Tile Grout In The Bathroom: Which One To Choose, Types, Tips

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-24 22:24

What is grout for?
Types of grout
Cement grout
Resin based material
Choice of grout depending on color
Using clear or colorless grout
We choose only the best
Special grout for porous tiles
How to grout joints

Undoubtedly, tile is one of the most popular materials for finishing the bathroom. Moreover, such a cladding is applicable for both floors and walls, in some cases even the ceiling. And its popularity has a lot of explanations, for example, moisture resistance, ease of care, durability, etc. But today we will not talk about tiles, but about one of the accompanying materials in its installation. Namely, the subject of consideration will be the grout for the tiles in the bathroom, and which one is better to choose.

And in fact, this is a very important issue, because the appearance of the room after repair will depend on the choice of grout.

What is grout for?

A small reference for those who have not previously contacted tile laying and have no idea what grout is and why it is needed.

Most of the grout for floor tiles is a dry mix on a cement or epoxy base. This mixture is used diluted in water to fill and protect tile joints.

At the same time, it is important to understand that grouting is performed not purely for reasons of aesthetic plan, but also directly to protect the coating. In particular, it protects the seams from moisture, bacteria and fungus penetration, which has a direct impact on durability.

contamination of seams and damage to the gr

And another important factor is that its use can help hide surface imperfections, in particular:

Mistakes when laying tiles.
Irregularities in the walls.
And a number of other defects that affect the appearance.

Types of grout

Before you go shopping for grout for your tile, you need to consider the fact that there are several types of such material. In particular, there are two types:

Cement-based grouting.
And also a resin-based material (the most popular option is based on epoxy resin.

And let's take a closer look at each of the options.

Cement grout

Cement grout has become the most popular. This is primarily due to its lower cost, as well as ease of use.

It is enough to dilute such a mixture with water and can be applied immediately. In some cases, the grout is presented ready-made, in such a situation they can be found in buckets with an average capacity of 5-7 liters.

It should be noted that it is sometimes more convenient to use a ready-made composition. But don't forget that this is extremely uneconomical. After opening the bucket, this grout will dry out quickly and a large amount will have to be thrown away.

Cement grouts are used mainly for working with small joints up to 5 millimeters, also in some cases with wide ones, more than 5 mm wide. But in the case of wider ones, it is necessary to use a mixture with the addition of sand.

In addition, in this case, the size of the sand grains must be increased in direct proportion to the size of the joint. Also, some formulations contain fungicides (special substances that provide protection against fungus and mold).

The composition of such mixtures is dominated by cement, hardener, dye, in some mixtures sand and additional chemical components.

Resin based material

Among such materials, a lot of varieties are divided, thus, for example, a grout based on furan resin can be distinguished. But the most popular option is considered to be a material based on epoxy resin. While furan compounds have found their way into manufacturing, epoxy mixtures can be found everywhere.

Touching upon the question of what kind of grout to grout the tiles in the bathroom, most experts consider it their duty to give preference to epoxy grouting. This is due to the following factors:

They do not lend themselves to destruction under the influence of moisture, chemicals, and besides, they are more resistant to pollution.
They do not require additional processing or components to protect against the appearance of fungus or mold.
More durable.

Thus, a cheap option is to choose a cement grout for tiles, which fully fulfills its functions and will help protect against moisture and various kinds of fungal damage, then in the case of epoxy, the cost increases significantly, but the appearance will certainly be different.

But, for covering the floor, a cement grout will be a pretty good option.

As mentioned a little earlier, the most popular resin-based grout is epoxy. This material is based on epoxy resin, dye and hardener.

You can also note an additional type of more durable grout - cement-latex. But we will not talk about it, since it is used to decorate the facade of the building (since it has much greater strength than similar ones), and now we are talking about a bathroom.

Choice of grout depending on color

An important factor when the question arises, which grout for tiles to choose in the bathroom is the color scheme.

In the case of cement grout, it can be the color of its main component, i.e. gray, no dyes added. It can also be of any color from the entire palette, depending on the design requirements of the room. In addition, by adding special pigments, you can create the desired shade yourself.

