Overheard a guy at the tile supply store say thin-set is cheaper than grout and it clicked

I was standing in line at Floor & Decor last Saturday getting ready to drop $80 on grout for a bathroom floor. The guy behind me was telling his buddy he uses thin-set for everything because it's half the price and holds up way better in wet areas. I always thought grout was the only option for between tiles because that's what everyone does. But he showed me photos of his shower floor from 5 years ago using just thin-set and it looked brand new. I ended up grabbing a bag of thin-set instead of grout for my 6x6 tile job. Going to try it on my basement floor next week where moisture has always been a problem. Anyone here ever skip grout and just use thin-set instead?

2 comments

2 Comments

lisas787d ago

Man that's rough zaranelson. I feel for you. A crumbly checkerboard floor sounds like a nightmare I wouldn't wish on anyone. I just don't get why people act like thin-set is some magic fix for everything when it clearly isn't meant for grouting. Sorry you had to learn that the hard way.

zaranelson7d ago

Oh man, I tried this once and ended up with a floor that looked like a toddler did it after three cups of coffee. Thin-set is great for holding tiles down but as actual grout? My basement bath looked like a checkerboard made of concrete dust and regret. The moisture problem? Solved, but only because the thin-set crumbled into a fine powder that absorbed everything. You're braver than me for even considering it on a basement floor.