Mortar and Grout are used widely in the construction industry. It differs in its properties and its applications. The water quantity differs between them, which makes them whole different from each other.
They both contain cement in them. It differs in their physical nature. Both of them are used effectively in binding materials.
Key Takeaways
- Grout is used to filling gaps between tiles, while mortar is used to hold bricks, stones, or blocks together.
- Grout is made of cement, sand, and water, while mortar can be made of various materials such as cement, lime, or clay.
- Grout is typically applied after tiles are installed, while the mortar is applied during construction.
Grout vs Mortar
The difference between Grout and Mortar is the quantity of water in both the mixture differs. The amount of water in Grout should be this much that its consistency is liquid and pourable, but the water in the Mortar should make it like butter. The consistency of Mortar should be like butter.
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Grout is made into liquid form so that it gets pumpable consistency. It is used to fill the joints. It has a water ratio in its composition high. Grout is highly viscous. It is available in different colors. It gets attached very easily and still does not loses water ration in it.
Mortar consists of pourable nature. It has a consistency like butter. The consistency is made so that it can be easily spread and gets stick to the trowel. It sometimes contains hydrated lime. This is used to slush joints, especially collar joints. It is not used to fill the collar joints. It is available in different types.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Grout | Mortar |
|---|---|---|
| Water | More | Less |
| Stiff | High | Low |
| Mixture | Water, cement, sand | Water, lime, sand, cement |
| Usage | Filler | Tile bed |
| Colors | Yes | No |
| Trowel | Applied | Not applied |
What is Grout?
It is made of water, cement, and sand. It has a flowing property which makes it highly viscous. There are many options available in Grout. They are resin and epoxy.
It is used to fill the crevices of walls. It is not used as a binding agent, but it is used to fill the gaps between the walls.
This contains a lot of water in the mixture. This does not degrade the quality of the material. If the water quantity becomes high in the mixture, it may degrade the quality of the mixture.
It will decrease its adhesive nature. It is available in a variety of colors so that it can easily be used with colorful tiles.
This is not used in bricks or stones for binding them. This is also used to fill the gaps between the ceramic and stone tiles. It prevents water penetration. It can also be used in the steel industry to fill the gaps in steel materials. It is stiff. This is not applied with a trowel.
Grout sometimes contains silica sand to increase its strength so that it can be used easily to fill the wider gaps. This does not include the usage of the trowel.
What is Mortar?
Mortar is made of cement, lime, and water. It is stiffer. It is used in bricks to bind. It has low viscosity due to which cannot easily flow into gaps. It is used as a tile bed.
It makes it easily bind to the ground. It needs a very low quantity of water in its composition.
The water should be very low in the mixture; otherwise, it may degrade the quality of the Mortar. The ratio of water should be less as compared to the cement ratio in the mixture.
It contains lime to increase its durability. It is widely used in construction materials.
It gets easily attached to the trowel. It is applied between the bricks so that they can stick together for a longer time. Lime is the main difference between grout and Mortar.
It is available in different types. They are cement mortar, lime mortar, lime-cement mortar, and special mortar.
It is made into a thick paste so that it is easily used in buildings. It is especially used in between stones and bricks. It works as a binding agent. It is less stiff as compared to Mortar. It is non-porous. It is often used in plastering.
Main Differences Between Grout and Mortar
- Grout has a lot of water in its composition, whereas Mortar has less water in its composition.
- Grout is less stiff as compared to Mortar.
- Grout is made of water, cement, and sand, but Mortar has water, lime, sand, and cement.
- Grout is used as filler, whereas Mortar is used as a tile bed.
- Grout is available in a variety of colors, but Mortar is available in a variety of colors.
- Grout is never used in the trowel, but Mortar is applied in the trowel.
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0008884600002751
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359836803000520
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
