I recommending avoiding white epoxies due to potential yellowing.

Have you looked at other single-component grouts, like Custom's FusionPro, Mapei FlexcolorCQ, or equivalent? You'll want your installer to be on board if your installer is not familiar. And if not familiar, you'll want your installer to be able to read and heed the installation instructions.

Had not considered that the epoxy would yellow! Thanks for the tip. I do not know about the single-component grouts you mentioned. Contractor was talking to installer about Prism. Installer said he could do it but as far as I know there was not another product discussed. I am not familiar with Prism or any of the single components you mentioned. I just know that they are tearing out the shower floor that was installed less than 6 months ago and are willing to do what I requests because the initial install was not good and the floor is already staining and an issue. I am open to any and all suggestions.

Mapai Flexcolor CQ is my favorite for shower floors. Antimicrobial, color is true and never needs sealing. Choose wisely, Grashopper.

You'll want a breathable grout that will need sealing. Epoxy grouts do not allow moisture or gasses to pass through, you will have issues down the road. Could be months...could be years, eventually the wet floor of the shower will pop loose.

Your wet floor has a pan liner under the tile. Your drain will allow moisture into this pan. Epoxy grouts trap the moisture and do not allow it to evaporate properly. Eventually the moisture will build up and force its way out. This also includes single component grouts, they do not allow moisture or gasses to pass through.

A standard sanded grout, like what your contractor is wanting to use, allows moisture and gasses to pass through...allowing the moisture in the pan liner to evaporate properly. You can seal this grout for added protection but sealers do not make the grout stain proof, it only slows the stain from penetrating (liquid soaps etc). Sealers slow the process of stains but allow gasses to pass through.

We learned the hard way. 3 jobs that took anywhere between 3-7 yrs for the issues to arise. We have also remodeled several showers due to other installers using epoxy grouts on the wet floor.

Epoxy grout is great everywhere else. Shower walls, backsplashes and main floors.

pippabean, I too am on the John Bridges forum. Both this site and that site offer fantastic advise.

You have highly qualified pros that have commented above. Maybe after another 33yrs I may meet pippabean's standards:)

Yep "Please don't believe everything you read on this forum."

Yep. I contribute to John Bridge Forums as well.

Creative and Avanti:

Hands down, the Tile Forum is the place for information on everything tile. This bathroom forum just cannot compare. It's too general. Most threads are started asking about layout and style questions. Nothing wrong with that, but a tile forum this is not.

Sticky threads are not possible on Houzz. There are no FAQ threads where people could look up the basics.

To be a source for reliable advice, a forum would need to be moderated. Misleading and incorrect advice would have to be called out. That's what does happen on JBs TF and isn't happening here.

For an example, just look what you guys just did above:

Avanti recommends the Mapei Flexcolor grout for shower floors, a grout that does not need to be sealed.

Cinar then contradicts Avanti and states among other claims, that the grout for the shower floor needs to be "breathable" and needs to be of a type that actually requires sealing.

Creative then circles the wagons with the other "pros" by posting that "Highly qualified pros have commented above"

He doesn't address the contradiction in the two posts or maybe doesn't even realize that they are contradictory. Who knows?

One thing is for sure: You guys have done a great job in convincing me that I was correct in suggesting to the OP to not believe everything she reads on this forum.

azmom1 -research the product that your installer plans to use. Technology has advanced greatly in grout products. All installers have a preference. You stated you have a small hex shaped tile. Recommendations could vary depending on whether it is stone, tile or glass. Also we do not know if you have a mud job ( water in, water out system) or a bonded system. I will not make assumptions. This possibly could weigh into a recommendation.

No one here is questioning the value of the JB forum. I have many friends and colleagues that contribute to it. I will also view threads to collect alternate views. There will always be differences of opinion as there are often more than one way to address a detail. This forum has a limited amount of pro's willing to donate their time to help homeowners. I agree with Mongo's statement about potential of white epoxy to yellow and Cinar's point of evaporation through grout joints as that is fact. No need for me to comment on them. Also fact is a great percentage of weep holes in a mud bed will clog due to minerals in water. Then where does the moisture go? Yes there are drainage membranes and collars but how often are they used? Also there are breathable sealers which are mostly used. Hmm.

We just had a new shower and pan redone. I was told sanded grout only.

One of my siblings started that profile, I don't keep tabs on them. I started mine roughly 4 yrs ago under a different name. Nice try though. Kelly (cx) gives good info but even he makes mistakes and we've gone behind him to fix them. (We live in the same town) If I'm correct, he does Schluter showers..or is it Kerdi? We don't deal with those products so I'm not sure. He's a nice man and he'll talk your ear off. Last time I saw him, he came in inquiring about what type of adhesive to use for a product. That was years ago.

And yes pippabean, I only recommend standard sanded grout for the wet floor of the shower. We mainly deal with traditional mortar beds in the shower, these beds have pan liners in them. The pan liner is there to collect any water that escapes the drain into the mortar bad. A standard sanded grout is needed to allow this moisture to escape properly. Upgraded grouts like epoxy and single component grouts do not allow moisture or gasses to pass through, trapping the moisture in the pan liner. --Now, hindsight is foresight and I should have asked if the OP knew what type of bed was installed. (most homeowners wont know) But then again, I will still only recommend sanded grout. We've been down that road and I sure as heck don't want the OP, or anyone else, to go down that road. That could easily be a $1000+ repair.

We've been in business since 1971. We've made mistakes and we've learned from them. My goal on this site is to offer advise and hopefully steer that consumer away from a costly mistake. In the end, it's their choice.

The pan liner is there to collect any water that escapes the drain into the mortar bad. A standard sanded grout is needed to allow this moisture to escape properly. Upgraded grouts like epoxy and single component grouts do not allow moisture or gasses to pass through, trapping the moisture in the pan liner.

The pan liner has little to do with anything that "escapes the drain." In a Water in Water out traditional shower, the pan liner directs water that has penetrated the grout, into the top mud bed to the sloped lined and down into the weep holes. Moisture isn't designed to "escape properly" through the grout...it goes down the weep holes...i t does not percolate UP through the grout lines. Epoxy and single component grouts simply limit the amount of moisture that can penetrate down into the top mud bed.

A non issue for me as I only do surface applied membranes like Kerdi or Hydroban......no water ever gets to the mudbed... therefore , weep holes are not needed.

When a shower is not in use, moisture will evaporate and will pass through a sanded grout.

I somewhat agree. Any water that does NOT go out thru the weepholes might actually escape UP thru the grout.......although most water does no go UP.

Water doesn't go up but it will evaporate and the gasses from the evaporation will pass through the grout. Maybe I should have said it that way from the beginning because that's what I am meaning.

4 car pileup houzz style

I love you guys.