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Cement-Based Grout vs. Epoxy Grout, Which Is Better?

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Updated: May 6, 2026

Choosing the right grout for your shower can make a world of difference in its appearance, longevity, and maintenance. Grout holds tiles in place and acts as a protective barrier against moisture. With so many options available, it’s crucial to understand the differences between cement-based grout and epoxy grout. In this blog, we’ll break down their key features, advantages, and what makes each type of grout ideal for different applications. Let’s get started!

Basic Differences Between Cement-Based and Epoxy Grout

When selecting grout for your shower, understanding what each type offers is essential.

Cement-based grout is made from a mixture of cement, sand, and water. It is a traditional option and is widely used for tile installations. It’s easy to apply, and most DIYers can use it with minimal experience. However, it requires sealing after installation to prevent water penetration and staining.

On the other hand, epoxy grout is made from a resin and hardener, offering a stronger, more durable finish. Epoxy grout is water-resistant, stain-resistant, and typically requires less maintenance than cement-based grout. It’s commonly used in high-moisture areas, such as showers, as it’s less likely to absorb moisture.

Ease of Application

  • Cement-Based Grout: Easier to apply and is ideal for DIY projects.
  • Epoxy Grout: More challenging to apply, requires faster working time, and may need professional installation due to its thicker consistency and quicker curing time.

Longevity

  • Cement-Based Grout: Typically lasts around 5–10 years, depending on maintenance and sealing.
  • Epoxy Grout: Lasts up to 15 years without needing repairs or reapplication, making it a longer-lasting investment.

Sealing Requirement

  • Cement-Based Grout: Needs to be sealed after installation to prevent moisture absorption and staining.
  • Epoxy Grout: No sealing required. It’s naturally resistant to stains, moisture, and mold.

Suitability for Various Applications

Depending on where you plan to use your grout, one type may be more suitable than the other.

ApplicationCement-Based GroutEpoxy Grout
Best for Bathrooms and ShowersRequires additional sealing and maintenance to prevent water absorption and mold growth.Ideal for bathrooms, especially showers, due to its resistance to moisture, mold, and mildew in high-humidity areas.
High-Traffic Areas like Kitchens or HallwaysWorks well for floors in high-traffic areas but needs regular maintenance.Suitable for high-traffic areas, offering better durability and easier cleaning.
Outdoor or Wet EnvironmentsNot ideal for outdoor use as it’s more susceptible to damage from weather and moisture.Perfect for outdoor installations or areas exposed to moisture, such as pools or wet rooms.
Stain and Discoloration ResistanceProne to discoloration and staining, especially in areas exposed to water and soap buildup.Highly resistant to stains and discoloration, retains its color over time and is easy to clean.

Cost, Durability, and Maintenance

Understanding the financial and long-term upkeep costs is a key factor when choosing between cement-based and epoxy grout.

FeatureCement-Based GroutEpoxy Grout
CostGenerally cheaper both in material and labor costs.More expensive due to higher material costs and labor-intensive application. However, lasts longer and saves money in the long run.
Bond StrengthHolds tiles in place but is less durable, prone to cracking under stress or heavy moisture exposure.Forms a stronger bond, more reliable for heavy-duty applications like floors and showers.
Curing TimeTakes 24 to 48 hours to cure fully, requiring a longer wait time before use.Cures faster, typically within 4 to 6 hours, allowing quicker use of the area.
Cleaning and MaintenanceRequires regular cleaning and resealing to maintain its appearance and functionality.Requires less maintenance, is naturally resistant to mold, mildew, and stains, and doesn’t need resealing.

Which Grout Is Best for Radiant Floor Heating?

If you’re installing radiant floor heating, epoxy grout is your best option. Its durability and resistance to cracking under heat fluctuations make it ideal for heated floors. Cement-based grout, however, may crack over time when exposed to the constant heat cycles of radiant flooring.

