John, if the grout date is expired, what effect does that have? I have a bag of Mapei special order grout that is expired. I'm not that picky about the color for the small (less than 1 square foot) tile inlaid tabletop project I want to use it for (grout is green, tiles are green, precise match not necessary). But is the solidity / intregrity affected? Thanks.

Expiration is not a color issue. The issue is the grout may not cure (harden) properly and can just crumble.

If the grout is expired then the cement portion of them mix is done. There is little to no chemical reaction left to take place. So the grout does not set up right and more of the colour particles can weep to the surface and be removed by sponge passes.

For darker grout colour choices Laticrete's Spectra Lock Pro grout is all I recommend. I've head that the line from Ardex is good and heard similar good news about Mapei's. I always use Laticrete's. I like the cleaning packs and the ability to remove minor imperfections in Epoxy shine with their Cleaning Pack "B" powder....

I bought a darker grout and kept adding it to the light one until it was the color I originally wanted. That was more trouble and expense, but it did solve my problem.

Thanks for the info. I was afraid it wouldn't set right, and you've just confirmed it. This small project doesn't justify special ordering more green grout. I'll have to figure something else out. Hopefully I can find some small quantity of off the shelf grout in a dark color that goes well with green.

After 40 some-odd years doing tile, this is the "bane" of MANY jobs. As has been said, cementatious grouts always seem to dry lighter than the sample. If the Homeowner insists on a particular brand and colour, I always ask, "Do you like it? Good, you'll never see it again..."

Be it Custom, Mapai or any of a number of grouts, generally pick a colour about 1-2 shades darker than what you think you'll like. Chances are, you'll like it! Grout is ALWAYS darker when wet. I've had the HO say that it looks beautiful (when wet)....I try to prepare them for the inevitable

Two things can be done to minimize this. First, don't mix the grout too "loose" of use too much water on the clean-up.....it only serves to dilute the colour. Secondly, with this type of grout, I always use distilled water for the mix AND the clean-up. It does help....and it's cheap.

Having said all that, whenever I can, I encourage them to use one of the more modern grouts....epoxy (very expensive and I "up-charge" for it...).Urethane, which is good...and my favorite "go-to" grout is CBP'S "Fusion Pro." The colour is precise, antimicrobial, never needs sealing and stainproof. Also expensive, but not in the long-term scheme of things.

Choose wisely, Grasshoppah.....

Does anyone know if grout can change the color of your kitchen backsplash? Putting up new tiles (some clear like some stone) and I feel if I go too dark the whole look will be dark. Anyone have any insight to this?

this is my tile and grout choices.

I just put in a kitchen backsplash with mixed tile. If you want the stone ones to

stay the same color they are make sure you seal them before you grout them

if you use a darker grout. I did not and it really changed the overall look of the

backsplash and kitchen. Luckily I like it, it came out darker and warmer.

After reading all these comments, I do not believe that it is an application issue. We just spent over $5000 on tile and installation and I was shocked when it dried. I wanted the colors to blend and the Mapie in Mocha came up 3 shades lighter. I did not want that look of seeing the light lines. Everyone that dealt with this project, tile salesman to installer to manufacturer wants to blame it on anything but the product. Question..does anyone know what color I can use to get the true Mocha(by Mapei) that I wanted in a color/stain product. If so what product have you used? My tile installer has had over 25 years experience and says he sees this quite often.

Anna, I have found the only way to get an exact match with complete uniformity in darker colors is to color seal the grout. The color can be customized on site and a test spot done and dried with a heat gun or blow dryer to insure the exact color when it is dry. We do this type of work every day. If you live in the NJ area I can help you out. If not contact me and I can guide you how to find the right oerson in your local area.You can check out an article I recently wrote about matching grout for wood look tile at
http://www.groutworksnj.com/can-wood-look-tile-really-look-like-wood-the-importance-of-grout-color/

Anna, it can most definitely be an application issue. Tilers often use too much water when mixing or applying grout. It can wash the pigment out. The tilers I have met seem to be oblivious to this even though it is written right on the bag.

There could also be effluorescence on the surface. A white chalky substance that can be scrubbed off with a light acid solution (or progressively stronger ones if that doesn't work).

The way to know if it is an application issue or just not the same color as the sample is to see if the grout is uniform. If all the grout is pretty much uniform in color and just lighter than the sample it is not an installation issue. If too much water was mixed in or used to wipe the color would be inconsistent in various places. You can read more useful information and tips on grout color issues and about general tile and grout issues that come up at
http://www.groutworksnj.com/category/news-articles/

I am intently reading these comments, because we have just had wood-look tile purchased from Lowe's put down (mahogany color) and I picked out a MAPEI grout (terracotta) that was supposed to be the color of the tile but was virtually white when dry. After going around and around, the restoration company contractor (this is a water-damage repair/replacement situation) removed all that grout and put down a PRISM product that is now looking weird: when you look at it from one angle, it is a dark brown, which it should be; but from a different angle it is battleship gray! What in the world is going on? I am sick to death of having my entire downstairs torn up and dust everywhere--am I just going to have to live with this?

