, planning to have 1/8 inch grout lines.
Hi Kevin,
Sorry for the delay, been out of town at the new Schluter facility all week.
The only thing I can say is that you need to ENSURE that you wait the required cure time on the bucket before exposing it to water (by using the shower).
Hi again! I sed spectralock epoxy grout, but now that my grout guy is done, I see two issues. The first is that there is a lot of haze on the tiles. How can this be taken off? Its not ss noticeable on the white wall tiles, but the brownish floor tiles aee textured slightly and it shows up. The second problem is he didn’t grout the line around the drainn! Should I waste an entire expensive bucket of laticrete, or use regular grout here, or use brown silicone? Thank you so much!
Hi Joel,
You said spectralock when, about what, in reference to…??? If you don’t reply to that particular question or answer as instructed above the comment box I have absolutely no idea to what you may be referring. I answer around 50 questions a day – I don’t memorize all of them.
In regards to the current issues: The haze should have been removed as the grout was installed. If it wasn’t then it was done improperly, as was the drain. If possible you really should have your contractor come back and clean up his mess. I realize that isn’t always possible, though. You can try a 50-50 mix of white vinegar and water and a white scrub pad. If that doesn’t remove it then you should be able to pick up an epoxy grout haze remover at any big box store, just follow the directions.
As for your drain it really should be epoxy, but regular grout will work fine. You do not want to put silicone there, it won’t last long.
Oh bummer. I was afraid you were going to say all that you did say.
I’ll try the vinegar trick. I’ve been using a green scrounge pad and it has been taking off the haze (used a razor blade for thicker spots), but it sure does use a lot of elbow grease, too. I’ll try the white pad and white vinegar, though.
I’ll have to send you pics: my wife made me tile clear to the ceilings, so there was a LOT of tiling, and a LOT of grouting. We used over twelve pails of white grout and 7 pails of brown grout, I think. Lost track after a while: too much chocolate milk. Nearly cost as much as the tile did. LOL. I guess since I’ve gone this far with it, what’s another pail of Spectralock to add to the cost?
If I were to measure it all out instead of mixing an entire bucket, how long would the remainder keep, if at all? How would we keep the liquids good: are ziplock bags good enough?
Ok, so my questions are:
1) How long will unused unmixed Spectralock epoxy grout keep,
2) Are ziplock baggies good enough for that purpose?
3) When you said “White scrub pad” did you mean a white pad like the green pads, or, did you mean those white “magic eraser” pads?
3) Since it is epoxy grout, I don’t need to seal any of it, do I?
4) How do I tell if I need to seal the floor tile? The wall tile is Daltile Carrara white ceramic tile, and the floor tile is brownish semi-textured Marazi Granite Graphite which is a glazed Porcelain. And finally the last question:
5) I can’t seem to upload pics. I think your upload page is full? Am I doing something wrong? Again?
Thanks for the great advice! I’ll try to get pics sent to show others what you helped me do!
Ziplock bags are fine if you keep them in a dark, cool place.
1. It will stay usable for about a year or so, perhaps a bit longer.
2. Yes.
3. No
4. Sealing never hurts, but normally porcelains that are glazed or glazed ceramics don’t need it.
5. Upload page seems to be working fine now. Don’t know why it didn’t before.
Hi Roger,
Your blog is amazing! Thank you for taking the time to write it. My question is related to grout color. I cannot find anywhere the color that I need (want) for my glass mosaics in the kitchen as I want the grout to match the other walls color, pale blue (not baby blue). I heard you can make your own custom color using pigments on bright white grout and wanted to get your opinion and product recommendation to do this. I have searched everywhere online for pigments and all I can find are for concrete.
Thank you!
MC
Hi MC,
concrete pigments are the same thing. If you can find the shade of blue you want get it and add it to white thinset.
Hi Roger,
Ok I agree from what i’ve read online that Spectralok is supposedly the best and easiest to use. Having a hard time finding it in my area, may have to order it in from an online store.
Someone locally told me that TEC Power grout is supposedly just as good as Spectralok but is some kind of modified sanded grout. From what I’ve read, there were problems with it when it first came out but they seem to be resolved; had to do with grout pigment bleeding out when it got wet after curing. Also, I’ve read that the TEC power grout has a glossy finish which I’m not sure I want in my bathroom.
Do you have any feedback or opinions on this product?
thanks,
I’ve used it, don’t care for it much. It does have a strange finish to it, but it works really weird too, not like regular grout. It’s a good grout, I just don’t care for it.
Would you say that Spectralok is easier to use?
For me it is, yes.
Roger,
I call on your expertise yet again! I mixed up some Laticrete 1500 sanded grout with the 1776 grout enhancer (12.5 lbs + 32 oz). It seemed very dry – like deck mud. When I put in on the tile wall, the adhesion left much to be desired. Any “not small” clumps would not stick to the wall and would fall onto the floor. It was an awful experience.
I didn’t want to add water to the mix, just because the 1776 says you’ll die if you do.
Is this the normal consistency?
Thank you for saving the day.
I do want to add that my grout lines are 1/8th inch.
It will feel a little dry and difficult to work with, but that sounds too dry to me. I would mix smaller batches and add just enough (more) admix to it to get it to feel and work more like grout.
I have SpectraLOCK Pro Premium epoxy grout but not the two cleaning additive packets. I cannot seem to find a place that sells those in small quantity. Is there some place you know of, or can I do without those? Can I do the cleanup after grouting with just water or vinegar and water?
Thanks
Hey Steve,
They aren’t sold separately. You can use just water, or vinegar and water, but cascade dishwasher powder works really, really well.