DIY First Time Trying Mapei Ultracolor Plus FA Grout - PRODUCT REVIEW - Grouting Shower Tile
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- čas přidán 29. 08. 2024
- DIY Shower Grout with Mapei Ultracolor Plus FA: I grouted the mudroom shower tile with Mapei Ultracolor Plus FA Grout in the color Timberwolf. I was a little apprehensive to use this grout because it got mixed reviews online. Some reviews said that it was difficult to work with and not good for DIYers or beginners. I am NOT a professional. I am a DIYer with very little experience with grout. This is the fourth time that I have grouted tile. With this project, I used a 3:1 (by volume) mixing ratio as suggested by the spec sheet for this particular grout. I mixed according to the package directions. Once applied to the tile, this grout dried REALLY fast. The tile I have is ceramic tile, and apparently this grout dries faster with ceramic tile compared to porcelain or stone. The grout was set and dry in 3-5 minutes, so at that time, I sponged it off with water, twice. In the beginning, I made the mistake of not wiping the tile down with a dry rag immediately after sponging it off. Once I figured out this step, things went very smoothly and the grout looked great. I will definitely use this grout again in the future.
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Mapei Ultracolor Plus FA Technical Data Sheet: cdnmedia.mapei...
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Your video was super helpful. Really glad I watched it before starting the project. Only thing I did different was to hand mix the Ultracolor with a 2" putty knife in a 1-gallon bucket instead of power mixing it. This expands the working time to the 10-15 minutes listed on the bag. I read that high speed mixing entrains too much air, making it cure much faster.
For anyone about to use Mapei Ultracolor Plus FA Grout, never, never, never use a power tool to mix it. The friction caused by power mixing will accelerate the curing of the grout to the point where it may cure before you can get it on the walls. Hand mix only.
yes
I always use my Milwaukee drill to mix the FA. The key to not having it take off on ya is mixing it for 4-5 minutes like recommended. The consistency is really noticeable when it’s thoughtfully mixed. If only mixed for a minute or two it takes off real fast. I learned the hard way. I use the product often.
How progressive, let's go back to the stone ages and mix with our hands. Fucking pathetic product.....I've been laying tile for 19 years, I do big jobs like malls and plazas.....I only use real grout with Portland cement.
This is absolutely false .. you can use one at low speed and not too much cause the air bubble will help the mix to cure faster ..
From Mapei tech data sheet: 2023-11-14 Mix thoroughly with a low-speed mixer (at about 350 rpm) for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until obtaining a smooth, creamy, homogenous paste consistency and a uniform shading of the colored grout.
To avoid rapid drying
1) you Can use a paint stirrer but at a very SLOW speed. (300 rpm or less)
2) in a hot, sunny &/or humid environment, use cold water. If water is not very cold out of the tap, consider adding ice cubes to get the water temperature down to about 50 degrees (wait until they have completely melted!) & use a thermometer.
3) watch the weather forecast and try to do the work on a better day (cooler, less humid)
--according to the mapie site, mix for 2 minutes -- it should be like peanut butter-- wait for 2-3 minutes, then briefly mix again to regain paste consistency. This is called "slaking", & it is necessary for the various materials comprising the grout to chemically interact. It does cause the mix to stiffen, but the quick re-mixing returns it to paste consistency.
Great and informative video. Great job.
Great tips. For the water I weighed it versus going by volume. My batch was about two laundry cups so to get 1/3 I used a scale and the water was perfect. The other tip I saw was to mix it by hand. The idea being that mixing it with a mixer adds air which causes faster curing. Thanks for taking the time to video your experience it was really helpful.
I am glad you found the video helpful. Several people have commenting about mixing it by hand. I am going to try that next time. Thanks
Hi there, thanks so much, this grout has scared me off until watching you work with it. The list of tips for the grout is gold. A tiler buddy also told me another factor in setup time is mixing speed. Mixing too fast makes grout and thinset set up faster. He recommended I get a slow-speed drill for my projects or mix by hand, a regular drill just goes too fast at full speed. After he told me that I wondered how many people just use their drill at full speed to mix and end up with super fast-setting material.
Nice work! Great example! Maybe this will help someone: Those that have trouble with setting too fast is over mixing and mixing at too fast of drill/paddle speed.
Check the directions! It says: Mix thoroughly with a low-speed mixer (at about 350 rpm) for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until obtaining a smooth, creamy, homogeneous paste consistency and a uniform shading of the colored grout. 6. Avoid prolonged mixing, which will trap air and shorten
the pot life.
