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Grout Selection for

Ceramic and Stone Tile

— What’s New

How does a tile contractor select the right type of

grout for a job when over seven choices are available?

Understanding the performance advantages and

limitations of each type of grout is the ﬁrst step. While

most grouts meet the requirements of a particular

ANSI standard, that does not necessarily mean that

the product will satisfy the needs of a project, the

ease of use demanded by an installer or the

performance expectations of an end user.

Contractors typically want a grout that has ample

working time, ﬁlls joints completely, dries quickly,

and is easy to clean off the face of the tile. They do

not want to have to return to the job to clean off grout

haze or seal the grout.

By Steve Taylor

Director of Architecture and

Technical Marketing,

Custom Building Products

Technical White Paper

GROUT

Summary of content (8 pages)

PAGE 1
Technical White Paper GROUT Grout Selection for Ceramic and Stone Tile — What’s New How does a tile contractor select the right type of grout for a job when over seven choices are available? Understanding the performance advantages and limitations of each type of grout is the first step.
PAGE 2
Technical White Paper GROUT It is important to understand the requirements of the project when selecting a grout. End use customers typically want an aesthetically pleasing grout that never changes in appearance. They expect the grout to wear the same as their tile and to not stain when exposed to household liquids, dirt and fungus. In the past, there has not been a single grout that could meet all these requirements.
PAGE 3
Technical White Paper GROUT Standard Performance Cement Grout: ANSI A118.6 A factory-prepared mixture of cement, fine aggregate, and other ingredients to produce a water-resistant, dense, uniformly-colored material for joints 1/8" or less. The fine aggregate is generally replaced with clean, graded sand for joints greater than 1/8". Cement-based grouts pack well into joints, and the joints stay full throughout the cleaning process.
PAGE 4
Technical White Paper GROUT Prism® SureColor® Grout’s hard, dense grout joints are also more stain resistant to common household staining agents than most standard Portland cement grouts. While many of the standard performance cement grouts do contain some polymer, they generally do not take advantage of the latest developments in polymer technology. On the other hand, high performance cement grouts have higher polymer content and benefit from years of development in polymer chemistry.
PAGE 5
Technical White Paper GROUT These two and three component grouts are composed of epoxy resins, hardeners (curing agents) and graded aggregates. They do not contain any volatile solvents or water and are considered 100% solids. Epoxy resins have more chemical resistance, primarily to acidic materials, than the more common cement grouts.
PAGE 6
Technical White Paper GROUT Furan Resin Grout Furan resin grout is a grout system consisting of furan resin and hardener portions. Furan grout is used in industrial and commercial installations requiring chemical resistance. Furan resin grouts are a highly specialized grout, a thermosetting polymer designed to withstand continuous exposure to temperatures up to 350° Fahrenheit.
PAGE 7
Technical White Paper GROUT SimpleGrout is easy to install and develops excellent stain resistance. Typically, pre-mixed grout does not have strong water resistance and should be used in dry or intermittently wet areas. One should consult the manufacturer for specific applications before installing a pre-mixed grout.
PAGE 8
Technical White Paper GROUT The tile installation is not complete until soft movement joints are properly installed. Consider the fact that there is movement in every floor and wall assembly; this movement can be from the curing of cement/concrete surfaces, thermal changes, or even settling of the structure. Placement of movement joints is described in ANSI and the TCNA Handbook. To eliminate cracks in the tile assembly, these guidelines should be followed.