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PERMACOLOR Select Grout Calculator: How Many 20 lb Bags?

Enter your area, tile size and joint width to see how many 20 lb (9.1 kg) bags of PERMACOLOR Select grout base to buy. The calculator follows LATICRETE's coverage chart T-10825-FD-1025, which covers joints from 1/16 to 1/2 inch, and is set so it never claims more coverage than that chart. For 12 x 24 in tile with 1/8 in joints, LATICRETE gives 429 sq ft per 20 lb bag; the calculator gives about 428.

LATICRETE PERMACOLOR Select coverage

Source: LATICRETE coverage chart: PERMACOLOR SELECT Grout, approximate coverage per 20 lbs (with Data Sheet DS-281-1026), T-10825-FD-1025, read 2026-10-17.

How the calculation works

grout per sq ft = 144 × (L + W) × J × T ÷ (L × W)
units = area × (1 + waste ÷ 100) × grout per sq ft ÷ joint volume one unit fills, rounded up

L and W are the tile length and width, T the tile thickness (the joint is assumed to be filled to full tile depth) and J the joint width, all in inches; the result is in cubic inches. This is the textbook grout formula, and it is the one this manufacturer's chart follows: worked back from every cell, the chart implies almost the same joint volume per bag. The calculator uses the lowest value any cell implies, so for every tile size in the chart it gives the same or less coverage than the data sheet, never more. Tiles not in the chart use the same formula.

Worked example

A 600 sq ft floor of 12 x 24 x 3/8 in tile with 1/8 in joints and 10% extra: 660 sq ft to grout. Each 12 × 24 in tile (288 sq in) carries (12 + 24) × 1/8 = 4.5 sq in of joint, 3/8 in deep. That works out to 0.84 cubic inches of grout per sq ft of floor. One 20 lb (9.1 kg) base bag + 2 color pods fills about 361 cubic inches of joint, so it covers 361 ÷ 0.84 = 428 sq ft. 660 ÷ 428 = 1.54, so buy 2 bags.

LATICRETE PERMACOLOR Select key specs

What PERMACOLOR Select is

PERMACOLOR Select from LATICRETE is a cement grout sold in two parts: an uncolored grout base in 10 lb (4.5 kg) or 20 lb (9 kg) bags, and a separate dry color pigment pod that dissolves in the mixing water. You buy the base for the area you are grouting and one pod for every 10 lb of base in the color you want. LATICRETE offers more than 150 stocked colors this way, including its 40 standard colors, plus custom colors through its AnyColor program. Because the color is mixed in at the job, a store only needs to stock one base bag, and you can keep base and pods separately.

The current formula, described in data sheet DS-281-1026, uses what LATICRETE calls Water Dispersion Technology. LATICRETE claims 20 percent more strength and 20 percent better stain resistance than the previous PERMACOLOR. It exceeds ANSI A118.7, the highest American standard for cement grouts, is rated for joints from 1/16 to 1/2 inch (1.5 to 12 mm) on floors and walls, inside and outside, and is marketed as never needing sealing, with antimicrobial protection and GREENGUARD low-emission certification.

How much one bag covers

The data sheet itself does not print a coverage table. LATICRETE publishes it as a separate chart image on the product page, T-10825-FD-1025, with approximate coverage per 20 lb (9.1 kg) for eight tile sizes and five joint widths: 1/16, 1/8, 3/16, 1/4 and 1/2 inch. A few examples show how wide the spread is. With 24 x 24 x 3/8 inch porcelain and 1/16 inch joints, one 20 lb bag covers 1,284 sq ft. With 12 x 24 inch tile and 1/8 inch joints it covers 429 sq ft. A 2 x 2 inch mosaic at 1/8 inch needs a bag for every 83 sq ft, and a 1 x 1 inch mosaic at 1/2 inch joints covers only 13 sq ft per bag.

The chart also gives one row for 1 inch penny round mosaic, 3/8 inch thick: 29 sq ft per bag at 3/8 inch spacing and 17.4 sq ft at 5/8 inch. Round tiles leave much larger gaps than square ones, so those two numbers should be used as printed rather than through the calculator.

How the calculator works

Grout only fills the gaps between tiles, so the amount depends on how much joint there is in each square foot of floor. The calculator works out the joint volume per square foot from the tile length and width, the joint width and the tile thickness, which sets the joint depth. It then divides the volume one 20 lb bag fills by that number to get square feet per bag, adds your waste allowance and rounds the bag count up.

The joint volume uses the standard formula 144 x (L + W) x J x T divided by L x W, in cubic inches per square foot. Worked backward from all 40 square-tile cells in LATICRETE's chart, that formula implies 361 to 366 cubic inches of grout per bag for every tile 6 x 24 inch and larger, and up to about 371 for 3 x 6 and 4 1/2 inch tile. The chart is therefore a straight geometric calculation, not a set of field measurements. The calculator uses 361.1 cubic inches, the lowest value any cell implies, so it never shows more coverage than the chart. For 12 x 24 inch tile at 1/8 inch it gives about 428 sq ft against the chart's 429.

