Tile Grout

Which Selleys grout do you need, and how do you choose?

Selleys makes two grouts and one sealer for them, and the decision between the grouts is settled by a single question: is the area wet? Selleys White For Life Ready To Use Grout and White For Life Powder Grout offer similar benefits — neither requires sanding, both are crack resistant, and both resist yellowing and staining — but for use in wet areas, the Ready To Use grout offers superior water resistance along with resistance to mould and soap scum.

The other thing to settle before you buy is the one limitation that applies to both: they are meant for indoor use only. That is not a preference or a recommendation, it is the stated scope of the products, and it rules out an outdoor patio or an exposed balcony regardless of how the tiles are laid.

What this category covers

This section holds the Selleys grouts and the grout sealer designed to work with them. The listing on the live page is loaded dynamically, so the products linked below are the two the live sitemap lists under this path, plus the closely related cleaning products elsewhere in the catalogue.

How to choose

Ready To Use versus Powder Grout

Both grouts share the same core characteristics. Neither needs sanding, both are crack resistant, both resist yellowing and staining, and both are for indoor use only.

Where they diverge is water. Selleys White For Life Ready To Use Grout offers superior water resistance for wet areas, along with resistance to mould and soap scum. That second pairing is the one that decides a bathroom. Mould and soap scum are related problems — soap scum is largely what mould feeds on in a shower, so a grout that resists the deposit is also resisting the growth that follows it.

White For Life Powder Grout, which Selleys names on this category page, shares the no-sanding, crack-resistant and yellowing-resistant characteristics but is not the one specified for wet areas.

Cartridge or tub

The Ready To Use grout is also available in a cartridge for fine work and smaller jobs. This is worth knowing about before you buy a tub you will not finish. A cartridge suits regrouting a single run of joints, a repair, or detail work where spreading and washing off a whole wall's worth of grout would be more work than the job itself.

It is also described as water-based, easy to use and brilliant white, resisting yellowing, staining or blackening.

The sealer, and when to use it

Selleys White For Life Grout Sealer enhances the mould, water, stain and yellowing performance of Selleys grout. It helps lock out water and oil-based stains, soil and mould when used as a system — that is, working with the grout rather than as a standalone treatment.

Its application is specific and worth following exactly:

  1. Spray onto the tiles and the dried grout.
  2. Allow it to penetrate for one hour.
  3. Wipe off any overspray.

It can be used on both new and existing grout, but new grouting must be allowed to dry for at least three days before the sealer is applied. That waiting period is the instruction most likely to be skipped and the one most likely to cost you the job. Sealing a grout line that has not finished drying traps residual moisture behind the sealer, and the sealer cannot lock out water it has already sealed in.

The sealer is suitable for use with both cement and water-based grout, which means it is not restricted to the Selleys grouts — it can go over existing cement grout in a bathroom you did not lay.

If the grout is already stained

A sealer is a protective step, not a restorative one. Where existing grout has already discoloured, two other Selleys products are aimed at that problem: White For Life Tile & Grout Cleaner, which removes dirt and stains from tiles and grout, and Selleys Grout Stain Whitener, described as restoring the grout in a bathroom or kitchen and brightening the tiles.

The sensible order is to clean or restore first, let the grout dry fully, then seal.

The products in this range

Common questions

What is the difference between Ready To Use Grout and Powder Grout?

Both are for indoor use, need no sanding, are crack resistant, and resist yellowing and staining. For wet areas, the Ready To Use grout offers superior water resistance along with resistance to mould and soap scum.

Can I use these grouts outside?

No. Selleys states that both White For Life Ready To Use Grout and White For Life Powder Grout are meant for indoor use only.

Which grout should I use in a shower?

Ready To Use Grout, which is the one specified for wet areas with superior water resistance and resistance to mould and soap scum.

Do I need to sand the grout?

No. Both grouts are described as not requiring sanding.

How long after grouting can I apply the sealer?

Allow new grouting to dry for at least three days before applying the sealer. Applying it earlier seals moisture into the joint.

How do I apply the grout sealer?

Spray it onto the tiles and dried grout, allow it to penetrate for one hour, then wipe off any overspray.

Can I seal grout that is already in the bathroom?

Yes. The sealer can be used on new and existing grout, and it suits both cement and water-based grout.

Will the sealer fix grout that has already gone dark?

No — it is a protective product. For grout that is already stained, use White For Life Tile & Grout Cleaner or Grout Stain Whitener first, let the grout dry, then seal.

Is there a smaller pack for a repair?

Yes. The Ready To Use grout is available in a cartridge for fine work and smaller jobs.

What about the joint at the edge of the shower?

Perimeter joints move and are a sealing job rather than a grouting one. Use a product from wet area silicone there.

What does the Selleys Tile Grout product page offer?

The Selleys Tile Grout page (selleys.com.au/products/tiling/grout/) promotes Selleys Grout for completing tiling projects, noting its easy-to-use formula and range of colors to help achieve the desired look for any room.

What formats is Selleys White For Life Ready To Use Grout available in?

It is available as a 410g cartridge (Product Code 100732, Barcode 9300697125996) and a 1.4kg tub (Product Code 100726, Barcode 9300697125989).

What are the physical properties of Selleys White For Life Ready To Use Grout?

It is a water-based, ready-mixed grout that is white in colour, paste-form, water-dispersible, with a specific gravity of 1.38, and thermally stable when stored and used as directed.

Is Selleys White For Life Ready To Use Grout suitable for interior or exterior use?

It is specifically designed for interior tiling applications.

What preparation steps are recommended before applying Selleys White For Life Ready To Use Grout on a new tiling job?

First use Selleys White For Life Tiling Adhesives and let the tile adhesive set for 24-48 hours, then remove spacers, excessive dust, and debris from the joints before grouting.

What should be done when re-grouting an existing tiled surface?

For re-grouting work, old grout should be removed and the area cleaned thoroughly with Selleys Rapid Mould Killer before applying new grout.

What environmental conditions are needed for applying the grout?

Temperatures should be at least 10°C and conditions should not be damp when applying the grout.

How is Selleys White For Life Ready To Use Grout applied?

It is applied using a caulking gun to force the grout into the joints, then worked into the joints and smoothed using a rubber squeegee or grout float held at a 45° angle, moving diagonally across the joints to compact the grout lines.

How much area does one cartridge or tub of the grout cover?

For standard tiles measuring 300mm x 30mm with a 5mm joint depth and 3mm joint width, one 410g cartridge covers approximately 2 square metres, while the 1.4kg tub covers approximately 6 square metres.

What precautions should be taken with porous or textured tiles before grouting?

Porous tiles should be sealed before grouting to prevent difficulty removing grout later, and the ease of grout removal from matt or textured tile surfaces should be checked before grouting.

Does Selleys offer a product to protect grout after it's applied?

Yes, Selleys White For Life Grout Sealer (125mL trigger spray) is a water-based penetrating sealer designed to protect grout against stains.