I'm glad you asked this question and I'll be watching to see what kind of responses you get. I'm having new tile floors installed next week and I told the guy I was willing to pay more for the epoxy grout if it meant the grout would look good long term. The guy told me the grout they normally use is a sanded poly-blend and it would not stain either, so there was no reason for me to pay extra for the epoxy. I definitely don't want to pay extra for something I don't need, but I'm really nervous about the poly-blend.

bump

msrose, polyblend grout (like the regular bags and boxes of Customs grout sold at home depot) will need to be sealed and will have to be resealed again periodically. If you use it in the kitchen, use a good sealer such as Miracle's Porous Plus that will repel grease, etc.

The poly blend is a lot easier to use and the installers prefer to use it, the clean up is a cinch. I swear by the urethane, we've used it in several projects and nothing stains it. The installers have to do a little at a time, quickly clean up then move on to the next small section. That takes longer so it may be more costly but imo, it is worth it in the long run.

I agree with scpalmetto.

We stumbled upon urethane grouts about 10 years ago and use them exclusively for floors and tile counter tops -- any horizontal surface that is likely to get dirty. At about 5x the cost of cement grouts, they are not for the economy minded. But, they pay for themselves over time because they are essentially no-maintenance.

As always, however, darker is better and these grouts usually require at least 72 hours before they are water proof. Also, apply in smaller than usual swaths, and clean thoroughly before moving to the next area. Once this stuff cures, it is nearly impossible to get up.

Sorry, Steve. I didn't mean to hijack your thread, Have you decided if you're going to use the Fusion Pro?. I read the reviews also and I'm hesitant to use it.

jellytoast - Thanks for the info. The sales guy told me the polyblend had a sealer in it and I wouldn't have to do anything to it. When I looked at the website, the only one I saw with a built in sealer was the Fusion Pro. I'm thinking about telling them to switch to the epoxy. I just hope they've used it before.

scpalmetto & Oldtime - Urethane and epoxy are different, correct? The sales guy said they can also use Custom epoxy grout. Would that be just as good as the urethane? I'm assuming the cleaning process is the same. That scares me that if they don't clean it properly, my new floors will be messed up from the start.

msrose: I was going to use Fusion Pro, but it doesn't come in the color we need. So back to square one!

I used epoxy grout (SpectraLock from Lowes) in my bathroom and it is the very best grout. It has been available for years and is proven. It's just expensive ($100/gal) and I was hoping to save a little money as the kitchen doesn't get as wet as the bathroom. I did my own tiling and the epoxy grout was a little harder to work with but not too bad. Instead of just water for cleanup you use a mix of water and vinegar. You have to make sure you clean it up fully before it sets as it is very difficult to clean off later.

For those who have used the Urethane grout, what brand did you use?

Steve

Uh oh. I think my sales guy may have been talking about Fusion Pro instead of epoxy. I just sent him an email, but I don't know if he works on Sunday. They're starting my tile job in the morning, so I have to make a decision pretty soon.

Steve - I found a long discussion on Fusion Pro on a tile website (initials are JB). I was going to include a link, but GW said I'm not allowed to mention it here.