Which kind of tile grout…
Why do things have to be complicated? You pick out a grout color and now you’re faced with another decision: sanded or nonsanded? Which kind of tile grout is right for your project? This post will cover what the different types of grout are and where they can be used.
First, we’re going to break down the tile grouts into two categories cement and non-cement.
Check out my next post on Epoxy and Urethane Stain Proof grouts like Fusion, Flexcolor, Spectralock, and more.
Cement grouts
Cement grout is most common and well-known type of grout. Inexpensive, been around forever, can be installed in most any application, and the easiest to work with are just some of the advantages of this type of grout. Drawbacks include:
- Regular sealing
- Easiest to stain
- colors can fade over time
- Prone to discoloration problems
The discoloration problems can be caused by mixing too much water, too little water, not mixing well enough, mixed with hard water, applied in too much heat… you get the picture. Here are some of the different kinds of cement grout:
Unsanded Grout
Also known as nonsanded grout. It’s used for thin joints or where scratching the surface can be an issue. Although rare, this can happen on sensitive natural stones and when grouting glass tiles. Common uses for this grout: ceramic wall tiles like subway tiles and also natural stone, such as marble, that is usually set with a tight joint.
The rule of thumb is if your grout joint is 1/8 inch or smaller then you want to use a non-sanded grout. Personally, I think 1/8″ is too big and would limit it to 3/32″.
Sanded Grout
I think it goes without saying that sanded grout has sand added to it. It’s for volume- the same way that you would add gravel to cement. Although probably still the most popular grout today the technology is always changing.
Applications for this grout typically include floors, large tile, and anytime you have a grout joint 1/8 inch and larger.
High-Performance Cement Grouts
This is an actual category of cement grout. While still being in the cement grout category these are not ordinary cement grouts. They have the best color consistency, no efflorescence, are the most dense and therefore, most stain resistant of the cement grouts. These are fast setting grouts which can be a good thing and it can be a bad thing.
High-performance cement grouts can be used in grout joints as small as 1/16th inch and usually go up to 1/2 inch. This kind of grout is a sanded tile grout. Some examples are Prism, Ultracolor, and Permacolor. Even with the increased stain resistance, they should still be sealed with a grout sealer.
Update: Laticrete now has a product called Permacolor Select NS (unsanded) which is a really nice high-performance grout if you need a nonsanded option.
Grout sealer additives
There are some products out now that are liquids which are added to the grout when mixing and claim to make cement grouts stain proof. Examples of these products are Grout Boost, Grout shield, and Stonetech Stain Protect.
I don’t have a lot of experience with these products and it seems to me that the reviews have been mixed. Maybe some of the kinks have been worked out by now but I would encourage you to do further research before committing to these.
Which tile grout is best?
Personally, for my business, I use high-performance grouts as the base option (with a grout sealer) and then upgrade to the stainproof types from here. Sanded and non sanded tile grout is just too finicky for my tastes and too prone to callbacks.
There are exceptions, like if the tile is likely to scratch, then I’ll use an unsanded grout but the bulk of my cement grout usage is Prism, Permacolor, or Ultracolor.
The problem for the consumer is trying to find these products. They aren’t on the shelves at the big box stores so you’ll either have to special order them in or buy them directly from a tile distributor. Many times the distributor won’t sell to the consumer.
In addition to not being able to get them, they are more expensive and they are fast-setting which means it may be easier to get in trouble with them when you are installing them.
For these reasons, you may elect to go with a “normal” kind of tile grout. If so, I still recommend putting on a penetrating grout sealer or using one of the additives mentioned above.
What kind of grout do I need? StainProof edition
Sandra Torralba says
I am installing 4×8 beveled travertine backsplash in my kitchen. What size grout lines is best?
DIYTileGuy says
Best bet is to see if there’s a manufacturer’s recommendation. Otherwise, 1/16th-1/8th inch is what I would look to do.
Richard says
how can you prevent crack in joints between porcelain backsplash and granite counter tops?
DIYTileGuy says
Silicone caulk. The grout manufacturers carry silicone caulk that is matched to their grout colors. Home Depot even started carrying these which I am happy to see. The caulk is flexible and will allow for movement between the countertop and tile backsplash (a common cracking point).
Please make sure that you get 100% silicone caulk and not the color matched latex version. Check out my video on how to caulk.
https://www.diytileguy.com/silicone-caulk/
Jeannine Smith says
I am installing a penny round tile, color gold, some are matte and some are more shiny. This is for the shower floor. So I thought I should go with a non sanded grout, but am having second thoughts. I was told I could use Prism sanded grout and it shouldn’t scratch tiles. Then I read you shouldn’t use non sanded grout on shower floors??? What is your recommendation?
DIYTileGuy says
Non-sanded grout is fine for a shower floor but it probably isn’t the right grout for penny tile. Non sanded can only go up to an 1/8 inch maximimum and the intersections in penny rounds are likely to be bigger than that.
