I just went back and re-read the long thread on epoxy grout, and now I'm even more confused. It also mentioned acrylic grout as a better option? I plan to have light-colored grout, maybe not white, but not too dark.

My GC pushed it on me and I wish he hadn't--not because the stuff is bad (I honestly can't tell) but because his guys weren't very good at installing it. If your guy isn't comfortable with it and you still want to use him, use what he's comfortable with. We have it in a shower (ceramic floor, glass walls), bathroom floor and counters (ceramic), and kitchen (stone floor). As far as I can tell, it behaves like normal grout and isn't all that special.

My epoxy grout on my shower floor still get mold. It's not bad, but nothing is going to be a miracle product that won't get dirty. I'm happy with it though. Install is more difficult & your installer needs to know what he is doing.

You might try the John Bridge forum for the latest opinions from actual tile installers.

But from my research into the topic, in preparation for my next remodel - cement grouts are indeed HARDER and more flexible than they used to be. Which minimizes things like cracking. But does nothing for staining. Cement grouts MUST be sealed, and resealed over time, to help prevent staining.

The newer grouts are extremely stain and mold/mildew resistant (they often claim stain-proof), and do not need sealing. Making them a huge step up over regular grout. None of that means you will never have to clean your grout. Just that it CAN be cleaned, and relatively easily. Versus old cement grout, where those stains would seep in and be stuck there forever.

I have seen some complaints about epoxy grout being harder to work with. Tile installers who are used to working with it say it is easy enough, but I definitely would not want a tile installer learning on my home.

I feel the more common pick these days are the urethane and single-component grouts like Fusion Pro and Mapei Flexcolor, which are pre-mixed (claiming to save you money on installer time, though I have never seen that actually pan out) and easy to work with.

In regards to price, they do cost more. But for a bathroom, you are talking what? 100 dollars maybe, total? That seems a drop in the bucket for a remodel, and certainly worth the advantages.

All that being said, while I would want to use a product my contractor is familiar with, I would also hesitate to use a contractor who is resistant to newer and better ways of doing things, because he has been doing something this way for decades, and sees no reason to change. Usually shower waterproofing is another big "I've never had to do that before" issue with that contractor.

The quality of epoxy grout varies by brand. That said, most epoxy grout doesn't grow mold or bacteria. It's soap and shampoo residues on top of the grout that can grow mold and bacteria. This happens of course especially during warm, humid weather, when soapy residues stay moist longer. All microbes need two things to thrive: water and food. Showers typically get wet daily, providing needed moisture, while the oils in soaps and shampoos provide the food.

Cementitious grout is very porous, therefore water, soap and shampoo along with bacteria and mold spores penetrate it. Both mold and bacteria thrive in this slow-drying environment. Having wet soapy residues and microbes within the grout, obviously makes cleaning much more difficult. Plus this type of grout needs repeated sealing - meh.

Epoxy grout on the other hand isn't porous. Soap and shampoo residues can't penetrate it, nor does water. This makes mold and bacteria growth much less likely, as a thin soap film on top of tile and grout will dry out quickly, leaving little time for microbes to multiply and thrive. A good bathroom fan can help with that. If microbes have managed to establish themselves, (typically during periods of warm temps and high humidity) they are not within the grout and are therefore a lot easier to get rid off. Mold and mildew spray for showers should take care of them, followed 15 minutes later by a hot sharp jet of a handheld shower, capable of washing off the soap film.

We've had silver grey (almost white) Laticrete epoxy grout in our MB for 10 years and in our kids/guest bath for 7 years. The shower, floors and walls are all tiled. I'v never ever had to scrub the grout. Ever. A couple of years ago, after a particularly hot and humid summer the grout started to have a pinkish hue, (telltale sign of shower bacteria). A quick spraying with a bathroom cleaner containing bleach, did the trick. Never came back, I haven't seen it since. All our grout looks like the day it was installed. No stains, no cracks anywhere.

Installing epoxy grout is not more difficult than installing cementitious grout. It's very different, that's all. It might be easier to learn to work with epoxy for people who have not grouted with regular grout and therefore have no expectations on how to do it. But really, it all comes down to this: Read and then FOLLOW the instructions. Eg: It's really important to mix small batches, as epoxy will cure quicker than regular grout, and the haze needs to be washed and wiped off within a certain amount of time. Do it later and it becomes increasingly difficult, and specialty tile cleaning products will become necessary.

DH and I who had never grouted before, were able to apply it very easily. If anything, it seemed super easy to get very even, uniform, professionally looking grout lines.

Totally worth the extra cost.

