Over the last few years, there has become an increasingly larger market for darker or gray-colored grout. Many people want to get away from that traditional and pristine white-colored grout because of its overly clinical feel like you’re at the dentist’s office in your own home.
But it’s not just about the decoration aesthetic either. Some convenient reasons you may want to opt for darker tile grout. The main one is that it’s a lot easier to maintain and keep clean.
The problem with white tile grout is that just a tiny bit of dirt will turn it into an unsightly off-color, meaning you will have to clean it more often than you would like.
Thus, darker color grouts can save people from the rigors of constantly cleaning brilliant white tile grout. But this presents a new set of questions, such as what kind of gray looks best? And how dark is too dark?
Two of the most popular colors that people tend to look at are Delorian Gray (#165 on your color swatch) and Pewter (#19).
The main difference between Delorean Gray and Peter is that Pewter is a much darker color than Delorean Gray, containing 10% more black and a much richer CMYK composition. It comes off as considerably stronger and denser when compared to DeLorean Gray.
So today, we’re going to take an in-depth look at what sets these two colors apart so you can help make an informed decision on which grout color will be best for your particular application.
What is Delorean Gray?
If you aren’t familiar with what a DeLorean is, it’s a particular model of car manufactured just a few years back in the 1980s. Often car colors can become extremely iconic, with many looking to use that same color in their home decor.
But the DeLorean was a little extra special as it was massively featured in the classic 1985 movie ‘Back to the Future.’ Since then, the name DeLorean has become synonymous with that light gray/silver color.
Now that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to be a fan of the DeLorean to appreciate this color. Many people have found themselves gravitating towards it simply because it’s a fantastic, neutral, and inoffensive color that can sit well with almost any decoration style you can imagine.
Delorean gray contains a CMYK composition of 42 cyan, 36 magentas, 36 yellow, and one black.
Despite some claims that the color looks slightly black or even has blueish hues, this is usually due to the kind of lighting used in the bathroom and not the fault of the subway tile grout itself.
What is Pewter Grout?
Pewter, on the other hand, is a much stronger-looking gray color named after a particular kind of tin alloy with a prominent blue-gray hue.
Now genuine Pewter’s color can vary quite dramatically depending on how much tin, lead, or copper it comprises. But in the context of grouting color, it’s a very dark and warm brown color.
It’s one of the darkest colors you can find on a grouting color chart and sits nicely with other brownish colors, such as winter gray and natural gray, but Pewter has a more silver hue thanks to the lower yellow content.
The CMYK composition for Pewter is 54 cyan, 47 magenta, 44 yellow, and 11 black.
Because of its stronger color composition and increased blacks, it’s considered a slightly more stylized color and not as neutral/generic as DeLorean Gray. It’s nice to consider if you already have a very strong idea about how your tiles look.
What are the differences between DeLorean Gray and Pewter Grout?
These are great-looking white subway tile grout colors and are popular for many bathroom and tiling applications. But there are some key differences between them: those who need to pick that perfect color for their bathroom should be informed that you can be 100% you’re choosing the right color for your needs.
1. The difference in color
There are many conflicting opinions on what these two colors look like and how they differ under a particular light.
Delorean gray is quite a light gray color. It has a slightly lower yellow content and almost no black, meaning it will not develop any different hues depending on the lighting condition.
It’s also extremely neutral and balanced, making it versatile and appropriate for almost any decoration style. But it is still distinctly gray and should not be used as an ‘off-white.’ If that’s what you are looking for, you should go much lighter to something light and Antique white.
With that being said, Pewter is an even darker gray color. It’s far denser with a higher amount of black. Compositionally it’s similar to DeLorean gray but is simply higher in color values across the board. The only exception is the Cyan which is extra strong and gives it a slightly blue hue. However, this is very hard to spot.
2. Product availability
For the most part, you should be able to find Pewter any product that Delorean Gray is available in. However, we recommend researching your intended product carefully as DeLorean Gray seems to be the more popular of the two, so you’ll need to be extra careful and check that Pewter is available for that product too.
3. Water changes the color of the grout sealer
If your sanded grout is not pre-mixed and comes as a powder, you must mix it with water thoroughly before applying it.
However, you should always use clean, bottled, and mineral-free water as the impurities and metals in the water may change the color of the sanded grout during the mixing process. This will result in a color that differs from what you might have seen on the swatch.
DeLorean is affected by this much more than Pewter due to its lighter color, where the impurities will impact it much more.
Pewter, on the other hand, is already so dark you can barely notice a color shift (although we still recommend using clean water).
4. Which is the most versatile
When people are looking for a gray color, they often want the color to hold up even if the room’s decoration style changes later on.
But not all colors are neutral enough to look good in every decor style.
Here DeLorean gray grout is a great choice. It’s very neutral, balanced, and not overly flashy, making it a perfect and versatile color that you can feel safe using if you like to change your bathroom look-up frequently.
Pewter, however, is a bit more stylized with its darker, metallic color that contains much more black. You may face more trouble trying to get this to fit in with every kind of decoration style.
5. Easiest to maintain
Providing both are applied with the same brand/product as is each other, they should be identical in terms of difficulty to keep clean.
However, darker colors hide the dirt quite well, meaning there’s frequent cleaning needed to keep them looking clean.
For that reason, Pewter is a bit easier to clean as it is darker and won’t start to discolor as fast as DeLorean Gray grout sealer noticeably.
DeLorean gray vs pewter grout: Are they the same?
They should be identical in terms of pure functionality, how well they seal, and how resistant they are to cracking or flaking. Providing you buy the same product as these colors are offered across a range of products.
The only real difference between them is the color, which comes with some crucial distinctions.
- Delorean gray is a lighter gray color containing almost no black. In contrast, Pewter is a much deeper and richer-looking gray that includes some extra black and cyan, giving it a slight blueish hue in certain lighting conditions.
- Both of these colors should be available on the same products. However, as DeLorean is the slightly more popular color of the two, you may find that to be a little more accessible.
- Due to DeLorean gray being the lighter of the two colors, it’s more susceptible to color changes due to mixing it with water that contains impurities. Be sure to mix it with clean water, or buy a pre-mixed unsanded grout to circumvent the need to add water.
- DeLorean gray is a little more versatile due to its lighter color, which is more appropriate for a broader range of decoration styles.
- Pewter is a little easier to maintain due to being darker and is less prone to showing up dirt early. But DeLorean still does a great job with this, much more than a pure or brilliant white color.
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