Tile Grout Selection FAQs

When making a tile grout selection, the most important factors to consider are the width of your tile joints, the location of the tiles (floor, wall, wet area, or outdoor), the colour of the tiles themselves, and the overall aesthetic you want to achieve. Narrow joints under 3mm are best suited to unsanded or fine-grade grout, while wider joints benefit from sanded or large-format grout with added aggregate to prevent cracking. The room’s exposure to moisture, traffic, and cleaning chemicals should also influence your grout selection, as some types are far more durable and stain-resistant than others.

Sanded grout contains fine sand particles that add bulk and strength, making it the right tile grout selection for joints wider than approximately 3mm as the sand prevents excessive shrinkage during curing. Unsanded grout has a smoother texture and is better suited to narrow joints, polished stone tiles, and wall tiles where the scratchier texture of sanded grout could damage a delicate surface. Choosing the wrong type for your joint width can result in cracking, crumbling, or a poor finish, so confirming the joint width before selecting your grout is an essential first step.

Epoxy grout is a premium tile grout selection made from epoxy resins rather than cement, making it exceptionally resistant to stains, chemicals, moisture, and bacteria — properties that make it the professional’s choice for commercial kitchens, food preparation areas, swimming pools, and heavily used wet rooms. Unlike cement-based grout, epoxy grout does not require sealing and maintains its colour far more consistently over time, even with frequent exposure to cleaning agents. It is more expensive and more challenging to work with than standard grout, requiring careful mixing and a faster application pace, so it is generally best applied by an experienced tiler.

Tile grout selection colour choice can dramatically affect the overall look of a tiled surface — a grout that closely matches the tile colour creates a seamless, understated effect that lets the tile take centre stage, while a contrasting grout draws attention to the grid pattern and can add a graphic, intentional design element. Lighter grout colours tend to show staining more readily in high-traffic or splashback areas, whereas mid-tones and darker shades are more practical in wet rooms and kitchens. Many tile suppliers offer grout sample packs so you can test colours against your chosen tile before committing, which is always a worthwhile step.

Cement-based grout can fade or discolour over time due to exposure to sunlight, cleaning chemicals, mould growth, and general wear — making your initial tile grout selection and ongoing maintenance important considerations. Epoxy-based and polymer-modified grouts are significantly more colour-stable and resistant to fading, which is why they are increasingly popular for bathrooms and kitchens where longevity of appearance matters. Sealing cement-based grout after installation and resealing it periodically will help preserve the colour and make cleaning easier, extending the life of your grout’s appearance considerably.

For most floor tiles, a grout joint of between 2mm and 5mm is standard, with larger format tiles generally looking better with narrower joints and smaller mosaic tiles typically requiring wider joints to accommodate the natural variation in size. Your tile grout selection should reflect the joint width — fine unsanded grout for narrow joints, standard or coarse sanded grout for wider ones. In outdoor or heavily trafficked areas, slightly wider joints can also help accommodate minor movement in the substrate, reducing the risk of tile cracking.

Sealing is a highly recommended step following your tile grout selection and application, particularly for cement-based grouts in bathrooms, kitchens, and wet rooms where moisture and staining are regular risks. A quality penetrating grout sealer fills the porous surface of the grout, making it water-resistant and far easier to keep clean — reducing the chance of mould, mildew, and staining taking hold. Epoxy grout does not require sealing as it is inherently non-porous, but for any cement-based product, sealing within the first 48 to 72 hours after the grout has fully cured is best practice.

Yes, it is possible to update the appearance of your grouted tiles without replacing them by either applying a specialist grout colourant or, in more severe cases, raking out the old grout and re-grouting with a new colour — an approach that requires care but avoids the cost and disruption of re-tiling. Grout colourants are painted onto the surface of existing grout and can refresh faded joints or change the colour entirely, though the result depends on the condition and porosity of the existing grout. This can be a cost-effective way to update the look of a bathroom or kitchen, and your tile supplier can advise on the best products to use alongside your original tile grout selection.

For wet rooms and shower enclosures, epoxy grout is widely considered the best tile grout selection due to its impermeability, resistance to mould and mildew, and long-term colour stability in constantly damp conditions. If budget is a consideration, a high-quality polymer-modified cement grout with a good waterproofing additive and a proper sealant applied after curing can also perform well. In either case, ensuring that the substrate behind the tiles is also fully tanked and waterproofed is essential — grout alone cannot compensate for poor waterproofing in the structure beneath.

Removing old, cracked, or deeply stained grout before making a fresh tile grout selection is best done using an oscillating multi-tool fitted with a grout removal blade, a manual grout rake, or a rotary tool — all of which can extract the old grout without damaging the tile edges if used carefully. For surface staining rather than structural failure, a specialist grout cleaning product or a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water scrubbed in with a stiff brush can often restore the appearance without the need for full removal. Once clean, re-grouting or applying a colour refresher will give your tiles a completely new lease of life.