Grout color changeing

[Mario]

Never happened this to me before but recently done a job.i used mapei grout beige color and after it dryed looked a bit diferent color in places like it was wet and not dry.left it even after a week and still the same.used clean water clean sponge everything done right.also scraped the area and grout again and now is right.
Any ideeas why did that happen?

 

[Blunt Tool]

If you speak to Mapei about it which a few of us have they will tell you to lightly sand joints, marbling blamed on water content when washing off they say!

 

[Dumbo]

If you speak to Mapei about it which a few of us have they will tell you to lightly sand joints, marbling blamed on water content when washing off they say!

I'm not disagreeing with you but it shouldn't be that easy to mess up . Definitely something Mapei could improve on .

 

[Qwerty]

It's efflouescence. Its caused by over wetting the grout which in turn brings polymers, minerals and salts to the surface.

 

[Dumbo]

It's efflouescence. Its caused by over wetting the grout which in turn brings polymers, minerals and salts to the surface.

Yes but Mapei is one of the most susceptible to this . Also shouldn't be efflouescence as i believe they don't use Portland cement and claim to be efflouescence free

 

[Qwerty]

Efflourescence free if directions followed perfectly. Mapei is a great grout and still one of my favourites but efflourescence still occurs if over wetted. There has been occasions of patchy colour through not shaking bag or incorrect mixing too

@Mapei UK Marketing can help hopefully

 

[Mario]

Basicly was from the same mixing bucket as the rest.but only few grout lines were a bit diferent (wet look).
There were ceramic tile verry high absortion i noticed wen grout and cleaned.wonder if the case of that as well.

 

[Flintstone]

Stick to grout 3000!

 

[Dumbo]

Stick to grout 3000!

I would certainly try it if somebody stocked it in my town

 

[Mapei UK Marketing]

Never happened this to me before but recently done a job.i used mapei grout beige color and after it dryed looked a bit diferent color in places like it was wet and not dry.left it even after a week and still the same.used clean water clean sponge everything done right.also scraped the area and grout again and now is right.
Any ideeas why did that happen?

Hi Mario, all,

With regards to Efflorescence - this is the migration of salts to the surface of the grout, which when the water evaporates leaves a whitish bloom.

Mapei Ultracolor Plus cannot itself produce this because we do not use Portland cement which can release the salts. This is not to say that this can never occur as Portland cement can be found in the adhesive or substrate but as before it cannot come from Ultracolor Plus grout.

The shade variation can be due to a polymer found at the surface which can be attributed to excess water, method or tooling of the joints. The higher the polymer content in the grout the higher the flexibility and water resistance. This can be removed by lightly rubbing with a fine sandpaper.

I hope that this helps! If you have any other queries, please do call Mapei's Technical Service Deparment 0121 5086970 (option 2), open 7am - 7pm week days

Kind regards,
Mapei UK Marketing

 

[Dumbo]

I

Hi Mario, all,

With regards to Efflorescence - this is the migration of salts to the surface of the grout, which when the water evaporates leaves a whitish bloom.

Mapei Ultracolor Plus cannot itself produce this because we do not use Portland cement which can release the salts. This is not to say that this can never occur as Portland cement can be found in the adhesive or substrate but as before it cannot come from Ultracolor Plus grout.

The shade variation can be due to a polymer found at the surface which can be attributed to excess water, method or tooling of the joints. The higher the polymer content in the grout the higher the flexibility and water resistance. This can be removed by lightly rubbing with a fine sandpaper.

I hope that this helps! If you have any other queries, please do call Mapei's Technical Service Deparment 0121 5086970 (option 2), open 7am - 7pm week days

Kind regards,
Mapei UK Marketing

I just think that you should make grout which is less temperamental especially considering most tiles today are porcelain which don't draw any moisture from the grout therefore it is not hard to have excess water on the grout especially with slightly textured tiles on which Mapei ucp can be difficult to remove from to say the least.

 

[Flintstone]

I agree, it’s time grouts, all grouts were made to be more user friendly, and less chance of the problems mentioned above, shading, efflorescence, etc. Especially with greys.

 

[Blunt Tool]

Mapeis official stance above tilers fault!

