Grout Options For Your Upcoming Shower Remodel
What is Grout?
Grout is a material that is used to fill the gaps between manmade or natural stone tiles. There are two main types: cementitious and chemical. Each has their own benefits and drawbacks.
Why is it used?
Simply, grout helps protect your tile. Wood-framed houses will slightly swell and contract with changes in seasonal moisture causing minute movements in your home. These small changes would cause tiles to crack or chip if they were stacked directly on top of one another. The grout creates a buffer that helps cushion this movement. It also helps to evenly distribute the stress on the walls or floor making the installation more stable.
Cementitious Grout
One of the main families of grout is cementitious grout. This is made up of a mixture of solids (cement, sand, and polymers) and water. This comes in a dry form, and water will be added to make it workable. If a more liquid mix is desired to fill potential gaps or voids, then more water is added, and if a thicker mix is desired, then less water will be added.
There are three main types of cementitious grout: Sanded, Unsanded, and Polymer Cement Grout.
Sanded Grout
Price ~ $15 / 25lb bag
Total Coverage/Bag (1/8” grout joint) = 383 sqft with 12”x12”x3/8” Tiles
Sanded grout is a mixture of Portland cement, fine sand, water, and color pigments. The addition of sand strengthens the grout, making it durable and resistant to shrinkage.
However, the cement in sanded grout makes it porous, meaning it is neither waterproof nor water-resistant. To use it in a shower, it must be regularly sealed to provide a water-resistant coating and protect it from moisture damage.
Pros:
Affordable
Easy to apply
Lots of Color options
Cons:
Requires sealing to prevent water absorption
More likely to crack over time
Not very stain resistant
Can scratch highly polished stone tiles
Color is often not consistent
My Opinion
Sanded grout is excellent for floors or areas with large grout joints (1/4” or larger). However, due to its porous nature, it’s not recommended for use in showers or even bathrooms, as it requires continuous sealing, which adds to maintenance. Additionally, the grout's lack of color consistency can be a downside, as it may cause clean grout to appear stained or dirty over time.
Unsanded Grout
Price ~ $25/ 25lb bag
Total Coverage/Bag (1/8” grout joint) = 212 sqft on 12”x12”x3/8” Tiles
Unsanded grout is made from Portland cement, water, and color pigments. The absence of sand makes it smoother and easier to apply to smaller grout joints, but this also makes it more prone to cracking.
Like sanded grout, unsanded grout is porous and not waterproof or water-resistant. To use it in a shower, it must be regularly sealed to provide a water-resistant coating and prevent moisture damage.
Pros:
Affordable and easy to apply
Wide variety of color choices
Won’t scratch polished stone tiles
Smoother look than sanded grout
Cons:
Requires sealing to prevent water absorption
More likely to crack over time
Not very stain resistant
Not as durable for wide joints
Will shrink slightly after curing
Color is often not consistent
My Opinion
Like sanded grout, I would not recommend using this in bathrooms or showers due to its porosity and lack of color consistency.
Polymer Cement Grout
Price ~ $31/ 25lb Bag
Total Coverage/Bag (1/8” grout joint) = 313 sqft on 12”x12”x3/8” Tiles
Polymer-modified cement grouts are available in both sanded and unsanded varieties. These grouts are similar to the ones previously mentioned, with the addition of polymers—commonly latex. The inclusion of these polymers makes the grout stronger and eliminates the need for sealing. These are specifically designed for use in wet locations, such as showers.
Pros:
Resists water absorption
Resists stains
Slightly more flexible and durable than unmodified cement grout
Consistent color
Cons:
Can stain certain types of tiles
Takes longer to cure
More challenging to work with
My Opinion
This is the grout I personally use on 85% of my projects. There are several great brands available, such as Mapei, Laticrete, Prism, and Custom Color, to name a few. I appreciate that this grout is affordable, easy to apply, readily available, and doesn’t require sealing. It also offers better color consistency than unmodified cementitious grouts. For the best results, it's important to follow the specific mixing instructions and dry times listed on each bag.
Chemical Grout
Chemical grout is grout that uses a chemical as the binding agent instead of cement. Common binding agents are epoxy, polyurethane, and acrylic. These all come premixed and were developed to tackle many of the issues associated with cementitious grouts, such as color inconsistency, porousness, chemical degradation, mold and mildew buildup, and staining.
Epoxy Grout
Price ~ $115/ Gallon
Total Coverage/gallon (1/8” grout joint) = 156sq ft with 12”x12”x1/2” Tiles
Unlike cementitious grout, epoxy grout comes premixed in a container and water is not added. Once it is exposed to the air a chemical reaction takes place and the grout will start to slowly set.
Pros:
Great color consistency
Waterproof
Won’t develop mold, mildew, or stains
Durable
Cons:
Expensive
Can look like plastic
Can be hard to work with
Long cure time which can cause epoxy to slump in joints
Can absorb into natural stone tiles discoloring them
If water penetrates tile or gaps in grout, this product will not allow it to dry properly and could cause mold to build up behind the tile.
My Opinion
Epoxy grout addresses many of the issues associated with cementitious grout, but it can be overkill for a residential shower. If you prefer to use it for its “maintenance-free” grout properties, then by all means don’t let me talk you out of it. However, due to its higher cost and the difficulty of installation, I suggest using modified sanded, modified unsanded, or acrylic grout as more practical options.
Urethane Grout
Price ~ $77/ 9lb bucket
Total Coverage/Bucket (1/8” grout joint) = 126sq ft of 12”x12” Tiles
Urethane grout is a premixed grout that uses polyurethane as the binding agent. It is designed to be both flexible and durable
Pros:
Great color consistency
Flexible while maintaining durability
Waterproof
Resists stains and mold
Easy to apply
Cons:
Need to clean immediately or haze will build up that is hard to remove
Takes 2-3 days to cure
Limited colors
More expensive than cementitious grout
My Opinion
Urethane grout, like epoxy grout, comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. While I don’t have personal experience using it, I’ve heard mixed reviews. Some users have reported flawless installations that still look brand new years later. However, others have encountered significant issues with haze that is extremely difficult to remove, often requiring multiple heavy-duty cleaning products and hours of scrubbing.
If you decide to use urethane grout, ensure that you or your installer carefully reads and follows the installation instructions. Be sure to have all necessary cleaning agents on hand and ready to address any potential haze buildup immediately, as removing it once it sets can be an arduous task.
Acrylic Grout
Price ~ $55/gallon
Total Coverage/gallon (1/8” grout joint) = 208sq ft with 12x12”x3/8” Tiles
Acrylic grout is a premixed single component grout which uses acrylic as a binding agent. This grout is very fast drying which means that it has to be worked in small areas at a time, as little as 2’x2’ square before continuing on, as it is very hard to clean once it starts to cure.
Pros:
Mold and mildew resistent
Stain and crack resistent
Strong color consistency
Doesn’t need to be sealed
Cons:
More expensive than cementitious
Need to clean immediately after installation, must work small areas at a time
My Opinion
Like the other chemical grouts, acrylic needs special attention when wiping off and cleaning the grout, but in my experience, it is much easier to install than epoxy grout with all of the same benefits. It also has the added benefit of having some flexibility in the case of any minute movements in the subsurface of the installation. Coming in at half of the price of epoxy, this is an excellent choice that will allow you to have low maintenance with grout joints and not have to worry about mold or mildew. This grout, as well as modified cementitious grout, are my top options.