On small mosaics with wide joints the chart is more generous than the formula: the 1 x 1 inch row at 1/2 inch implies about 468 cubic inches. The calculator will suggest a little more grout than the chart there, which is the safer direction. The chart has no 3/8 inch column; the calculator still offers 3/8 inch because the same formula fits both neighboring columns.

Entering your tile and joint

Measure the actual tile, not the nominal size on the box. Many "12 x 24" porcelain tiles are closer to 11 3/4 x 23 1/2 inches, and a smaller tile means slightly more joint per square foot. Use the tile thickness for the joint depth unless the joint will be shallower, for example where thinset squeezed up and was not raked out. Pick the joint width your spacers will actually leave.

A waste allowance of 10 percent covers what stays on the float, the sponge and the tile face. Textured or hand-made tile, wavy joint lines and a first job usually need more. Because base and color are separate, it is also worth rounding so that every batch uses whole pods: two pods for each 20 lb bag, one for each 10 lb bag.

Mixing, working time and cure

Put about 2 to 2.2 quarts (1.9 to 2.1 L) of clean water in a bucket for a 20 lb bag, add two color pods and mix with a drill until the pod film has disappeared and the pigment is even. Then add the base and mix for one minute at about 300 rpm. LATICRETE warns that the mix will look slightly dry at this point and says not to add more water: let it slake for five minutes, then remix for one minute. If it stiffens while you work, remix it with a margin trowel for 10 to 15 seconds, again without water.

Pot life is 45 to 60 minutes at 70°F. Spread with a firm rubber float, take off the excess diagonally, and wait about 20 to 30 minutes before the first light wipe with a damp, not wet, sponge; wide joints and cool rooms need longer. After about three hours, remove the remaining haze with a damp sponge or dry cloth. The data sheet gives a final set of 3 to 4 hours and heavy foot traffic after 6 hours. Pools and steam rooms need 14 days at 70°F before they are filled or used.

Check before you buy

The chart figures are LATICRETE's approximations, and real use depends on how full you pack the joints, how much you wash out and how even the tile is. If the result lands close to a whole number of bags, buy one more, or add a 10 lb bag; sealed bags keep for two years in a cool, dry place. Test a small area on porous tile, which can trap pigment, and do not use acid cleaners on colored joints. Always check the current chart and data sheet on laticrete.com before a large order, as figures can change between revisions.

FAQ

How much does a 20 lb bag of PERMACOLOR Select cover?

It depends on tile size and joint width. LATICRETE's coverage chart gives 429 sq ft per 20 lb bag for 12 x 24 x 3/8 inch tile with 1/8 inch joints, 856 sq ft at 1/16 inch and 108 sq ft at 1/2 inch. Large tile goes further: 24 x 24 inch tile covers 643 sq ft at 1/8 inch. Mosaics use far more: a 2 x 2 inch mosaic at 1/8 inch covers 83 sq ft and a 1 x 1 inch mosaic 43 sq ft. LATICRETE calls these approximate figures.

How much does a 10 lb bag cover?

LATICRETE's chart is printed per 20 lb, and a 10 lb bag of base is half the powder mixed with half the water and one color pod, so it covers about half: roughly 215 sq ft of 12 x 24 inch tile at 1/8 inch, or about 42 sq ft of a 2 x 2 inch mosaic. The calculator counts 20 lb bags; if the result ends in a half, a 10 lb bag can make up the last part.

How many color pods do I need?

One pigment pod for every 10 lb of grout base, so two pods per 20 lb bag. The pods come in cartons of 20, which is enough for 10 bags of 20 lb base. Buy pods and base for the whole job at once, and mix whole bags with whole pods so the color stays the same from batch to batch.

Can I use the calculator for 3/8 inch joints or penny rounds?

For 3/8 inch joints on square or rectangular tile, yes. The chart skips that column, but the calculator uses the same joint-volume formula that matches every printed cell, so a 3/8 inch result sits between the 1/4 and 1/2 inch figures. Penny rounds are different because round tiles leave wide gaps between the circles, so the formula does not apply. LATICRETE lists 1 inch penny rounds, 3/8 inch thick, at 29 sq ft per 20 lb bag with 3/8 inch spacing and 17.4 sq ft with 5/8 inch spacing; use those figures directly.

Does PERMACOLOR Select need to be sealed?

LATICRETE says it never needs sealing because it contains STONETECH sealer technology, and the grout has antimicrobial protection. If you choose to seal anyway, the data sheet says to wait at least 72 hours at 70°F and to use a STONETECH sealer. Clean it with a neutral pH cleaner, and never use acid on colored joints.

LATICRETE and LATICRETE PERMACOLOR Select are trademarks of their owner. This page is an independent estimate based on the published data sheet; check the bag label before mixing.