Is epoxy grout worth it?

Question

Mike Koprowski · Answer

Hey @Ricardo Murph II,

So, Ill lead off by saying that I've been a self employed tile professional for about 10 years now and I've done everything from the backsplash for the little old lady next door here in Massachusetts to our current project renovating 1150 bathrooms for one of the casino resorts in Connecticut and your question is one I get quite frequently.

YES, epoxy grout is the very best option you can choose when it comes to grouting tile, its virtually bomb proof.

Its standard to see it in restaurants, hospitals and many commercial applications BUT, it's very expensive like you mentioned and also a serious pain in the a$$ to install.  I wouldn't recommend trying it yourself if you've never done it before. It's one of those things that's really best left to a pro.

But you have a few options...  You can choose a regular cement based grout which is about $14 for a 25lb bag from the big box store and that will cover your two bathrooms, its certainly the least expensive option.  I'd chose a darker grey or darker brown depending on your tile selection.  If you have solid subfloor construction the grout will last a very long time. Also  you can always seal the grout, but that's a maintenance process and needs to be repeated every 6 months or so.

For my rentals I've been using "premium grout" (each manufacturer has a different name for it)  I like Mapei Flexcolor CQ.  its an acrylic based grout that resists water penetration, stains, mildew and mold so it has the benefit of epoxy without the price tag.  It comes pre-mixed and ready to apply so your looking at about $40 for a half gallon which should cover your bathrooms.

With all that being said, there is no such thing as maintenance free grout...  it will get dirty, it will hold dirt, you will have to clean it eventually. The key is choosing a darker color that compliments your tile so you have less frequent cleanings.  You'll never recoup the investment you'd put into epoxy, and generally hospitals and restaurants only use it because the health codes require it.  Hope this is some value to you, let me know if you have any other questions I'd be happy to help out where I can.

Best

-Mike

Account Closed · Answer

I'll add to what @Mike Koprowski said, as a home improvement contractor running rentals and renovating single-family homes in Pittsburgh. If I'm going to go with any shade of light grout to medium gray in both rentals and properties renovated for sale , I prefer Custom's premixed "premium grout" Fusion Pro, available at Home Depot, for exactly the same reasons Mike laid out. Urethane or acyrlic grout has many of the benefits of epoxy grout (plus a few more) without the significant disadvantages.One of the chief extra benefits of premixed grout like the stuff I'm talking about is that you can put it in with a plastic putty knife, a grout sponge, a bucket of water, and your finger -- it's practically as easy and teachable to an unskilled helper as a basic craft project. Custom's SimpleSet premixed grout is almost as good for half the price, but I stay away with it for the lighter shades. FusionPro is slightly more stain-resistant and easier to clean between refinishings.Again as Mike mentioned -- all grout darkens. Don't believe ANYONE who says otherwise. Yet I've put plenty of bright white grout in rental installations, just NOT in mosaic tile installations with irregular grout lines. It's very easy to remove the top layer of grout in most installations with an oscillating tool fitted with a carbide grout removal blade. I stay away from the diamond-coated variants of these blades because I've chipped the edges of tile with them.After you dig the top layer of grout out of your installation with this tool (no more than two or three millimeters), you go over the same grout lines again with a thin coating of pre-mixed grout. The grout lines look like new again.Got get 'em, @Ricardo Murph II.

Ann Bellamy · Answer

This is from the homeowner and landlord perspective, not the contractor perspective:

As Mike and James said, all grout, even epoxy, gets dirty.  And it is not true that epoxy grout doesn't stain.  I had a kitchen done in my own home, with a creamy white/tan marble pattern, and therefore a light colored grout.  The epoxy installation process is a huge pain (and expensive), and cleaning it is as big a pain.  Even jets of steam don't get it completely clean.  I was never happy with the floor after the first few months, because it always looked dirty.

And renters won't clean the grout, and you'll be stuck with dark brown grout anyway, just from dirt.

I learned my lesson the hard way.  I chose a darker tile for subsequent projects with a medium matching grout.  It always looks great.   You can lighten the bathroom with wall color and good lighting.   Nice grey or grey/brown tones are in right now.  They call it greige.  It used to be called taupe.

Mike Koprowski · Answer

Hey @Robert C.,

Was your tile installed on a cement slab?

The only time I've come across this was when tile was installed over a cement slab that was freshly poured for a new car dealership.

When moisture is evaporating up though the slab and ultimately through your grout joints you'll get water soluble minerals that are left behind on the surface of the grout, its called "efflorescence", and yes, its very hard to clean.

The only ways to avoid this is to check the subfloor with a moisture meter to be sure it's completely dry or installing a vapor barrier over the slab prior to tile.  I've heard of guys using a concrete sealer prior to installation, but I wouldn't recommend that because it could mess with the mortar adhering to the subfloor properly.

I haven't heard of it being caused by a different mix from the manufacturer, that should have been worked out in the R&D phase.

I think it leads back to a moisture issue.

Application of an oil based sealer is certainly not supposed to be a necessary step, but sounds like it was a good "fix" for your situation.

Like I said I've only had this happen to me once, so I hope it only happens to you once as well!

Jim Adrian · Answer

Stay away from light colors for floor grout.  They will turn dark on you due to dirt staining.  The darker grout will make the tile pop and look better.

I just used #165 Delorean Gray for a bathroom that had gray wall tiles.  I should have went darker.

http://www.custombuildingproducts.com/support/interactive-tools/grout-color-choices.aspx

Epoxy grouts are a step above the typical non sanded and sanded grouts you find a the big box stores. There are others above this but it comes at a cost that I wouldn't consider for rental.

Nolan M. · Answer

I just finished adding a bathroom to my PR and used epoxy grout floor to celing. I like it because I have 4 boys and, well the other bathroom constantly smells like a urinal! The epoxy grout won't absorb the urine like a cement base grout will. Eventually I will be tiling my triplex and using epoxy grout. This being said, I know what I'm doing, I was a tile guy for 7 years. If you have a tile guy who can do epoxy grout I would recommend spending the exrta $$ to put it in your rental, (but like was mentioned above, don't ever use light grout on a floor, regardless of the type). Its a great way to "tenant proof" your house!

Ricardo Murph II · Answer

You all are awesome! I appreciate all the insight. So... no epoxy grout, got it.  I will look into this greige. That is funny word to me.

Robert C. · Answer

@Mike Koprowski, I've had a problem with using darker color grouts where the end product ends up having a whitish film on top that's really hard to remove. One explanation I was given was that the current grout you find in stores is a different mixture than it used to be. The grout was professionally installed (not by me). I eventually found an oil based sealer that was able to bring the intended color back out, but it seems to me that step shouldn't have been necessary. Any thoughts on how it happened, and how to avoid it in future projects?

Bob H. · Answer

I used epoxy grout in two bathrooms. Compared with regular grout, it does require a lot more scrubbing when installed, but it is harder after it sets. At the time, I decided that it wasn't worth the extra work.

Years later, I reaffirmed that opinion, because the off-white grout that had matched the tile when installed had yellowed. I've never seen yellowing with regular grout.

John Mainwaring · Answer

I have done one tile job in my life, a bathroom with slate tile and epoxy grout.  It looked amazing when it was completed, but I never want to do tile work again.  Inexperience and over ambition cost me in but the plus side is I know not to go into projects looking at myself as the one swinging the hammer.

Is epoxy grout worth it?

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