Ceramic tile grouts play an essential role in the beauty and longevity of tiled surfaces. Often overlooked but crucial, grout serves as the joint filler that holds tiles together, providing stability, preventing water seepage, keeping the installation sanitary and adding a finishing touch to the overall appearance. In this overview, we will explore the world of ceramic tile grouts, investigate the various types, installation methods, pros and cons and innovations. Whether you are a specifier, tile contractor or tile enthusiast, understanding the ins and outs of grouting will ensure your tiled projects will stand the test of time. With so many choices in grouts, it may be difficult to select the proper grout for your project needs.

Things change, the tile industry changed, setting materials improved and grouts got better. A couple of newer premium grouts are the high-performance cement grouts and premixed grouts, which both quickly gained popularity due to their ease of installation, consistent performance and excellent color consistency. While these new grouts are more expensive than traditional Portland cement grouts, the cost per square foot to upgrade to premium grouts is less today since the typical grout joint width is now between ¹/₈- to ³/₁₆-inch versus the ¹/₄-inch average gap width that was popular for years when setting tile. In addition, the popularity of large-format tile (LFT) designs versus the smaller tile size of the past requires fewer grout lines per square foot of tile due to increased coverage given the smaller joint widths and larger tile designs used today.