Conclusion: Why Choose The Shower Repair Centre

Cement-based grout is actually the weakest link in tile installation because of its many drawbacks, with the major one being its porous nature. Its pores allow dirt and other outside elements to find their way into the grout, causing staining and allowing mold and grime to embed themselves in the grout. A far better option is using epoxy grout, which is strong, durable, and requires light maintenance. While it costs more than cement-based grout, it lasts much longer, negating the price difference.

At The Shower Repair Centre, we offer a Diamond Re-Grout Service where we strip off existing grout and replace it with premium epoxy grout. This superior option is more resistant to stains, cracks, harsh weather conditions, chemicals, and climate changes than traditional grout. It’s perfect for areas with high traffic, and since it’s waterproof, it improves not only the bathroom’s aesthetics but also its functionality.

If you have a project you’d like to discuss, just contact us or call 1300 888 806. Let us help you enhance your bathroom with the best grout solution available.

FAQ

Is epoxy grout harder to apply than cement-based grout?

Yes, epoxy grout is harder to apply than cement-based grout. It is thicker, cures faster, and requires quicker application. While cement-based grout is easier for DIY use, epoxy grout offers better long-term durability and moisture resistance.

How long does epoxy grout last compared to cement-based grout?

Epoxy grout lasts longer than cement-based grout, often 10–15 years or more without cracking or staining. Cement-based grout is more prone to discoloration and moisture damage, and usually needs re-sealing every few years.

Does epoxy grout require sealing like cement-based grout?

No, epoxy grout does not require sealing because it is naturally water-resistant and stain-resistant. Cement-based grout is porous and must be sealed to help prevent mold, stains, and water damage over time.

About the Author: 

Mark Studdert is the founder of The Shower Repair Centre, specialising in shower leak repairs, waterproofing, leak detection, and bathroom restoration. With over three decades of experience, he pioneered and patented the DiamoSmart® technology, helping save leaking bathrooms without tile removal in 95% of cases. 

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With over 23 years of experience and 70,000 showers repaired to date, we guarantee that every shower regrout repair we will do for our clients is nothing short of what we will do for ourselves. You can have complete confidence that we will deliver the highest level of shower and tile regrouting service that backs up your company standards.

  • Australia's Most Awarded Shower Repairer
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Australia's Most Awarded Shower Repairer

Over 70,000 Showers Repaired

25-Year Product Warranty

24 Years In Business

Pioneered and Patented the DiamoSmart® System

Introduced and Uses SealRight SealRight™ & HydroBarrier Sealant

SETTING NEW BENCHMARKS WITH OUR HIGH QUALITY REGROUTING SHOWER SERVICE

There are many ways you can renovate your bathroom but if you’re looking for a quick and budget-friendly fix, regrouting tiles is the key.

The DiamoSmart® System, copies of which are now used throughout the industry, was pioneered by our founder, Mark Studdert. Before its invention, Mark noticed that the old method of regrouting showers caused small but visible chips to the edges of tiles and diminished the lustre of the tiles’ edge. He designed a small diamond-tipped grouter that would eliminate these issues when regrouting bathroom tiles. Our team offers a Diamond Re-Grout Service where we strip off existing grout and replace it with a premium Epoxy grout, which is more resistant to stains, cracks, harsh weather conditions, chemicals, and climate changes than traditional grout. This makes it suitable for areas with high traffic and since it’s a waterproofing grout, it improves not only the bathroom’s aesthetics but also its functionality.

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FAQ’s

The purpose of the grout is to emanate an unblemished tile appearance, while bonding the wall junctions and the floor and wall junctions – preventing wall and floor separation.

Grout mixtures must be selected carefully to make sure that dirt and other outside elements like mould and mildew will not seep into the tiles to avoid discoloration and possible leaks.

There are various ways in which installation can cause cracked grout in shower:

* If mixed with too much water concentration or additives

* If too little adhesive is used in tiles installation

* Cement-based grout can only handle the pressure for so long if a tile pulls away from the wall after the adhesive dries

Fact: Grouting is the weakest link in a tile installation.

