Which brand of Grout do you prefer to use?

[wacker]

HAS TO BE BAL EVERY TIME. I HAVE USED OTHERS IN THE PAST, BUT FOR STOCK AND PRICE I NORMALLY GO WITH BAL. HAD A CUSTOMER LAST MONTH WHO PROVIDED DUNLOP FOR THE FLOOR. BIGGEST PAIN!!!:mad2:

 

[DS Tiling]

Bal or Dunlop.

 

[M_M_Suzie]

Mapei everytime...in regards to the grout going off quicker/consistency the tech dept can sort that you for you.:20::hurray::20::hurray::20:

 

[jay]

kemgrout down here others dont come close

 

[TJ Smiler]

Bal all day long for me............... Webber is pretty good too.

would never ever touch mapei grouts again as long as i'm tiling, used it on 4 jobs and four times it dried patchy even though it was all from one mix. Same thing happened to Wivers too


TJ

 

[vladimp06]

we tend to spec either butech or mapei products :lol:

 

[andy-p]

we tend to spec either butech or mapei products :lol:

butech must be one of the worst grouts to work with that ive used...

 

[sticky dude]

Mapei Grouts are great for their different choices. Flexible, Widejoint, Choice of 18 colours and not the boring grey, ivory etc etc Jasmin is a great colour choice, did you know you get longer shelf life with the Alu-Pak packaging? Also efflorescence free so no more disruption with salt spots appearing that you get with some leading brands. Mapei's prices are really competitive as well..

 

[vladimp06]

the worst grout must be butechs , horrible nasty stuff to work with..

I'ts only the same as bal maybe you mixed it wrong :lol::lol: only joking but it is made by bal and rebranded

 

[TJ Smiler]

Mapei Grouts are great for their different choices. Flexible, Widejoint, Choice of 18 colours and not the boring grey, ivory etc etc Jasmin is a great colour choice, did you know you get longer shelf life with the Alu-Pak packaging? Also efflorescence free so no more disruption with salt spots appearing that you get with some leading brands. Mapei's prices are really competitive as well..

I agree with you on most of what you said especially the colour range, not sure why i had so much trouble with it, i mixed it according to its instructions but found that it dried patchy and on a timber floor it actually cracked!!! This has never happened with bal (any colour) on any surface. When i phoned mapei up to ask why this keeps happening they said it must be the way i mixed it (mmm wonder how much grout i have mixed up over the years) i explained that i had mixed exactly to how the instructions had advised but still it dried patchy! they then explained that it must be something to do with the water or maybe a bit of my sweat had fallen in the bucket lol they also said that you have to mix enough grout for the entire area to be covered with one mix! i wonder how you could do that on a floor that's 88m2, even if you could mix enough grout to cover that area i doubt very much that any of us on here could grout up an area that size using once mix before it started going off in the bucket.

I'm not trying say your wrong mate but would love to know why this has happened so often and to quiet a fair few tilers, like i said before it has happened to wivers too and i find it hard to accept it's down to both of us being incompatent grout mixers.

any pointers on possible reasons why or tips on how you mix it would be appreciated cos they do have a cracking colour range and i would love to use it, but at the mo my trust in the product has gone.

Thanks mate

TJ

 

[jay]

with that many complaints seems like there is only one thing in common that could be at fault:8:

 

[TJ Smiler]

You ever used it Jay?

TJ

 

[jay]

no i havent so i cant judge the product just reading between the lines you cant all be wrong:8:

 

[TJ Smiler]

did think it was me at first but when Wivers phoned me up saying that it had dried patchy on his bathroom walls i knew we both couldn't have mixed it up wrong.

Anyone else on her had problems with this

TJ

 

[jay]

TJ quick quiz 1 grout all from same bag .2 mechanically mixed at slow speed .3 wait 5 to 10 minutes re stir to consistancy of toothpaste .4 dampen joints (if tiles draw moisture) .5 apply and wait to firm in joints. 6 wash of using minimal water .7 polish off .:8:8 Silicon if you do all of the above its not your problem:8:

 

[TJ Smiler]

Case closed then, cheers Jay

TJ

 

[andy-p]

you shouldnt really polish tiles until the grout is cured as rubbing the dry dust into the wet grout can cause discolouration..

