Epoxy grout - problem with the mix - Tile Advice

[Buzzard]

I've never used epoxy grout before and I'm just starting on a tiled worksurface.

The grout is (Litocrom) Starlike. It comes in a bucket, as a coarse paste, with a sachet of hardener.

I didn't want to mix more than enough for a very small area, just to see how hard it was to use. The trouble is, the mixing instructions say tip the whole sachet of hardener into the bucket, and mix thoroughly. That wouldn't let me experiment with a little at first, so what I tried was a mix of what I thought was the about the right proportion.

I'm guessing that I didn't use enough hardener, as an hour later the joints haven't hardened.

A couple of questions: if there isn't enough hardener in the mix, will it set eventually? or never at all? If it does set, will it be a poor joint?

Should I clean the joints out and try again if it doesn't harden later?

It's quite impossible (I think) to measure how much hardener there is in the sachet, so it seems very difficult to do a proper ratio. But I wonder what will happen if I use too much. Will the grout set in minutes rather than half an hour or so?

 

[borgie]

hi mate, u can only mix up the full tube at a time. it is calculated that way. if i were you i would rake out and start again. you will have to buy a new tub of epoxy as the 1 you have used will be no good now, due to the quantities being changed. take ur time with it. do small areas at a time. lots of warm water to wash off with. some epxy can take up to 24 hrs to set. read the label and follow the instructions and you should be fine. good luck.

 

[Buzzard]

some epxy can take up to 24 hrs to set. read the label and follow the instructions and you should be fine. good luck.

I've done as you suggested (and hang the expense of a new tub). Trouble is, the instructions only say to clean the grout "while the product is still wet", but it gives no suggestion how long the drying time is.

In fact, it's still pretty tacky now after two or three hours, so perhaps this is one that takes 24 hours. I'll find out tomorrow.

It took me a little while to work out how to use the emulsifying pads. Because they look like scourers I thought at first that was how they worked. Eventually I found that a very light touch and the suggested "circular movements" made the grout almost "foam up" on the surface, and leave the tiles nice and clean. And warm water was much better than cold.

The tiles do still feel slightly greasy, but I don't see what I can do about that until the grout is a lot harder. Whenever that is ...

 

[nybor62]

after you have used the emulsfying pads,you should be able to wipe clean with a clean sponge. we use a spray bottle and lightly spray warm water over then sponge off

im not familiar with that make of epoxy

 

[Buzzard]

Thanks Nybor, I did wipe clean with a sponge after using the pads: this was the next bit of the instructions, and as it said "now perform a second cleaning" I did it straight after using the pads. The tiles look clean and smooth: they just feel a little greasy if you run your fingers over them.

I just hope the grout has hardened tomorrow.

 

[Halves]

Can you divide A and B for smaller amount?

 

[Wolfius]

Same issue here… I have Star Like epoxy grout, so far I have mixed 6 batches. I also partitioned it out into quarters, so I could work with smaller amounts to reduce waste. The 5th batch is still slightly soft after 72 hours. I’m nowtrying a worksite lamp set over sections to keep it significantly hotter for a day or two, as well as trying to apply a thin layer of the solvent based catalyst for bondo over the surface of the grout. Frustrating, I’ll give it another week and fingers crossed