 

[Italy]

Mario does not say he used ucp.
he says mapei grout beige

 

[Simon Dale]

If you had a 1000mts Sandpaper lol

 

[Simon Dale]

Had similar problems with Keracoll grey all patchy, rep advised cleaning with their acid product did it, still looked the same ! Wots the best ?

 

[Italy]

Had similar problems with Keracoll grey all patchy, rep advised cleaning with their acid product did it, still looked the same ! Wots the best ?

kerakoll porcelana?
it's the norm ... I refuse to use it.

 

[Simon Dale]

I won't again !! I do like Mapei as it stays in the joint

 

[Simon Dale]

I tried Ardex the other day, first time since C2 impressed

 

[Dumbo]

I tried Ardex the other day, first time since C2 impressed

Proper company

 

[Steve_Bcs]

I'm a reasonably competent diy'er & tiled a few bathrooms and kitchens over the years ( I'm 60). Patching just happened to me as yesterday using Mapei medium Grey 112 with grey 10mm porcelain slightly textured surface. Never had this before. I shook the bag but only mixed half, carefully weighed grout & water carefully measured, then mixed using a mixer ( drill attachment), left for a couple of mins and mixed again . Grout went on great and when started to dry, I used a very wrung out sponge (clean water) to carefully wipe excess grout off the tiles but not the joints. Wiped all over after about an hour - but again with only a barely damp sponge. All looked fine but this morning parts looked darker. I did try lightly sanding around one tile (to be covered by a mirror) and it did the trick but what a complete faff to have to sand more or less every joint to ensure an even colour, there has to be a better way and disappointing that Mape's answer is to resort to sandpaper. I did a metro tile spashback last year using silver grey - from Topps Tiles but cant remember the brand- not Mapei, was is a dark blue & white or blue & silver bag if memory serves. That went on using same method & dried perfectly and yet Mapei are peddled as the best grout on the market but with seemingly zero tolerance - even pro Tilers experiencing issues so it cant really be the tilers I wouldn't have thought.

 

[Bathfix Bob]

Ultra titanium does this aswell, dark patches.

 

[Mapei UK Marketing]

I'm a reasonably competent diy'er & tiled a few bathrooms and kitchens over the years ( I'm 60). Patching just happened to me as yesterday using Mapei medium Grey 112 with grey 10mm porcelain slightly textured surface. Never had this before. I shook the bag but only mixed half, carefully weighed grout & water carefully measured, then mixed using a mixer ( drill attachment), left for a couple of mins and mixed again . Grout went on great and when started to dry, I used a very wrung out sponge (clean water) to carefully wipe excess grout off the tiles but not the joints. Wiped all over after about an hour - but again with only a barely damp sponge. All looked fine but this morning parts looked darker. I did try lightly sanding around one tile (to be covered by a mirror) and it did the trick but what a complete faff to have to sand more or less every joint to ensure an even colour, there has to be a better way and disappointing that Mape's answer is to resort to sandpaper. I did a metro tile spashback last year using silver grey - from Topps Tiles but cant remember the brand- not Mapei, was is a dark blue & white or blue & silver bag if memory serves. That went on using same method & dried perfectly and yet Mapei are peddled as the best grout on the market but with seemingly zero tolerance - even pro Tilers experiencing issues so it cant really be the tilers I wouldn't have thought.

Good Morning,
As a general rule of thumb we would never recommend part mixing the grout as it is next to impossible to get the same quantity of the various chemicals mixed, as when mixed as a complete bag, hence the final finish appears patchy.

 

[Steve_Bcs]

Ok, not sure I read any literature to that effect? Could you point out where I might find that nugget please?

 

[Dumbo]

Ok, not sure I read any literature to that effect? Could you point out where I might find that nugget please?

They got a whole list of possible causes of everything .

 

[Julian 'Farmer' Bonsall]

I don't think I am capable of grouting 5kg of UCP in one go by myself. I haven't had a problem personally and have used UCP for the few jobs I've the last year or so. I didn't know I wasn't supposed to only use part of the bag (I do my best to tip it end to end a fair few times before I use it).

Are these problems more likely with certain tile types ? Are certain Mapei adhesives less likely to be linked to this? (I used mapeker rapid set last time).

[DiYer]

 

[Glynn]

Other grouts are available.

 

[Dumbo]

Other grouts are available.

Not in my tile shop . So please try harder to get them in .

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Grouted in Tilemaster 3000 natural grey.