 

[TJ Smiler]

cheers Andy but i think that pretty much goes without saying.

Have you used Mapei mate?

TJ

 

[bighen]

Mapei ultracolour rules

As long as you make sure you get the ratio consistent of course:lol:

 

[TJ Smiler]

Lol but thats the trouble you see bighen it patched even though it was all from the same mix!

TJ

 

[bighen]

Hi TJ.
Helps now I've read your previous post😳

I always with Mapei mix either 1/2 or full bags depending on area, tile size etc to the water ratio.

I always wait the same amount of time before I wipe with the washboy, and use the same washing routine everytime.

To date, even on large areas I haven't had a problem - not telling you how to suck eggs etc.

My supplier read me the riot act 1st time I'd bought it and gave me the fear of God!:yikes:

Must have worked though lol

 

[TJ Smiler]

Thanks mate, it's so strange cas a few people i know say they have nothing but trouble with it and would never use it and a few others like yourself really like it. Maybe i'll try it again cos i don't have a problem with their adhesive or Silicon or primer G itand would like to use this stuff cos the colour range is so goiod and the price ain't bad either.

Just a thought but when i mix up grout i do it by hand and with a rubber/surgical glove on, i wonder if the powder coating on the glove has an effect, maybe next time i should try it with a low speed mixer.

What you reckon

TJ

 

[grumpygrouter]

Thanks mate, it's so strange cas a few people i know say they have nothing but trouble with it and would never use it and a few others like yourself really like it. Maybe i'll try it again cos i don't have a problem with their adhesive or Silicon or primer G itand would like to use this stuff cos the colour range is so goiod and the price ain't bad either.

Just a thought but when i mix up grout i do it by hand and with a rubber/surgical glove on, i wonder if the powder coating on the glove has an effect, maybe next time i should try it with a low speed mixer.

What you reckon

TJ

Ultracolor plus should be mixed mechanically, not by hand.

 

[TJ Smiler]

Cheers Grumpy, will try that next time i get the chance mate. I know Wivers mixes by hand n glove too so i'll get him to have another go mechanically, am really curious to see if that would be the reason.

Only took me 9 months (last time i used it) to work out that maybe the glove had an adverse effect on the grout, oh well better late than never lol

Will keep you posted on the results

Thanks again

TJ

 

[Jantile]

I use Palace white grout for walls and Bal for the rest, they are my faves to work with.

 

[BDS]

Always used BALS grouts,but using mapei ultracolour plus which i like up to now.but which i use will depend on certain jobs etc.

 

[TJ Smiler]

After following the instructions very carefully and mixing mechanically exactly how i was told to by Mapei i used it on my job last week and guess what?? I have to go back and rake it all out because yet again it has patched!!!!!

Never ever ever again will i touch a single grout product from Mapei......... BAL is still number 1, never get any problems no matter what i do.

TJ

 

[grumpygrouter]

After following the instructions very carefully and mixing mechanically exactly how i was told to by Mapei i used it on my job last week and guess what?? I have to go back and rake it all out because yet again it has patched!!!!!

Never ever ever again will i touch a single grout product from Mapei......... BAL is still number 1, never get any problems no matter what i do.

TJ

I have never had a single problem with patching of Ultracolor Plus.

 

[TJ Smiler]

I have never had a single problem with patching of Ultracolor Plus.

Glad to hear it Grumpy and i hope you never do, but for me the risk of using it again after having so many problems and know a fair few other tilers who have had problems i think i will just stick with BAL, their microcolour range is superb, easy to mix (mechanically or by hand) is lovely to use, is well priced and never ever fails

Thanks

Tj

 

[andy-p]

i rarely use mapei grout anymore its too much hassle, i mainly use pci's , easy to mix ,apply and wash off and its top quality , why give yourself grief ??

 

[White Room]

Tried the pci grout once, sooooooooooo smooth