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 there.What type of grout and sealant would you recommend for 2” inch mosaic hexagonal honed marble tile. It’s being installed in a bathroom floor. Also, do you recommend sealing the tile before or after grouting? Thanks!
Hi Em,
The type of grout depends on what attributes you are looking for: ease of cleaning, stain resistance, price point, etc. I normally use miracle 511 sealer on marble. I do it after I grout so the grout gets sealed as well.
My kitchen floor needs to be re grouted. I want to know if epoxy should be used to get a better adhesive. The old grout is sanded but it is splitting creating crevices between the tiles. Help!
Hi Deborah,
The issue is not your grout, it’s your floor. Depending on how and where your floor is cracking will determine what needs to be done to remedy it.
Please if anyone has ever regrouted their granite countertops, is it ok to use sanded grout Or will that scratch the granite
Hi Cwrose,
Yes, sanded grout can be used on granite countertops. Always test on a spare piece or in an inconspicuous place first, but it RARELY will scratch the granite itself.
Can I use sanded grout on granite countertops
Hi Cwrose,
Yes, sanded grout can be used on granite countertops. Always test on a spare piece or in an inconspicuous place first, but it RARELY will scratch the granite itself.
Hi Roger,
For our bathroom remodel, our contractor is installing honed Carrara marble 2″ hexagon on the floor and 3×6 Honed Carrara subway tiles in the shower as well as for wainscoting on bathroom walls. For the subway tiles, would you recommend 1/8″ or 1/16″ grout spacing, and can sanded grout be used for either? I’m concerned grout for the 1/16″ spacing may not hold up as well due to potential for “bridging”. Our contractor prefers using sanded grout, and we can test it for scratching, but is it generally better to avoid using sanded grout with honed marble?
Hi Lisa,
It really depends on the marble itself, and every batch is different. As a general rule it is best to use unsanded on marble, but sanded will work fine, provided the contractor knows how to avoid bridging in smaller grout lines. I would use 1/16″ on the walls, but opinions vary, it’s purely an aesthetic choice.
Hi Roger,
Thank you so much for your quick response! My gut was telling me 1/8″ is aesthetically too wide and though it’s what our contractor recommended, he is willing to go down to 1/16″ to keep me happy. With your input I now have more confidence in my decision, so I will go with 1/16″ spacing.
Hi Roger, also do you think epoxy grout is unnecessary in a kitchen backsplash?
And is it bad to use sanded grout for 3×6 subway tiles if we are to do them with 1/16 grout lines?
No, I do it all the time.
Hi Linda,
It never hurts, but it’s not necessary.
Hi Elf,
We are going to be putting in 3×9 subway tiles for our bath walls, wondering what size grout line and what type of grout you’d recommend? Also 8×36 wood floor tiles. Appreciate your input.
Hi Linda,
Provided the tile allows it I use 1/16″ on walls and 1/8″ on floors. I use sanded grout on both.
Thanks Roger. So you would do sanded grout for both but your preference would be epoxy grout over the sanded grout? Do you never use unsanded then unless even thinner?
Yes, my preference would be epoxy. Yes, I use unsanded on some grout lines and some tile, even though I absolutely hate it.
What type of grout should I use on polished marble Corinth? Just r ad directions on what the tile shop gave me and it says not for polished marble
Hi Debbie,
You need unsanded grout for polished marble.
If I am using spectralock to grout a shower do I still have to use caulk and the change of planes?
Hi Kat,
Maybe.
Read through this. Most of the time you do need to use silicone for changes of plane – all the other times – you should anyway.
This shower is about 8 months new. In the picture you can see there are some grout lines that appear “wet” even days after the shower has been used. At first the shpwer floor would dry out by evening time if a shower was taken in the morning. What could the issue be? Are the wet grout lines indicative of clogged weep holes? It was a pre slope, pan liner, and then another layer of deck mud on top of liner. Pebbles were used around the drain, so I’m wondering if some how some of the silicone from sealing the underside of the pan liner to the top of the bottom part of the drain was squeezed out when tightening the Top part of the drain down and therefore clogging some of the weep holes. Or could it be something else? Related to the grout? Any thoughts or ideas to fix it would be awesome. The shower floor was not sealed for probabaly a mo th after it was finished. And the shower was not used until a week after it was sealed. Thanks!
Hi Luke,
Even if one weep hole were clogged it wouldn’t cause that (the water will find it’s way around). It could be clogged weep holes – do you have really hard water? Is it actually wet grout, or just a discoloration?