Cracked grout in shower mainly happens due to movement between two surfaces with homes inevitably moving in tiny increments because of humidity, foundation settling, and temperature.

Even old or damaged grout can make the most beautiful looking tiles ugly and not to mention, it can cause structural damage to your home. Thus, immediate regrouting shower service is needed.

Regrouting showers and tiles is a quick and budget-friendly fix if mould has already grown into some parts of your bathroom. We highly recommend using epoxy over cement-based when regrouting tiles because it’s stronger, more durable, and only requires light maintenance.

At the first sign of grout damage, you must regrout shower tiles immediately. The longer showers are left with failing grout, the higher the chance that water damage is occurring to the wall behind your tile. The area of damage does not have to incur direct water spray during baths or showers to allow water seepage. Water that sits on the surface of tiles from shower spray or heavy steam will inevitably run behind the broken areas of your grout

Before the invention of the DiamoSmart® System, the old methods of tile regrouting caused small but visible chips to the edges of tiles and diminished the lustre of the edge of the tiles. The DiamoSmart® System eliminated this issue. Our exclusive procedure for regrouting showers is listed below:

* Remove any mouldy or deteriorated sealants such as silicon

* Strip the existing grout out of the walls * Strip out any damaged grout from the floor area

* Strip out grout from around the drain

* Prepare floor and wall junctions using our DiamoSmart® system. This system uses a diamond-tipped blade for regrouting bathroom tiles, removing the sheen from the tile edge creating a small gully in wall and floor junctions.

* Inject our SealRight sealant into the gully so it bonds the wall junctions and the floor and wall junctions – preventing wall and floor separation.

* Regrout bathroom walls and floor using commercial grade mould retardant grout

* Apply silicon to the internal areas of the shower screen

* Coat the internal shower area with our hydro barrier sealant creating an invisible glove to prevent water penetration. This sealant is painted or sprayed on the wall and floor tiles, waterproofing grout surface and beneath it. This soaks in and seals anything that is porous, such as grout lines and hairline cracks.

 

When regrouting showers and tiles, the type of grout matters and you should know that Epoxy grout is the most superior of all. Here’s why.

Unlike traditional grouts, Epoxy grout is made of two-part epoxy resins which are mixed with filler powder.

What does that mean?

Its composition makes it:

* Waterproof
* Nearly 100% resistant to stains
* Highly resistant to chemicals and physical pressure
* Doesn’t need sealing
* Low maintenance

These characteristics make Epoxy grout the best for regrouting shower and bathroom tiles. Its stain, crack and chemical-resistant properties make it suitable for areas with high traffic whilst its resistance to climate changes make it ideal for locations with harsh weather conditions, excessive amounts of humidity or severe cold. What’s even more interesting is that Epoxy grout’s colour remains constant throughout. The pigment of traditional grout can diminish easily during cleaning.

Moisture and direct water contact contribute to grout deterioration over time, and eventually, the tiles will crack. This is why you should consider regrouting shower tiles every six months. This is a quick and budget-friendly fix that can restore your bathroom’s previous glow immediately.

You should know that you need to call in a professional to do the tile regrouting for you. Even if you possess excellent handyman skills, small mistakes can lead to extensive damage to your grout and tiles. The cost to regrout shower is expensive and if the grout is not installed correctly, moisture can seep into small holes, causing mould and mildew growth, and may cause you to call for a regrout service earlier than expected.

Cement-based grout is actually the weakest link in tile installation because of its many drawbacks with the major being its porous nature. Its pores allow dirt and other outside elements to find their way into the grout, causing staining and allowing mould and grime to embed themselves into the grout, which requires an urgent regrouting shower service.

The best way to prevent grout from cracking is by using Epoxy grout which is strong, durable and requires light maintenance. Whilst it costs higher than cement-based grout, it lasts much longer, negating the cost to regrout shower.