Tile Grout and Adhesive — Mapei Ultracolor Plus, Everbuild Fix & Grout, Evo-Stik, and Choosing the Right Grout for UK Tilers and Plumbers

Grouting is the final step that makes or breaks a tiling job. The wrong grout in a wet room can mean cracking, discolouration, and damp ingress within months. The right product — properly applied — will last decades. This guide covers the main types of tile grout and adhesive stocked at APM Electricals, when to use each, and which products to reach for on different jobs.

Types of Tile Grout: What's the Difference?

There are three main grout types you'll encounter on UK domestic and commercial jobs:

• Cement-based powder grout — mixed with water on site. Most common for wall and floor tiles. Brands include Mapei Ultracolor Plus, Evo-Stik, and Everbuild 704. Good for joints from 1mm to 20mm depending on the formulation. Allows time to adjust.
• Ready-mixed acrylic grout — comes pre-mixed in a tub, no water needed. Ideal for small repairs, splash-backs, and light-duty bathroom wall tiles. PALACE Acrylic Tile Grout is a typical example — open the tub and go. Faster for small areas but sets slower than cement-based.
• Epoxy grout — two-part system offering near-zero water absorption and chemical resistance. Used in commercial kitchens, heavily trafficked floors, and some swimming pools. Not stocked by APM in this range.

Wall Tiles vs Floor Tiles: Does It Matter?

Yes. Floor tiles take impact, traffic, and — in wet rooms — standing water. A wall tile grout can crack and lift on a floor within a year. Key points:

• Floor tiles: Use a flexible, unsanded or fine-sanded grout for joints up to 3mm. For wider joints (porcelain flags, slate, natural stone), use a coarser or flexible additive. Mapei Ultracolor Plus handles joints from 2–20mm and is suitable for both wall and floor.
• Wall tiles: Standard cement or ready-mixed grout works well. Joint widths are typically 1–3mm. Evo-Stik Wall Tile Grout and PALACE Ready Mixed are both designed for this application.
• Wet rooms and showers: Any grout joint behind or around a shower enclosure should be sealed or use a grout with built-in water repellency. Mapei Ultracolor Plus has water-repellent properties. If using standard cement grout, apply a grout sealer after curing.

Tile Adhesive vs Fix & Grout Products

Some products — notably Everbuild Fix & Grout — combine adhesive and grout in one. These are excellent for lighter domestic tiling: splash-backs, bathrooms with standard ceramic wall tiles, around bath panels. They save a step when the tile is small and the substrate is sound.

For heavier tiles (porcelain, stone, floor tiles over 300×300mm), separate tile adhesive and grout give better bond strength and allow adjustment of open time. Don't use a combo product to bed 600×600mm floor porcelain — use a proper S1 or S2 flexible adhesive instead.

Grout Joint Width and Colour

Joint width affects which product you need:

• Up to 3mm: Fine or unsanded grout — PALACE Ready Mixed, Evo-Stik Wall Tile Grout, Everbuild Fix & Grout.
• 3–12mm: Standard cement grout, lightly sanded — Mapei Ultracolor Plus White or Grey.
• 12–20mm: Coarse grout or specific stone grout formulations.

Colour choice is largely aesthetic. White grout is traditional for bathrooms but shows staining over time in kitchens. Grey — Mapei's 112 Medium Grey or Bondit Grey — is more forgiving and remains the most popular shade with UK tilers on floor jobs where scuffs are inevitable.

Application Tips

Getting grout right is straightforward if you follow a few rules:

1. Allow tile adhesive to cure fully before grouting — check the tin, usually 24 hours minimum for standard set, 6–8 hours for rapid set.
2. Pre-dampen the joints lightly on hot days — rapid water loss from cement grout causes cracking.
3. Work in sections of 1–2 square metres. Grout left on the tile face too long will haze over, especially on polished porcelain.
4. Clean off excess grout with a damp sponge at a 45° angle to the joint — going along the joint will pull the grout out.
5. Once dry (12–24 hours), buff off the haze with a dry cloth. A grout reviver pen is useful for restoring white joints on older jobs.
6. In wet areas (showers, around baths), seal the perimeter joint — where tiles meet the bath or shower tray — with a flexible silicone rather than grout, to allow for thermal movement.

Ready-Mixed Grout — When to Choose It

PALACE Acrylic Tile Grout is a ready-mixed formulation: white, smooth, suitable for wall tiles with joints up to approximately 3mm. No mixing means no mess, no waste, and no judgement calls on water ratio. The trade-off is that it's slower to cure than powder cement grout, and it's not suitable for floor tiles or external use.

For a small bathroom repair — re-grouting a few tiles around a sink, fixing a splash-back — a 1-litre tub of PALACE is all you need. For a full bathroom strip-and-re-tile, a powder cement product will be faster and more economical per metre.

Products

Summary: Which Grout for Which Job?

Shop Tile Grout and Adhesive at APM Electricals

APM Electricals stocks a full range of tile grout and adhesive from Mapei, Everbuild, Evo-Stik, PALACE, and Bondit. Whether you need a single tub of ready-mixed for a quick repair or multiple bags of premium Mapei for a new-build bathroom, we have it in stock for next-day delivery.

Browse our full range: Plumbing Fittings | Bathroom Accessories

APM Electricals
24 Western Avenue, Acton, W3 7TZ
Tel: 020 8702 8080