We just had 12×24 polished marble installed in our master bath. The contractor used sanded grout on the floor and there are fine, superficial scratches on some of the tiles. We are having a stone cleaning/refinishing company come give us a price to polish out. Now, we’re starting on our second bathroom and I was originally going to use the same tile but switching to a polished porcelain tile to avoid the scratching issue we have with the marble.Question: Does polished porcelain tile scratch, too? Can we use sanded grout on the floor with this tile?
Hi Julie,
It depends on the finish of the porcelain. If it’s super shiny then you will likely see little micro-scratches if you use sanded grout. It will scratch, but it’s a LOT harder to scratch with sanded grout than marble is. The best thing to do is test out some sanded grout on a piece of the porcelain. If it scratches there are other options available grout-wise. Unsanded, urethane-based (pre-mixed), etc. There are plenty of options available. Test it first then go from there.
Hi, great article! We just got Indian Creek Slate (8×12) from Floor and Decor for our kitchen. I’m doing my research for good grout that will work with slate tile. As I understand we should use sanded grout since the tiles are uneven and the grout lines will be wider. Would you recommend trusted brands of grout? Thanks!
Hi Inga,
I like Laticrete and TEC sanded grouts. Mapei is also good. Any good brand should work just fine, except polyblend. I hate that stuff (color inconsistency…).
Hi there!
First time floor DIYers here! Husband and I have laid some great porcelain tile in our basement floor (Style Selections Sequoia Ballpark Wood Look Porcelain Floor and Wall Tile (Common: 6-in x 36-in; Actual: 5.79-in x 35.96-in). Used powdered thinset for porcelain, and now ready to grout.
We were thinking of using a pre-mixed grout bc we will be continuing the tile into an “attached” guest bedroom in about a week or so and want the grout color to bc consistent throughout … Figured there would be less variation in premixed vs us mixing now and in a week … However; its seems a lot of sites recommend avoiding pre-mixed grout bc of moisture content and durability especially with large tiles. Thoughts? Which type of grout would you recommend for our type of tile?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Michelle,
In a dray application like your floor a good premixed grout will be fine (notice I said ‘good’, that means spendy
). For what it’s worth, a good powdered grout will likely be just fine as well. I would probably use tec power grout.
And yes, I realize this reply is likely too late, but the info will be here for others in the future. Sorry for the delay.
Hello. I recently installed 3×6 glass tiles for a kitchen backsplash and am receiving conflicting “expert” opinions on what grout to use. Grout lines 1/8 in. Was originally given a sanded grout that said in big letters: do not use on glass tile. I took it back and was given TEC 550 Power grout instead. Even this says to be very careful with glass tile. Too afraid to try it, don’t want to scratch my perfectly new tile! Help please!
Hi Alyssa,
Sanded grout, as well as power grout, MAY scratch CERTAIN glass tile. It may or may not scratch yours. Test it on an extra or scrap piece of your glass. They HAVE to put that on there to cover their ass. If they don’t you know someone will sue them and say ‘well, they didn’t say it may scratch…’. It’s just the world we live in, unfortunately. For what it’s worth, I have have very few glass tiles that is significantly (more than micro-scratches which aren’t noticeable) scratched by sanded grout.
We are doing our first flooring project with 12 x 24 porcelain tiles. Its a small project, our bathroom floor. I am having such a hard time understanding if we should use epoxy grout or not? Someone else suggested sanded because of the tile size? Is premixed grout okay to use? The options I came by were all mapei. Any suggestions to make this as smooth as possible?
Hi Kristy,
You can use any of those grouts. It depends on the properties you want from the cured grout. If you want stain-resistance Mapei’s pre-mixed, as well as their epoxy, are good choices. None of those, however are required. You can use any of them and it will be just fine. Sanded is easiest, then pre-mixed, then epoxy. It depends on which you are comfortable with and what you want from the grout.
Can’t find that brand locally. FloorandDecor has Mapei epoxy grout. Is that OK, or do I need to keep searching? Also, I’m using 1/16″ grout lines. What should my minimum spacing be where wall meets wall? Is 1/16″ ok or does it need to be bigger? Is it ok to use grout in the corners, or do I need to use caulk where two walls or floor meet? Thanks!
Hi Steve,
Mapei is just fine. And any change of plane should have caulk or silicone, not grout.
Hello, you’ve been a wealth of knowledge for me while I do my bathroom so I’m reaching out. I’m installing 12×24 porcelain tiles on my shower walls and now I can’t decide on the grout. I have used a waterproof membrane behind the tiles so I’m not sure if the standard grout will be fine or should I use the epoxy. I get conflicting reports, some say to seal it up, others say to let it breath. I’m confused! Thank you for passing along your expertise
Hi Scott,
Any type of grout will work fine. No need to seal it up, or let it breath (whatever that’s supposed to mean
), provided the shower is properly waterproofed behind the tile.
