The Best Grout – & How To Pick The Right Color

If you’ve got a tiling project in your future, remember, bookmark, voice memo, tattoo, or do whatever you need to do to remember Mapei Flexcolor grout.

I know this sounds like I am overreacting, but take it from people who have grouted 7 bathroom floors, 3 showers, 3 mudrooms, and 2 backsplashes in the last two years: this grout has been life-changing. And no, this is not sponsored by either Mapei or Floor & Decor, which is where we typically buy ours (sorry, necessary disclaimer because this post is going to sound fairly gushy).

Why We Enjoy Mapei Grout

I will explain WHY we enjoy Mapai grout so much AND toss in some pointers for picking the right grout color (including our go-to color that works nearly every time). I also have a new trick for minimizing grout haze!

1. This Grout Is Pre-Mixed

If you’ve ever mixed your own grout, I do not need to say much more about why pre-mixed is a better experience.

For starters, it eliminates a lot of time and effort spent measuring out your powder and liquid additive, stirring it together, and adjusting until you get the right consistency. Instead, you can simply pop open a tub and get going.

But a lesser appreciated benefit of premixed grout is that it also ELIMINATES COLOR INCONSISTENCY. We ran into this problem when grouting our covered back porch. We used a dark grout for the first time and the way that we mixed/applied it caused it to dry lighter in some spots than we had hoped (some areas that we mixed ourselves must have been a little more watered down, so it dried a slightly distinct color in those spots). It was not a large deal, but we were certainly disappointed that after all that time and labor it did not look consistent. So using premixed grout means you do not have to worry about your color changing from one mixed batch to the next.

And the last thing I will say about pre-mixed grout is that it also stores well for touch-ups later (like if you drop something heavy and pop some grout out of a crack and you need to smear some more onto that spot, or if you see that you missed a spot). The tubs seal up nicely (firmly press the lid down until it snaps all around the perimeter and that is it), so I have truly appreciated reopening grout that is over a year old to use it for another project and finding it fresh and ready to go.

2. This Grout Does not Need Sealing & Is Stain Resistant

Again, need I say more? Likely not, but that is never stopped me before.

Tiling already has sufficient steps involved so I am consistently glad to eliminate one, especially the annoying ones at the end like sealing your grout to prevent stains. This Mapei Flexcolor is somehow formulated to prevent stains (how, I do not know – magic? crystals? the dark arts?) so all you have to do is let it cure for 3 days and it is good to go (you can walk on it after 24 hours).

I should disclaim that it is water-based stains that this grout is resistant to and like any “stain resistant” surface, you still likely should not slather marinara on it and let it sit for days. But we are over 18-months in on the beach floors and they are still looking as good as new. As in, not a single crack or stain. Anywhere. In any of the three bathrooms, the mudroom, the backsplash. Everything looks as good as the day we grouted it. In fact, I took the photo above this weekend, over a year & a half after we grouted simply to demonstrate that this stuff goes the distance. Looks like new, eh?

3. It is Crack Resistant & Shrinkage Controlled

Old grouts that we used to use recommended a special liquid additive in place of water that made it more flexible to assist it resist cracking or shrinking. So it was extra money and an extra step. Meanwhile, that feature is built right into this formula, and we have never had it crack or shrink in all of our years of using it – which is not something we can say about the other grout we have used (even with that special liquid additive).

4. This Grout Works For (Nearly) All Situations

Tiling indoors? This grout works. Tiling outdoors? Still works. Got a small 1/16″ grout line? Cool. Got a big 1/2″ grout line? That is fine too. This essentially means we do not have to debate over sanded or unsanded grout or worry that one product is better for one application, but we better use some other one for something else.

Now, if you read the fine print in the “Limitations” section of their brochure, it does nix some application scenarios – like not submerged in a pool or in saunas or steam rooms – but any basic bathroom, kitchen, patio, laundry room, or mudroom tiling scenario should be all good. And while they warn you that you should test it on sensitive materials like glass or marble tile first, it does say it is compatible with those applications too.

In the end, if you are unsure, consistently double-check or ask an expert at your store, but the range of use here is fairly impressive. Which likely explains why we have not purchased any other type of grout for the last few years. This stuff earns my final rose.