Prism is a good grout and I would be surprised if it scratched but I can’t see the exact tile that you have. But that’s a better grout than Polyblend sanded or unsanded and would rather see you use it. Test it first, if you can, before doing the entire floor.
Karen Eggleston says
We are having stainless steel tiles on sheets applied. We need grouting. What kind of grout do we use so as not to scratch the stainless steel?
Thank you!
DIYTileGuy says
This is a good question and one that I don’t have the answer to.
There should be instructions from the manufacturer and the store that you purchased from should know this also.
I recommend doing a grout mock-up before fully committing grouting the main space.
In general, non sanded grout is preferred when scratching is an issue but it can only be used in tight grout joints (under 1/8 inch).
Pam says
Hi! Thank you for your great blog, you’ve already answered many of my questions. I’m planning to use Custom Prism grout. I’ve read before that with a cement grout you should always purchase a color two shades darker than you want because the final result is usually two shades lighter than the sample. Do you find this to be the case with Prism grout also?
DIYTileGuy says
That’s never been experience with any cement grout.
Cement grout should be close to the color but it may not be the exact color of the sample.
In fact, I’ve noticed the samples can be different from each other.
Prism is a good grout for drying the same uniform color through the installation.
It may appear different on different walls because of lighting. It also may appear different than the sample.
But it’s one of the better cement grouts on the market
Bruce says
I am installing 12″ x 12″ porcelain floor tiles in our bathroom.
Can you tell me how wide the grout line shoud be and what is the best grout for this application. I’d like a good seal and low maintenance.
DIYTileGuy says
The minimum grout joint width is 1/16th inch.
But you’re asking what the BEST grout joint width is which isn’t as straight forward.
Smaller grout joints increase the difficulty of the installation.
Additionally, tile can vary in size. For example, I’ve seen variations of 1/8 inch and more. So wider grout joints will help the appearance of this installation.
And finally, the best performing grouts are the most difficult to install.
So you have to look at your needs and lifestyle, the tile that you want, the grout that you want, your skills as a DIYer, and maker a decision based on all of those things.
So what is the best grout joint size? It depends. I know that’s not the answer that you are looking for but it’s the best answer I can give with the information provided.
Shelley Venardi says
We are re-installing ceramic backsplash in our kitchen. We use our kitchen a lot and routinely foods (tomato based sauces, etc) splash up onto the backsplash/grout.
The subcontractor who initially did the tilework had a problem with the grout consistency and color. The contractor is removing the tile and starting over.. What are best stain resistant grouts? Is there a grout that will not require to resealing every year?
Thank you
Shelley
DIYTileGuy says
Yes! Take a look at my post on stain proof grouts and you’ll find that those don’t need to be sealed. Epoxy is usually the best choice if you want the highest stain resistance.
Patrick says
Do you recommend mixing Prism grout with an added liquid sealer in place of the majority of the water? Prism says its stain resistant and I planned to use a sealer after the grout set, but I wondered if adding a sealer during mixing was an additional recommeded step like you might with a standard grout?
DIYTileGuy says
I don’t have a lot of experience with the sealer-additive products. It’s my understanding that they are to be combined with normal sanded or unsanded grout. I don’t know how they will perform with a high performance cement grout like Prism.
So unless it says it’s OK for those types of grouts then it’s not something that I would recommend.
Patrick says
Thanks. I am following the bag instructions and just using water. I’ll seal it after.
The challenge with a complete noob like me when using some of these high performance products is how fast they set up. They definitely stress me. I chose to use custom prolite thinset (not even the RS version) on my 10×14 wall tile and now prism grout. Early on I determined I would only mix up small batches from the bag using the recommended water to weight ratio. Hopefully I didnt make too many mistakes. Its a learning curve I was willing to take.
I did the demolition, had to redo all the plumbing, put in a soaker tub, rework all the framing and plumb the walls, built in my own two shelf niche and tile it up. Next is the floor, My hope through all this is that holds up as well as it looks, I’ll be elated and grateful.
Thanks for the advice and suggestions. Keep the totorials coming! 🙂
DIYTileGuy says
I understand that it’s hard to know if you are doing everything correctly. There’s a lot of different components to juggle with the right products, having a plan, consistency of some of the mixtures, etc.
How I’ve learned has been mostly getting into trouble and then getting out of trouble. 🙂 Thanks for the comments!
Joe says
I am installing a porcelain basketweave tile on a bathroom floor. The joints in the tiles are 1/8″. Would you recommend sanded or unsanded for that scenario? Here is the tile:
https://www.flooranddecor.com/tile-decoratives/matte-gray-dot-basket-weave-porcelain-mosaic-100236223.html#q=basket+weave&start=3
DIYTileGuy says
I would recommend what they call a high-performance cement grout. Floor and Decor sells Mapei Ultracolor grout. That’s what you want.
Matt says
Hey there, great site (I refer to your thinset/trowel recs often). I’m installing some glass mosaic at the back of a niche. Used Adesilex with Keraply. For grout, do you think using Laticrete Spectrock Pro Premium will be an issue? Only 12×12” niche.