Who is doing the work?

Grout is often mixed or worked improperly, with too much water which washes the pigment out. It's written on the bag. The type of water used can also cause problems if there are a lot of minerals in your water. In that case, I believe they can use distilled water. There can be a white chalky coating of effluorescense left behind after tiling (minerals on the surface) which is removed with a mild (hopefully) acid wash, moving to stronger acids if that doesn't work. Acid is not good for grout so a dilute vinegar wash (50/50?) should be tried first. You can find details on John Bridge Tile Forum.

Apparently this is a common problem when using dark grout--wish I had known this on the front end! I have just purchased a kit that is supposed to be grout stain custom matched to the grout color that will be applied to the grout. I do hope it works.

I have dark ebony colored grout in the house (DIY) and there was no problem.

Gosh, it seems repetitive to say I'm having the same problem but I'M HAVING THE SAME DAMN PROBLEM. Seems like the grout companies should find a way to remedy this. And like many have said everyone is pointing the finger at everyone else. Why on earth would a product be made that the color could be "washed away with too much water". Ridiculous!! Anyhow, same story.....picked dark gray grout and now its white. Hate it. I've read all the posts and it seems that the color enhancing sealer is the way to go?????? I feel like just pouring oil all over it since wet it's the right color. So disappointing that everyone, except for the straight up Ebony grout has gotten lighter. If anyone has advice on the best way to darken grout, please post an update. Thank you. I'm dizzy with searching the NET.

If you like it wet, try an enhancing sealer on a sample board or area that's hidden to see what effect that produces. I have read some people say the grout coloring looks painted on.

Too much water, either in the mix, or in the cleanup process virtually guarantees washing the colour out of cementatious grouts. Not the fault of the manufacturer....it's usually on the installer. If you thin out paint too much, same result.

Question is, why don't they know this. Worse yet, why don't they notice this and learn.

I finally used a colored grout sealer from Grout Shield. You can find it online at www.groutshields.com . I got paint sample swatches from Lowe's and laid them on the floor. I chose the color that I thought best went with my tile and had the company mix that color. It's very easy to apply and my grout now looks perfect. I don't think it looks painted on. I would highly recommend this product.

We are building a house and chose our backsplash and grout. In the design center the colors were a cream natural 2x4 natural stone and the grout was to be a slightly darker cream color. Of course we laid the granite and cabinet and floor tiles next to the samples to make sure we got that perfect match! Imagine my surprise when we show up on a Sunday to see the progress and the tile workers were busy tiling! The beautiful cream colored backsplash had been grouted and the tiles and grout have an orange-red tint to them while the rest of my kitchen is dark woods and a beautiful cream-brown-gray granite counter top. It looks hideous and the builder is unwilling to resolve the issue. They state that the codes all match up to what we selected but I am telling you, they do not! Any advise on how to handle this with the builder, and if there is no way to get them to correct the issue, what can I do to fix this problem myself? I see that there is a lot of advise on darkening grout, but what about covering an ugly orange-red to a lighter color?

I would keep trying to get the Builder to fix this. However, if that does not happen, go to groutshields.com and you might even call and speak to them and ask about a lighter color covering that. I have had good response and good luck using their products but ask them to be sure.

Thank you Denise!

Same problem... the grout is several shades lighter than the Mapei sample. The colour is completely uniform so I'm not sure it's user error. It's really disappointing. My initial reaction is to remove it all and regrout with a different colour but I'm concerned we will encounter the same issue. Ugh

I suspect it's the same problem with using too much water to clean up after grouting. Removing all the grout and starting over is a huge undertaking. I suggest you try the Grout Shield to get the color right.

We just spent a fortune to have all our floors replaced. For my beige tile, I chose a color described as "Sandstone," which looked like a medium beige (don't remember the brand) that would hide dirt, etc. It was supposed to turn out "a shade lighter." Well, not only is it three or four shades lighter and inconsistent, it's nearly white! I've gotten no satisfaction from either the contractor who laid the tile or the company who oversaw the work. The contractor actually argued with me about this! I am sadly disappointed in this project and don't know what to do. :(

In years of doing tile, I find that a customer's choice in grout colour is almost inevitably lighter once it dries. When wet, they say it looks great. I tell them "do you like that colour sample? Don't expect it when it dries. Always choose a slightly darker colour than you actually want.

My problem was that the grout installers used too much water when they were cleaning. This turned what was supposed to be dark brown grout completely white the first time they did it. Then when they redid it, they still used more water than they should have which removed good bit of a color pigment.

Becky, all I can say is that I would suggest you try the same company that I used to get the grout sealer and colorant. Grout Shield worked for me. It's been over a year, and my grout still looks great.

