What types of Grout are available?

Grout was developed to effectively fill voids between ceramic or natural stone tiles, providing resistance to water penetration and to also prevent dust or dirt from filling the gap. The material when colour matched to a tile will provide a durable, hard wearing and practical surface finish that looks great.

There are three types of grout that are available to buy and each one has their own unique characteristics (please note – here at Atlas Ceramics, we only supply Cementitious and Epoxy Resin Grouts).

Dispersion Based Grout

This is a pre-mixed grout, which would normally come in a tub so you can remove the lid and start straight away (perfect if you are replacing a few tiles – or if you are new to tiling); is made up of acrylic mineral fillers, water based polymers and organic additives, and they are designed for the use of filling wall tile joints. This type of Grout is mainly available in white and falls outside the scope of BS EN 13888 (Grouts for tiles – definitions and Specifications).

Cementitious Based Grout

This is a powder based grout and is available in different size bags depending on the number of m² you may need to cover. These products generally consist of cement binder, aggregate and powdered additives, which may include polymers. This style of grout is more suited for grouting floors as well as walls and is available in a range of colours. Many professional trades will tend to go for this style of grout as it tends to have more characteristics such as being mould resistant. Admixtures can also be mixed with certain grouts to add flexibility – which is perfect if the area you are wanting to tile is susceptible to movement.

Cement based grouts can be divided into Narrow Joint and Wide Joint based on the required application. Narrow grout joints are typically used for filling joints up to 3mm in width, while wide joint grouts can be used up to around 20mm if required. Plus they are available in a wide range of colours including Ivory, Black and Jasmine.

Reaction Resin Based Grout

This grout type is specially formulated and consists of an epoxy resin and a curing agent. These grouts are impervious to water and also completely resistant to most chemicals making them perfect for lavatories and commercial kitchen areas; and like the cementitious are suitable to work on both walls and floors alike. These grouts are also easy to keep clean and maintain hygienically making them perfect for areas like hospitals too. These grouts are usual

There are further variances between each grout type also, for example with the Cementitious grouts, there is a C1; which is known as a Normal Cementitious grout and will have additional characteristics added to it such as extra flexibility. Then there is the C2 which is the Improved Cementitious and this has been modified with more polymers than that of the C1 to give additional characteristics such as reduced water absorption to the grout.

At Atlas Ceramics, we recommend Weber and have a wide range of their grout products in stock at all times.

For more information on the Mixing and Application of Grout, please take a look at our dedicated article. If you need help on choosing the correct grout type for your next project, please feel free to contact a member of the Atlas Team on (01425) 621173 or via e-mail: info@atlasceramics.co.uk