The Spruce / Liz Moskowitz
When purchasing grout, you have a choice between sanded vs. unsanded grout.
Bothgroutsdo have some overlapping uses.
But your tile will look better if you might choose the best one for the job.
The Spruce / Liz Moskowitz
Seal with a pH-neutral, water-based, penetrating sealer.
Unsanded grout is easier to work with than sanded grout on vertical surfaces such as tiled shower walls.
Sanded grout is widely available, has the greatest range of mixed color choices, and reduces grout shrinkage.
The Spruce / Michela Buttignol
It sticks better to vertical surfaces with less of the slump associated with sanded grout.
Grout Widths
Sanded grout is best for grout lines ranging from 1/8-inch to 1/2-inch.
Grout lines wider than 1/2-inch are impractical and will crack and become unstable.
The Spruce / Liz Moskowitz
Unsanded grout is best for grout lines as wide as 1/8-inch and down to 1/16-inch.
Unsanded grout used in lines 1/8-inch or more will slump, crack, and otherwise not provide proper fill.
In theory, the sand content in sanded tile grout may damage these surfaces.
The Spruce / Liz Moskowitz
Sanded grout is so inexpensive because sand is cheap and it forms the bulk of sanded tile grout.
Sanded grout has a coarser texture, making it harder to clean.
Its porousness allows it to collect grime and dirt.
But, you’re free to clean it with a brush, cleaning solutions, and perseverance.
Also, if you have a minimal width between each tile, you’ll want to go with unsanded.
But if you have greater than 1/8-inch between tiles, consider the sanded key in.
The drying time between sanded and unsanded grout is roughly the same.
The time to cure is typically 72 hours.
Wait longer before exposing it to moistureseven days to be on the safe side.