HOW TO CHOOSE A TILE GROUT

Choosing tile grout can be SO overwhelming. There are so many options and many online guides (for example the Spruce and this Old House) lack key information or fail to give you specific product recommendations that you’ll find at a Home Depot or Lowe’s. Hopefully my research can expedite your decision process. I’ll be adding to this guide over time, so let me know what information I might be missing!

What is grout? It’s a mixture that is used to fill the gaps between tiles. It is traditionally a mixture of water, cement, or sand, but nowadays there are a lot of resin or epoxy options that can also be used. It’s applied as a paste then hardens when it dries. 

Here are the questions that I ask to determine which type of grout I should use. 

1. Will the grout be exposed to a lot of moisture, stains, chemicals, or high heat? Will it be used outside? If any of these considerations exist, skip to #5. ‘Performance Considerations’. If none of these conditions exist (think a tiled piece of furniture) start at #2. 

Basic Considerations (Cementitious Grout)

2. Should I use sanded grout or unsanded grout?

1. Is your grout ⅛” or wide or less? Typically it would be recommended that you choose unsanded grout. However, some sanded grouts such as Custom Building Products SimpleGrout can be used with grout joints as small as 1/16”.

2. Is your grout joint more than ⅛” wide? Choose sanded grout, which helps it bond and resist shrinkage. (Some unsanded grout types are suitable for larger grout joints.)

3. Do you have glass tiles or delicate tiles? Choose unsanded grout. (Sanded grout can scratch tiles).

This grout appears to be a sanded grout based on the rough texture you can see in the grout joints.

3. Should I use a traditional, two-part grout or premixed grout(also called single component or ready-to-use)? Traditional grout comes in two parts that are mixed together before application. Premixed (single component) grout has these parts mixed together ahead of time, making the color more consistent.

1. Are you concerned about getting an exact grout color? Choose premixed.

2. Do you want to make the process easier? Choose premixed.

3. Do you want the lowest cost grout? Choose a single component grout.

4. Do you want to take your time with the application? Choose a single component grout. Typically premixed grouts dry faster, requiring more speed with install.

4. Should I use a traditional cementitious grout or latex-modified grout (also called polymer or high-performance)? Latex modified grouts have a latex polymer additive (a combination of acrylics and latex) and make the grout stronger and less absorptive. 

1. Do you want better performance? Choose a polymer/high-performance grout.

2. Do you want to avoid sealing your grout? Some polymer modified/high performance grouts don’t require sealer.

Once you’ve determined which grout type from the above considerations skip to #11 - aesthetic considerations.

Performance Considerations

5. Will the grouted tiles be exposed to high heat (i.e. behind a stove, or in a radiant floor)? If no, skip to #6. If yes, just use the other considerations to select your grout and just double check the installation requirements of what you choose. 

6. Will the tile be exposed to intense chemicals or grease? (beyond a typical residential use)

1. If this is a commercial kitchen or a space that might have caustic chemicals (i.e. battery acid), Furan grout would be the best choice. This grout type is difficult for professionals to install and is not recommended for DIYers. Furan grout is similar to epoxies, but has polymers of furfuryl alcohol, which are highly resistant to chemical action. Furans are two-component systems that contain a furan resin and a filler powder with an acid catalyst. The resulting grout has unsurpassed chemical, physical and thermal-resistance.

2. Note that Furan grout should be applied by a professional and tile surfaces must receive a wax coating to protect them from staining prior to the installation of furan.

7. Will the grout be exposed to a lot of moisture or stains (i.e. a shower floor/wall, backsplash behind stove, a swimming pool)? If so, a resin grout or epoxy grout will be most cleanable. These grouts use polymers or epoxies instead of cement and sand.

1. Resin grouts are made of acrylics, silicones, or urethanes. Unlike cementitious grouts, these generally don’t need to be sealed.  

2. Epoxy grouts are best left to professionals, but they are generally the most resistant to moisture and stains. 

9. Will the grout be exposed to outdoors or freeze and thaw cycles? If yes:

1. Choose grout that is rated for outdoor applications. While you can use some cementitious grouts, epoxy grout is a better choice and will be easier to maintain: see epoxy grout from 8 above.

10. Here are some additional notes about outdoor grout:

1. When installing, you’ll want to caulk some joints instead of grouting, in order to allow the tile to expand and contract with changing temperatures.

2. Apply grout and allow it to cure in dry weather within the grout manufacturer’s allowable temperature range. 

Aesthetic Considerations

11. Do I want a custom color grout?

1. Laticrete offers custom colors for any Permacolor grout type.

2. https://www.laticrete.com/en/our-products/color-selector/anycolor-program/anycolor-grouts-and-sealants

12. Do I want a transparent grout?

1. There are a few transparent grout types - Laticrete’s Spectralock Premium translucent grout and Fusion Pro Designer Series.

 13. Do I want a grout that glows in the dark or that sparkles?

1. Laticrete offers a spectralock additive for glow-in-the dark or glitter.

Purchasing Considerations

14. Which brand should I use?

1. Are you shopping at Home Depot? 

1. You’ll find Custom Building Products Grout here.

2. Are you shopping at Lowe’s?

1. You’ll find Mapei Grout here.

3. Are you shopping at a flooring store or online?

1. Laticrete and Ardex are other reputable brands you should look for, but you may also find Custom Building Products or Mapei at stores other than Lowe’s or Home Depot.

4. See below for our entire list of grout types by brand!

Grout Options - generally arranged from most ‘traditional’ to most advanced

1. Sanded grout, two-part traditional (NOT polymer modified): 

1. None available

2. Unsanded grout, two part traditional (NOT polymer modified):

1. None available

3. Sanded grout, single component (premixed):

1. Custom Building Products: SimpleGrout

2. Laticrete: Ready to Use Grout

4. Unsanded grout, single component (premixed) (NOT polymer modified):

1. None available

5. Quartz-aggregate based grout, premixed: 

1. Mapei Flexcolor QC (also suitable for applications that would be traditionally sanded)

6. Latex/Polymer Modified unsanded grout, two-part traditional: 

1. Custom Building Products: Polyblend Unsanded Grout, Polyblend Plus Unsanded Grout

2. Custom Building Products: Prism

3. Mapei Keracolor U Unsanded Grout

4. Mapei Ultracolor Plus FA (also suitable for applications that would be traditionally sanded)

5. Laticrete: Permacolor  (also suitable for applications that would be traditionally sanded)

7. Latex/Polymer Modified sanded grout, two-part traditional: 

1. Custom Building Products: Polyblend Sanded Grout, Polyblend Plus Sanded Grout

2. Custom Building Products: Prism

3. Mapei: Keracolor S Sanded Grout

8. Resin Grout

1. Custom Building Products: Fusion Pro (note that this product contains an antimicrobial agent called Microban. I generally avoid antimicrobial agents, as they have been linked to health issues.)

9. Epoxy Grout

1. Custom Building Products: CEG-IG, CEG-Lite

2. Mapei: Kerapoxy, Kerapoxy CQ

3. Laticrete: Spectralock, Spectralock NS, Spectralock Pro, Spectralock 2000 IG

If you’re looking for more relatable grout and tile info, I recommend DIYtileguy for some of the best tile and grout info on the web.