At the same time, the assortment of epoxy grouts is somewhat larger, but at the same time it will not be possible to change the hue or color saturation on your own. The only difference, which in some cases attracts much more, is the use of a brilliant effect in such materials. This allows you to create a grout, which, after drying, will give the seams the effect of a gilded coating, or bronze, metal, silver.

But no matter what type of grout itself you choose, there are several rules that must be followed:

The use of a dark or contrasting grout is permissible only when there is 100% confidence in the quality of the installation. This is due to the fact that such shades focus on the drawing, respectively, even with small errors, they will be brightly highlighted and noticeable, which ultimately will hopelessly ruin the appearance of the room.
And, accordingly, if there are some defects and errors on the surface, then the use of lighter colors will help to hide them. Thus, the emphasis will be placed on the seams, and not on the tile itself.

A little advice! If you do not want to make a mistake when choosing a material, it is advisable to take a tile sample with you to the store when buying grout. And also follow our tips on how to choose a tile grout.

You can calculate the required amount of material for the purchase with a tile grout calculator.

Using clear or colorless grout

In some cases, when tiles of different colors are used in the masonry, or a mosaic is laid, then the best answer to the question of which grout to choose for the tile in the bath will be the use of transparent.

This material is made on the basis of glass, which makes it possible to give the seam a certain transparent, glassy appearance. Although such a grout is called transparent only conditionally. It does not transmit light, thus hiding the color of the glue in the seams. At the same time, the seam itself takes on the shade of the tile, which allows you to create the effect of a transfusion of colors.

You can use such material only with seams no more than 2 millimeters.

We choose only the best

Another issue worth touching on is which bathroom tile grout is best. And to answer it, we will give some of the most popular brands. In particular, we will provide a rating of TOP-5 leading manufacturers (only based on the opinion of professionals).

For many years of work, the Ceresit company has established itself well, and this can be said about all building materials of its production. In the assortment of the company, you can find mixtures based on silicone, cement, as well as two-component compositions.
The second in our ranking is the manufacturer Atlas, which offers epoxy and cement grout.
Sopro with cement mixes is next.
Another manufacturer of cement mortars Mapei Ultracolor Plus (Ultracolor Plus)
Litokol is the last to produce two-component epoxy products.

But remember, no matter which grout you choose for your bathroom tiles, high quality is only 20% of success. To obtain a reliable result, you must strictly follow all instructions for its application.

Special grout for porous tiles

Particular attention should be paid to porous tiles, since they have rather high moisture absorption properties. Experts do not recommend equipping it in rooms with high humidity.

But now a solution has been found that allows you to protect the coating from heavy water consumption. For this, a special sealant is applied, or varnish. Such a composition is quite expensive, but at the same time significantly improves the properties of the tile, in particular:

Improves protection against contamination.
Significantly facilitates the maintenance of the coating.
Helps to maintain color throughout the entire period of use.
Provides characteristic shine.

For processing such tiles, special silicone grouts and sealants are used. The use of such a material helps to significantly improve water resistance, in addition, it protects against the appearance of fungus and mold.

And considering that the work is carried out with a special pistol, the process of work itself becomes not only easy, but also pleasant.

How to grout joints

Now let's briefly consider the question of how to grout the joints with your own hands.

Depending on what type of grout you are using, open the package, dilute the dry mix, or simply open the finished one. The grout should be similar in consistency to toothpaste. Then we do the following:

We remove the crosses, or the tile laying system (depending on what was used).
We fill the seams with a mixture, for which a special spatula is used. In one approach, grouting is carried out at least one square meter, it is desirable to carry out work from top to bottom.
Next, we clean the seams from excess mixture, preferably immediately after processing.
Thus, we gradually overwrite the entire surface.
As the composition dries, it is necessary to remove the excess from the tile, which is done using a damp sponge.

Thus, grouting is carried out and further cleaning of the tile from the traces of grouting. You can read more about how to grout tile joints in a separate article. In addition, we offer you to get acquainted with the videos, which consider the properties and features of grout and each of its types separately.