Stylish makeovers that start with high-performance grout

For both professionals and homeowners, the first step in any tile installation project is choosing the right grout, which is available in a wide range of stain- and crack-resistant options.

Selecting the right grout will determine the long-term beauty and durability of a bathroom or kitchen floor. Custom Building Products, the largest manufacturer of tile installation systems in North America, suggests considering these things before starting a project to save time and money on maintenance over the lifespan of a tile floor.

Stains

Floors are susceptible to stains, so it’s important that steps are taken to prevent or minimize their impact. If a cementitious grout is selected for a tile project, a sealer like AquaMix Sealer’s Choice Gold should be applied after the grout has cured three days.

The alternative to applying a sealer is a ready-to-use, single component stain-resistant grout like Fusion Pro that does not have the porous characteristics of cementitious grouts, but cures with comparable hardness.

Mold and mildew

Every kitchen and bathroom floor is susceptible to mold and mildew, which is why higher performance grouts are used for many tile installation projects. Epoxy grouts and urethane-based grouts are common choices, but require more work and are expensive.

Highly stain-resistant, single component grouts that include Microban antimicrobial protection are an attractive alternative for resisting the growth of stain-causing mold and mildew.

Color

The growing popularity of tile that looks like wood has driven a trend toward picking a grout color that closely harmonizes with the tile color to help give the floor a single monolithic appearance. However, contrasting the grout color to highlight the tile size, shape or pattern can give a bolder look to a floor, which is popular with some homeowners.

A ready-to-use, single component grout is recommended, especially in large rooms to eliminate the time required to blend together multiple bags of powdered grout to achieve color uniformity. For more information, visit www.custombuildingproducts.com.

This article is courtesy of Brandpoint.