And yes, I realize this reply is likely too late, but the info will be here for others in the future. Sorry for the delay.
I have Travertine countertops, the grout is about 1/2 inch wide between each tile. The grout is not flush in a lot of places, a lot of the grout is only filled halfway between the travertine, it needs to be filled more. How can i do this without taking the old grout out? I am trying to sell my house and i dont have the time to take out old grout. The 1/2 gap is a huge gap and that would be way to much work. I had someone suggest sanded mapei, keracaulk. Wasn’t sure if that could be used as a filler, because the gaps between tiles are so big.
Hi Diane,
DO NOT use caulk to fill the grout lines. Taking out the old grout should take less than an hour. If you want to repair it correctly the old needs to be removed. If you do not want to repair it properly I would just leave it, someone else will. Trying to cover it up with something that won’t last is not the way to fix it. If you’re dead-set on it – just go over it with new grout. If you don’t remove the old then that will last just as long as anything else you try but it won’t compromise the ability to correctly repair it in the future.
Hi there, thank you so much for your site. It has been really helpful to me. I am hoping I can use the glass tiles that come in 12 x 12 sheets for the shower floor. I am about to set them with thinset and I am uncertain as to what type of grout I should use. What do you suggest? Epoxy or Sanded?
Hi Joanna,
You can if they are rated for use on a floor. You’ll need to check with the manufacturer for that. I prefer epoxy, but you can use either.
Im putting 12×24 tiles on my kitchen floor using Easy Mat. Although I understand the need for it, what actually stops the grout from cracking due to the small amount of spongy effect from it?
Hi Mark,
Once you install the tile with thinset and it cures the spongy effect disappears. Really.
It works very well (I’m assuming you mean Custom’s Easy Mat).
Nin-cum-poop alert … I may be one … because I’m still not sure if your replies come in this same thread or are somewhere else on you lovely site … or I may be being impatient and so will keep checking this thread … I have now picked up some Fusion Pro/Single Component Grout as an alternative to the TEC grout I mentioned already … ever heard of it? I can get the SpectraLOCK, but I will have to order it and wait till it arrives to finish the saga … thanks as always dear fellow …
It is easier if you have all of your replies on the original question or conversation. Just click on the ‘reply’ at the bottom of the comment rather than posting a new question or thread every time.
Thanks for the posting guidance kind sir … and my questions regarding the two pre-mixed grouts? I know you have experience with the TEC grout, but what of the Fusion Pro/Single Component Grout as well? I await your further guidance …
thanks
I answered it here.
Just noticed the “Notify me of follow-up … by email” ditty (so I’ve now checked it) … I’m hesitant to go forward with my TEC bright white pre-mixed grout till I hear from the oracle … too much work thus far to risk a wrong final move … I await your pearls … thanks,
Hopefully this ditty finds you.
Hi! I’m very confused about which grout to buy. I am installing 2×8” white matte tiles in the shower. Recommended spacing is 1/8” -would you suggest sanded grout still? I am worried it will scratch the matte surface.. Second, we are installing marble floors in the bathroom. Would you use sanded or non-sanded here? The epoxy worries me, because I didn’t hire the best contractor (to save money.. so I’m sort of in the “you get what you get” boat. )Thanks in advance!
Hi Brooke,
You can use unsanded in both (you CAN use sanded in the shower, but given the contractor I wwould opt for unsanded there as well).
I am having a pebble stone backsplash installed in my kitchen as well as the wood like tiles on my kitchen floor (on foundation slab).
1. What type of grout would you recommend for the backsplash (mesh) that will not stain, will hold it’s color?
2. What type of grout would you recommend for the floor tile (Floresta Natural Ceramic wood looking 8″×24″ planks) and size of grout lines that will not stain, durable, hold it’s color, and hold up to foot traffic?
Hi Nicole,
I would use either spectralock epoxy, Laticrete permacolor or TEC power grout.
Would that be sanded or unsanded? Also what grout spacing would you recommend for the floor tiles?
Sanded. All those grouts are sanded. The grout line spacing depends on the particular tile, I normally use 1/8″ on floors if I can.
Hi Roger,
Just installed crema marfil polished marble tile. What grout do you recommend that is stain resistant?
If I use spectralock will it stain/ change color of the marble?
Hi Bianca,
No, it won’t permanently change the color of your marble, or stain it. Initially you may see a ‘picture framing’ effect, where the perimeter of the tile is a bit darker, but that dissipates. It is from the liquid soaking into the sides of the tile, but it isn’t permanent. One caveat, this is only if you are using a lighter color grout – if it is significantly darker then yes, it may stain your marble.
Thank you for your reply.
What color grout would you recommend from spectralock?
#17 marble beige.