Everything Pippabean says! I have done my own epoxy Latacrete brand grout. Heavily used mudroom/bathroom with very light grey grout in black slate tile, looks wonderful 5 years later. Lots of dirty farm boots trample on this floor. In my other bathroom I used it on floor and shower. Shower is 4 years old and it looks like the day I turned on the faucet. I wipe my shower dry following my shower with a large fluffy microfiber towel. I have never had to "clean" the walls or glass. I have a cast iron shower pan and periodically clean it per Kohler specs for cleaning product.

I love epoxy latacrete grout. I love the latacrete products I used for all the tile installations.

eta, as mentioned a few post up, check out the John Bridge forum. They're SO Helpful.

I used it in one bathroom. Nearly killed me, but i made it look great. We have rust in our water. This group didn't stain. All others did.

it still nearly killed me. I get flashbacks.

Thank you to everyone for all the info. Very helpful! I met with the bathroom designer yesterday, and he mentioned using Mapei, the Ultracolor Plus, I think. In my notes on all my readings, I have noted that Mapei Flexcolor is (my interpretation) an "acrylic" grout, which sounds pretty good. But the Ultracolor appears to be a "premium cement" grout, which sounds not as good. I just don't want something I'm going to have to seal periodically. Any comments on how I am interpreting this information?

On a second topic, I asked about waterproofing the shower. He said the Durock is waterproof, and any water will drain into the pan, and so a waterproofing membrane is unnecessary. But what I've read contradicts that. I read a bunch of info on the John Bridge forum that said it is NOT waterproof, and vertical surfaces should ideally have waterproofing, and horizontal surfaces definitely should. So I will bring that up with him. When I asked about it, he said it cost extra and threw out the figure of $900, I think. That seems like a lot to me. Is there any way to estimate how much it should cost to put waterproofing membrane in a 4 x 5 foot shower? Overall, he seems like a real quality guy, so I'm surprised at this disconnect on the waterproofing subject.

Thanks for any info!

Fire him. He has no idea how to build a waterproof shower. You don't want to be his guinea pig. Don't settle for an iffy guy. Showers are expensive, and if not built correctly, typically require complete tear outs.

I'd ask on the Tile Forum for Forum professionals in your area and get a quote from them. Please know, many tile setters can make a living by just ripping out leaky showers and rebuilding them from scratch the correct way.

Best of luck with your project.

Fire him.

There are VERY few contractors who can Do epoxy grout. I would have a hard time hiring anyone around here. If they said they could do it, they'd probably be lying. Really.

If I do it again, I'll do it myself again.

Now you really need to start another thread because you are entering dangerous territory. Durock is a brand which includes cement board, which is not going to protect your wall assembly from water. It will allow water through, without damage to the cement board. BUT Durock also makes a shower product that is already water proofed. If your tiler is using that product he would need to follow manufacture instructions for installation. Find out exactly what product you are dealing with first. Then call the company and get the install specs. Then start asking questions and make your determination of how to proceed.

Btw, the epoxy grout doesn't stain, but the physical act of cleaning is the same.

Good info from everyone. Thanks so much!

As long a a sheet of poly is between the wood studs and cement board the walls do not need a membrane but the cement board it self is not water or vapor proof.

Roarah, thanks for the info. From my reading, what you suggest gets a wishy-washy vote from some people, I guess because the fasteners actually go thru the poly and compromise it to some extent. Do you disagree? I don't want to be the customer who is overly picky but, spending this amount of money, I do want to get it right the first time. I can't imagine that liquid or even sheet membrane waterproofing would cost that much in the big scheme of things. Thanks!

I am only a home owner and I opted for a Kerdi membrane system for my tiled shower install. I had issues though :( all fixed now but a PITA at the time.

I think creative tile, tundra or another expert should know better about specifics but if your installer is more comfortable with old school poly behind cement board and it saves money it is a feasible option that has been around for a long enough time to ensure its success., but there are new and more advanced ways too.

Price surcharges include labor costs and it is more detailed and time oriented to apply a membrane. I never question labor costs for things I know not how to do myself. Brain surgery and proper waterproofing are among the many things I can not judge surcharges of.

Check references and work if possible. A tried and true system might beat a new and improved method in the hands of one without expertise. New and improved in a novice's hands can too have issues. Good luck!

If I understand you said the designer said the cement board is waterproof not the tile installer. If this is a whole firm that only does bathrooms the designer really should known better, but might only know the pretty stuff. I personally wouldn't sign or agree to anything until I spoke with the actual installer and got specific details. I would also make sure it is all included in the contract. And of course I would vet the details here first. When asking to see past jobs don't limit it to recent ones, leaks sometimes take several years to show. Ask to see older installs also. One last thing, don't ignore the warning signs. You have had your first, don't let them multiply and get a poor install. Good luck.