Picking The Right Grout Color

It still amazes me how much grout changes the wrapped up look of any tiling project, so it is essential to give some thought to the color you choose. If you do not believe me, Emily Henderson did a strong post a couple of years ago showing off the impact of your grout color section.

That being said, we use Warm Gray in 85% of our tiling projects. To us, it is the ideal neutral grout color that offers sufficient contrast to the lighter tiles that we choose (like white subway tile) while still looking strong with darker tiles (it nearly reads as white with a darker tile next to it, but is not as harsh and unforgiving of dust/dirt as bright white grout would be).

And since it is so agreeable to so many tiles, you can use it throughout an whole room to assist tie your various surfaces together (floors, walls, etc). For instance, in the downstairs bathroom at the beach house we used it on both the shower and the floor. It provides a distinct type of contrast in each spot – but using the same grout helps them work together.

And if you study that photo above, you can see what I mean about how crisp and white it looks when paired with darker tile, without being as unforgiving as bright white grout can be. That is the same exact grout color (Warm Gray) everywhere in the picture above – although it looks grayer when it is next to the white subway tile and lighter when it is next to the dark floor tile.

But if Warm Gray is not what you had in mind for a particular project, there are a TON of other colors to choose from that Mapei makes. I’d nearly argue that there are TOO MANY colors (paradox of choice, anyone?) so if you need or want something distinct, here is some advice:

Do not work off of paper samples. You might see posters or brochures around the store with the various grout colors, but they are not consistently especially accurate. Instead, ask an employee to borrow the stick samples like the ones shown here. If you ask someone at Floor & Decor they should be able to dig up these little plastic sample sticks for you to debate your options (they do not typically let you leave with them, so simply bring your tile to the store and hold them up to it). Not only are they truer to color, but it is a lot easier to place them right onto your tile and get a much better sense of what your final result will look like.

Pay attention to undertones. In addition to choosing your grout based on how light or dark it is, note how warm (yellow-ish) or cool (blue-ish) a color looks – especially as it relates to your tile.

For instance, I said we used Warm Gray in most, but not all, of our spaces. It is on the warmer side of gray (hence the name), but there is a cooler gray called Frost that Mapei also sells. We used that in a couple of rooms, like the one below, because the grays on the tile were a bit cooler and we hoped the grout to align with that.

Look around the store for input. If you are uncertain or nervous about your grout selection, see what you can learn while you are in the store. Most tile stores will identify the color that their tile displays are grouted with, so you can choose to simply mimic the display grout that they used with the tile you are purchasing, or you can go lighter/darker or cooler/warmer than what they show if you think you’d prefer that to what they picked.

I noticed our Floor & Decor store also has this newfangled grout selection tool. I played around with it a little bit using tiles in the store (you will want to bring your own tile if it is not something you are buying at the same time) and while I would not blindly go with whatever it tells you, it could at least assist you hone in on a few finalists.

Parting Pointer: Minimizing Grout Haze

Now, this Mapei grout does not seem to leave more or less grout haze than any of the other grouts we have used (you know, that film on your tile that is frequently leftover once your grout has dried). And grout haze is one of my least go-to things in the world because it is like the LAST THING I want to spend time on after having survived tiling and then grouting.

So a thing I experimented with in the duplex that worked truly well was doing a preemptive tile wipe while the grout was still wet. I do not have any pictures of this, so let me explain.

It only truly works with larger tiles, but after I applied the grout with my float and did a couple wipe downs with my damp sponge, I let it sit for another 5-10 minutes and then I used a rag or paper towel to dry simply the surface of the tile, being sure not to rub the grout lines themselves. It sounds more tedious than it was, because it truly was only one swift swipe (nearly like washing a window pane) and it in short wiped up all of the liquid that would eventually become grout haze.

Again, it is truly most practical on larger tiles where you can safely wipe the tile without touching the wet grout, but it fully saved me from having to buff the floors or use a grout haze remover after the fact. And you know how much I enjoy to eliminate extraneous steps!

Long story short: next time you tile, grab some Mapei Flexcolor grout (perhaps in Warm Gray) and think of me fondly when it makes things easier.

PS: If you are new to tiling and want to see the process from start to finish in one post, check outhow we tiled this kitchen backsplash for $200. And here is a post about all of our duplex tile choices & one about our beach house tile picks.