Choosing between epoxy and cement grout sounds like a small decision. It isn’t. The grout you put in your shower today is the one you’ll be scrubbing, swearing at, or replacing in three to five years’ time. Pick the wrong one for your situation and it’ll cost you the price of the regrout again.
We’ve been regrouting Sydney showers for over a decade. Here’s the honest comparison — what each product actually does, when it’s the right call, what it costs, and what we’d put in our own bathrooms.
Quick comparison: epoxy vs cement grout
| Feature | Epoxy Grout | Cement Grout |
| Stain resistance | Excellent — almost non-porous | Poor — absorbs stains, especially in showers |
| Mould resistance | Excellent — mould can’t take hold easily | Moderate — porous surface gives mould a foothold |
| Lifespan in a wet area | 15–20 years before any regrout needed | 5–8 years before staining and breakdown |
| Cleaning required | Water and a soft cloth is usually enough | Bleach, scrubbing, sealers — ongoing |
| Initial install cost | Higher (specialised product + skilled installer) | Lower (DIY-able, less expensive product) |
| DIY-friendly | No — needs experience to apply cleanly | Yes — most homeowners can handle it |
| Colour options | Wide — including blacks that stay black, metallics, even glitter | Limited — neutrals only, fades and stains over time |
| Best for | Showers, splashbacks, wet floors, family bathrooms | Dry areas, low-traffic tiles, budget jobs |
If you’re regrouting a shower, the answer is almost always epoxy. If you’re regrouting a guest powder room that gets used twice a year, cement is fine.
Durability — where epoxy wins, and by how much
Cement grout is porous. That’s the whole story. Water gets in, mould takes hold, stains soak in, and the harsh chemicals you use to clean it (bleach, vinegar, commercial sprays) slowly break the grout itself down. Every clean wears it a little thinner.
Epoxy grout is non-porous. Water sits on top of it, stains wipe off, mould has nothing to grip. You can clean it with a soft cloth and warm water and it stays looking the same as the day it went in.
The lifespan difference is significant:
- Cement grout in a shower: typically 5–8 years before staining, chipping, and breakdown make it look tired (and start leaking).
- Epoxy grout in a shower: typically 15–20 years of clean, intact performance.
That’s why we use epoxy on every regrout we do at Leaking Showers Sealed.
Cost — what you’ll actually pay
Cement grout is cheaper upfront. Epoxy costs more — both the product and the labour, because applying it properly takes experience.
Approximate costs for a standard shower regrout in Sydney (one shower, full strip and replace):
- Cement grout regrout: from around $1,200 — but you’ll likely be paying again in 5–8 years
- Epoxy grout regrout: from around $1,800 — and you should get 15+ years out of it
Over a 15-year window, the epoxy regrout is cheaper. Cement looks like the budget option, but it’s the more expensive choice if you’re staying in the home.
(Note: every job is different — corner showers, large frameless enclosures, or tiles that need replacing alongside the regrout all affect the quote. We give upfront pricing after a site visit, not over the phone.)
Installation and cleanup
This is where most homeowners get caught out doing DIY.
Cement grout is easy to apply — you mix it, push it into the joints, wipe back the excess. The catch is the next day. The fine cement dust (we call it grout haze) coats every tile, every screen, every shelf, and it has to be cleaned off with a special haze remover or vinegar. Most DIYers underestimate how much work this is.
Epoxy grout is harder to apply — it cures faster, it doesn’t forgive mistakes, and you have a small working window. But the cleanup is minimal. No haze, no dust. We leave a shower that you can use the next day and the tiles look like the day they were laid.
If you’re DIY-ing, cement is the only realistic option. If you’re hiring it out, choose someone who specialises in epoxy.
Colour and look
Cement grout comes in a limited range of neutrals — beige, grey, off-white, sandstone. It fades, stains, and develops efflorescence (the white powdery patches that turn up on grout lines that you can’t shift). After two years it looks nothing like the day it was installed.
Epoxy grout comes in a far wider range — including:
- Deep blacks that stay black (no fading)
- True white that stays white (won’t yellow or stain)
- Metallics — gold, silver, copper
- Even glitter finishes
If you’re after a specific finish (Hamptons white, dark contrast grout for white subway tiles, a metallic accent line), epoxy is the only product that holds those colours long term.
When cement grout is still the right call
We use epoxy for almost every regrout we do. But cement grout is the right choice in some situations:
- Dry areas only — feature walls, splash-free zones, exterior tiling
- Low-traffic or rarely used bathrooms — guest powder rooms, holiday homes
- Budget renovations where you’re selling within 3 years — cement gets you over the line
- Historical restorations where cement matches the original construction
If a tradesperson tells you cement is fine for your main shower because it’s cheaper, ask them how often they’ve come back to regrout that shower five years later.
How regrouting with epoxy actually works
We get asked this a lot. The short version:
- We remove the existing cement grout — usually with a specialist tool, not by smashing tiles
- We clean and dry the joints
- We mix and apply the epoxy grout
- We clean the tiles back while the epoxy is still workable
- The shower is ready to use the next day
Most shower regrouts take half a day on site. There’s no demolition, no replacing tiles, no waiting for waterproofing to cure. It’s much less disruptive than people expect.
Frequently asked questions
Will epoxy grout crack over time?
Properly installed epoxy grout in a sound shower won’t crack. Cracks usually appear because the substrate underneath has moved (the bathroom floor settled, the walls shifted, or there’s structural movement). When that happens, no grout type holds — you need to address the movement, not just regrout.
Can I get epoxy grout in any colour?
Yes, including custom metallic and glitter finishes. We can show you the colour range during your site visit.
Is epoxy grout safe? I’ve read it contains chemicals.
Once it’s cured (24 hours), epoxy grout is inert and safe — there’s no off-gassing, no chemical leaching, no health concerns. While we’re applying it, our team wears the right gear because the uncured material has irritants. You don’t need to be in the room while we work.
Can you regrout over the top of cement grout, or does it have to be removed?
The old grout has to come out. You can’t apply epoxy on top of cement and expect it to hold — it’ll fail within months. Proper regrouting always involves removing the old product first.
Will the regrout fix my leaking shower?
If the leak is coming from the grout joints (which is most common in showers older than 5 years), yes. If the leak is from a cracked tile, failed waterproofing membrane behind the tiles, or a plumbing issue, regrouting won’t fix it — and we’ll tell you that on the site visit before anything starts.
How long does the regrouting work take?
For a standard shower, it’s a half-day job. The shower can be used the next day.
Need an honest answer for your shower?
If you’re trying to decide between epoxy and cement for your bathroom — or if you’ve got a shower that’s been regrouted before and you’re not sure why it failed — we’ll come out, look at what you’ve got, and tell you straight what’ll work and what won’t.
We service Sydney’s North Shore, Hills District, North Richmond, and the Hawkesbury region. Call 1300 815 512 or request a free quote.
