9 Tips on How to Choose the Right Grout

When you decided to remodel your bathroom, you probably started by fixating on the bigger decisions, like the best bathtub style or the budget for your bathroom vanity. But even the small decisions can have a huge impact on your space, including choosing the right grout.

Grout is the cement mixture that holds masonry and tiles together, and you may have noticed that, in many bathrooms, it is everywhere. The gritty mix comes in a variety of colors and finishes, including the sandy textured version you will find around most homes, as well as an epoxy option. This can make picking the perfect grout a little overwhelming.

Keep from turning into a real Oscar the Grout-ch by following these tips when selecting grout for your next project.

1. Decide Between Premixed and Self-Mixed

You can purchase two different types of grout at most home improvement stores—premixed grout that is ready to go and a powder that you mix yourself. 

The premixed stuff is a better option if you want to hit the ground running and get started as soon as you get back from the store; however, if you are going to mix grout as you work (which will make it easier for you to keep leftovers for future projects), the powdered stuff is the way to go. 

2. Know Your Grout Colors Beforehand

There are several grout colors to choose from, and each has a different effect on home decor. Black and white are the most popular and common colors for grout, due to their versatility; however, you can select from a large range of colored grouts for various purposes, including brown, gray, and tan.

Just as grout can come premixed or self-mixed, you can also find pre-colored or tintable grout. If you have a dark-colored grout, a tint can darken the shade even further. Doing so helps create more dramatic contrasts between the grout and tile. 

3. Opt for Matching Colors

Matching your grout to your tile (or getting as close to it as you can) will help make a space feel bigger. This design strategy is trickier to do if you are using tile with multiple colors or patterns. In that case, you should choose a grout color that matches the predominant color in your tile. Keeping the color as uniform as possible between the tile and the grout makes a major difference.

4. Highlight Your Tile’s Shape

While matching your grout to your tile is a good rule of thumb when making sure a space looks bigger, you should choose a contrasting color if you are trying to highlight a unique tile shape or pattern.

For example, if you are working with a herringbone-shaped tile, you might want to pick a color that contrasts with the tile so that it really makes the shape pop. In this case, you might consider pairing a white tile with dark gray grout so that the shape of the tile stands out. 

5. Match Your Existing Grout

If you are updating the tile in a room where you already have tile and grout, you should try to stay as close as possible to the current grout color. This helps keep the room's flow intact and will make your tile look more like a well thought-out part of the design and less like a recently laid addition.

6. Opt for Presealed Grout

One of the most common grout gripes is how hard it can be to keep grout clean. The reason grout is so hard to keep looking like new is that it needs to be resealed once a year. The seal helps to keep dirt from building up and prevents stains from setting in. Choosing a presealed grout that does not need an annual touch-up will help keep your grout cleaner (and your back and your knees will thank you).

7. Get the Best Grit

You will need to decide whether to use sanded or unsanded grout in your project. The difference between the two may sound counterintuitive. Unsanded grout has a smoother feel, while sanded grout is coarser because unsanded grout is created without adding sand in the mix.

Luckily, each type is better for different circumstances, making the choice fairly obvious. Unsanded grout is best for filling thinner gaps, vertical layouts (like your kitchen backsplash), and more polished tiles. You can see sanded grout in larger gaps where you might otherwise worry about cracking.

8. Bring Your Tile Shopping

When you are hunting for the perfect shade of grout, you should bring your tile along for the ride. If you rely on a photo, you may end up missing some crucial undertones in the tile that you would be able to pick up on in person. As with matching (or contrasting) the color of the grout to the tile, you want to match the undertones as well. Opt for grout with cool undertones for cool tiles (like whites and grays) and warm undertones for warm-colored tiles (like earth tones and yellows).

9. Check the Display

If you bought your tile from a home improvement store with a few pieces on display, and you like what you see, consider matching your grout to the one they used. An employee should be able to help you find the coordinating color. You can also show a photo to your local bathroom remodeling contractor, and they will help you find a matching option.