Which grout to use sanded or unsanded

This makes unsanded grout great for use for ceramic wall tiles grouting. In many cases, the joint space or gap determines the type of grout to use, however, the tile type may also influence the decision.

For highly polished, easily scratched tiles such as marble, we recommend unsanded grout to be used. Sanded grout will damage these types of tiles. Besides, the unsanded grout is not the best option for floor tiles since it cracks and may break under high pressure of flooring traffic. However, it makes the best choice for walls and vertical gaps.

Both grout types can be used in the kitchen, bathroom, and shower pan. In general, sanded grout will go with many projects, but unsanded grout works better in shower walls, bathroom walls, rectified, polished and honed stone tiles. First, determine the width of the grout line that requires filling.

Thereafter, the width will help determine between sanded vs non-sanded grout. Sanded grout is cheaper than non-sanded grout because sand costs lower than cement. Unsanded grout, however, is almost or over twice as expensive as the cement grout counterpart-sanded grout. Unsanded grout requires polymers that are more expensive that must be added to get the final unsanded tile grout. You can mix sanded and unsanded grout to make your grouting job more durable.

Since unsanded grout is thin and shrinks when it starts to dry, you can add a little sand to it and mix to improve strength and durability. Pro tip: When you think your unsanded grout is too thin, you can mix it with sanded grout to make it a little thicker.

Also, a mixture of the two is more pasty and easy to apply when creating tile joints. Sanded grout is the cheapest, readily available, and most widely used grout. The sanded grout is held together by fine sand particles that get suspended once the grout cures. Sanded grout should be your default choice for any general tiling. Sanded grout is in more colors and cheaper than non-sanded grout. This type of grout should not be used for any surface that can be scratched. The sand in the grout scratches polished and honed stones.

Looking at the above table non-sanded grout can be used in more locations in your home but the sanded grout is a good first choice if it is an available choice. It is cheaper and may last longer especially with larger grout lines. Whatever choice you choose when it comes to a repair or re-grout, Grout Medic has a wide variety of sanded and non-sanded grout that will match any tile you have anywhere in your home.

A variety of grouts are available commercially, but all of these can be classified as one of two basic types: sanded or unsanded.

The main difference between unsanded and sanded grout is the presence or absence of sand. Unsanded cement-based grout is a smooth mixture of Portland cement, powdered pigments and water.

Epoxy grouts are made of resin and hardener. Sanded cement-based grout and sanded epoxy grouts are basically the same as the previously mentioned mixtures but with sand added.

The sand thickens the grout to prevent shrinking in the joints. Both cement-based grouts and epoxy grouts come in sanded and unsanded types and can both be used with floor and wall tiles.