Good call on the cement grout route. Epoxy can be a pain if you're not quick enough—learned that the hard way once. With regular grout and decent sealer, you'll still get solid durability without the stress. Sounds like you nailed it.
Totally agree with skipping epoxy—tried that once and nearly glued myself to the floor (true story, sadly). Cement grout with a solid sealer is definitely the way to go. Plus, from an eco-friendly angle, there are some great low-VOC sealers out there now that hold up surprisingly well. Makes breathing easier during application and afterwards, too. Glad yours turned out comfy...mine's next on the reno list and now I've got some confidence back.
Yep, cement grout with a good sealer is definitely the practical way to go. Epoxy grout looks great on paper, but it's expensive and unforgiving if you make even a slight mistake. Learned that the hard way myself—ended up with sticky patches everywhere and spent hours trying to clean up the mess (still cringe thinking about it).
Another reason I prefer cement grout is that it's budget-friendly. You can pick up quality grout at most hardware stores without breaking the bank, and as you've mentioned, sealing it properly makes a huge difference in durability and ease of cleaning. I went with a low-VOC sealer recently too, not just for eco reasons but because I can't stand that chemical smell lingering for days. Makes the whole experience less stressful.
Also, if you're still planning your reno, consider larger tiles or fewer grout lines if possible—cuts down on maintenance big-time. After my epoxy disaster, I switched to larger-format tiles in the bathroom and kitchen, and it's saved me plenty of scrubbing headaches since then.
Good luck with your reno—sounds like you're headed in the right direction already.
Totally agree on the larger tiles—best decision we made in our kitchen. Less grout means less hassle overall, and honestly, who wants to spend their weekends scrubbing grout lines? Sounds like you've nailed it with your bathroom reno, nice job getting through the epoxy nightmare!
"Less grout means less hassle overall, and honestly, who wants to spend their weekends scrubbing grout lines?"
Exactly my thinking. I've renovated a few rental bathrooms over the years, and larger tiles have consistently saved me headaches down the line. One thing I'd add—make sure your subfloor is perfectly level before laying big tiles. Learned that the hard way once... uneven surfaces can cause cracking or hollow spots later on. Glad you got through the epoxy mess; that's never fun.