We had the same issue with Mapei grout: from Lowes's : was too light when dry. Went back to Lowe's and got a grout refresher with the color we wanted. Worked well. Does not look painted on.

I'm coming into the recent posts a little bit late, but for those who might come across this in a search, if you run into trouble due to using too much water to clean the grout off the tile, there's usually an easy fix for the chalky appearance the grout joints take on-- fine sandpaper. It'll loosen up that chalky crap which can then be vacuumed off, and show the grout color underneath.

This was Far More Than A chalky appearance. The color was completely gone from the grout.

I just purchased a new home and the grout is darker. In some lighting it almost looks pink to me but it's kinda terracotta looking. I wanted a neutral color. I was so upset. I'm ready to bleach it. Our tile has some grey and beige tones. Any ideas on how to lighten it??

I recommend trying the grout sealant colorant that I talked about. Over a year ago I had to use it to change the grout color in my entire downstairs, and it still looks great. Go to grout shields.com and take a look at their product.

I was reading about it, i'll have to do some more research on it. Glad to hear that a year later it still looks great. I was wondering how long it lasted.

We are having a home built and just finished selecting our tile & grout. We selected what appeared to be a perfect match for our tile. However after reading several threads here I am very concerned that the actual grout is not going to match the little Mapei plastic sample sticks as closely as I thought. Unfortunately, it is not a complete custom build so I don't think having a "sample" section done is going to be an option. I am thinking about changing my grout color to a few shades darker to compensate for it drying lighter. Is this a good idea? Does grout typically dry lighter than what people expect?

It was my experience that the tile installer used too much water when cleaning the excess grout off the tiles, and then they mopped the floors too soon, also putting water on the grout. If you can, try to get the installer to be very careful not to do this and it should help the color be what you selectec.

I had the same experience several years ago. What ended up working for me was buying another grout about three shades darker than what I wanted and making my own “custom mix”. I kept adding small amounts of the darker to the original color until it became the shade I wanted. I then put it over the color that was too light and sealed it. This has been several years now and it has lasted. Hope this helps.

It has been over 2 years since I used the Grout Shield and it still looks just like it did when I first used it. So it lasts!

I bought the grout myself because I wanted to get it right. The Mapei sample sticks appeared to be made of actual grout rather than plastic, which gave me more confidence in them. When the grout dried in my new bathroom it was far lighter than the sample. When wet it is the correct colour. Why don't they tell you? It ruins everything. I will try some of the solutions on here. By the way the bags just purchased were white with blue and red writing.

I used MAPEI Sahara on a grey wood plank tile and it came out a very light silver almost white. I have saved to do this project for many years and painstakingly picked out all the tile...tile for the bathroom I picked the biscuit color grout. All this grout came out a very light grey too almost a white and nothing like the color charts. Does Mapei even care about their customers? Guess there's always someone new to screw. Just adding my story to the you got screwed by MAPEI list! When you get screwed by Mapei it's nice to know it's just not just you... that the company could care less about you and many other people too.

I am so sorry this happened to you, too. If you are really unhappy with the color, I recommend you try the Grout Shield to "fix" it. Go to a hardware store and get paint color chips, pick out the color you want, then mail it to Grout Shields (after contacting them, of course). They will mix exactly the color you want; it is not hard to apply and it lasts. I am a very satisfied customer of theirs.

Leo567 I have solved my pale grout problem with Mapei colourant. It is called Fuga Fresca, comes in all the UK colours and is true to the colour samples. This product seals and colours the grout. It comes in a small bottle with a sponge applicator similar to shoe polish. I also rang Mapei Technical. I was given a contact name and email to send photos of the grout and the grout bag purchased. The person seemed genuinely concerned. Only sent the photos yesterday so will update when/if I receive a reply.

I'm not by any means a cheerleader for Mapei. Anyone who knows me will tell you I'll swear by Laticrete. That said, I've never had the problems with Mapei that I'm reading here, and in fact, they're my second choice after Laticrete.

The nice "concerned" man at Mapei Technical never got back to me, so they are now on my list of Never Use Again companies.

Same story. I picked out a dark grey I think it was Pearl Grey Maipei to go w Cle Tiles Slate plank floor tile. Grout looked awful - like 2-3 shades too dark when I wanted it to match.

Thankfully my contractor is lovely, he said if it wasn't what I wanted he'd make it right. He filed out the grout by hand (tile edges are slightly chewed up, but he warned me) and regrouted w Custom Prism grout color Charcoal. I was much happier with the results.

Now planning for my kitchen backsplash and this thread is making me reluctant to go with Maipei again, even tho on paper 77 Frost looks like it should be a close to perfect match to my Bedrosians Clara Matte Grey tile.

Ashley, considering this thread originated 15 yrs ago it appears Mapei has no interest in rectifying this problem. Why put yourself through the pain again?