And make sure you grout the recommended 4-5 minutes or it will take off on ya.
Just did a test area with the grout, using your tips was invaluable! I can't believe how quickly it was done. I'm now not afraid to go ahead with the grouting part of the project,
Thank you for your video. My first time grouting. I followed your recommendations: mix a small amount of grout at a time, do a small section at a time, and remove the excess grout within 15 minutes. I did my bathroom floor without any issues, and it came out fantastic. I was in full control of the grouting, because I was easily able to wipe the grout off within the time frame. Thanks again!!!
I like all the details you included. I think one of the issues with CZcams reviews on products is, they usually never say "read the instructions," or you can tell that they didn't read the instructions. But you clearly did and mentioned that in the beginning. So, kudos to you!
A little trick is to use a double 5 gallon bucket and put ice water in the bottom bucket to keep the grout cold.
I did a room last night with it and it had a very good working time and cleaned up well and I didn't do it super fast.
it worked great for me.
Nice go at it. I think if you just stick to the 3:1 ratio (no extra powder even if it looks a tiny bit runny) and use hand mixing (no power tools, grout is designed to be super easy to hand mix) your pot life's workable time is greatly extended. Also, cleaning up grout as you go with a microfibre towel really helps cut back on multiple cleaning passes and you did a good job of that. My first time grouting it took me 5 cleaning passes at trying to remove haze with is a total pain in the butt haha
It’s fine to mix it with a drill it just has to be low rpm. If you don’t mix the FA for the recommend time of 4-5 minutes it will take off on ya. When you get really good at grouting you won’t need any microfiber cloth for cleaning either. Just use clean water. Wipe back about a foot and half then flip then rinse and repeat. Overlapping like cutting the lawn.
Great video. You did an outstanding job. I do agree that a very dark gray or even black grout would highlight the distressed look a bit more, but that's okay it looks great as it is. It's definitely a great looking shower! After watching a zillion videos on the pros and cons of this grout I would say the most common denominator of the grout setting up too fast is the mixing speed. People who have testified to having hand mixed it have experienced no negative issues regardless of how studious they were about mix proportions or the ambient temperature. It truly seems like speed mixing this stuff is the number one cause of all issues from what I have perceived. Keep up the great work!
Just finished my first DIY backsplash project. Your video on applying the grout was very helpful! Turned out great. Thank you!!!
Nice video. Like most of my projects I’m watching DIY videos after I already did it. I got 30 minutes work time and spent another 20 removing the extra for a total of 50 minutes per batch. Did a shower in two mixes. I prefer normal grout but I needed to cover gaps from 1/16in to 1/2in and this is the only product that claims to be capable of that besides epoxy grout. I used a large spiral type of mixer with my drill and kept it turning slowly. I did read beforehand to keep the mix speed low.
Thanks for the video. I saw another one that said not to use it if you're diy-ing it yourself. I've got too much $ tied up in stuff past the 90 day return limit. So I'll mix by hand, do one wall at a time, and buff it after the wash (I thought the step on the bag was just showing another wash)
We used the Mapei FA grout this weekend. Cold water. Hand stir. High gloss porcelain tile. We ended up about 20 minutes to start wiping. Thank you for your video.
I also used it some time ago (for the first time) and did not have issues with setting too fast. But on top of using cold water, I kept the grout pot inside another pot containing ice and water. I also mixed it by hand.
Really helpful, thank you! Just bought this product and you probably saved me some frustrations.
Thanks for the video and review, I think you did a great job. I know how tricky this stuff is to use when I re-grouted my swimming pool in June in Spain! I’m now re-grouting my exterior terrace so I wanted a refresher on how to use this stuff. 😊
Thank you! I am glad you found it helpful
Your video cleared up a lot of questions I have about the application and removal timetable. Your project turned out great.
Very well done, thank you! There are career professionals that can't explain the prosess as clearly as you did. Something I heard from Mapei, if you use a high speed paddle mixer, it aerates the mix and reduces your working time to minutes. Best to mix it like a cake batter and fold it in.
I just did my grout job in our 2nd bathroom...and thanks for your video and tips it all turned out great! THANK YOU!
I did not use drill for mixing, but hand mixed.
Wonderful video!!!! I bought this grout and was scared after reading reviews. You saved my project!!! Love the tips!!! You represent us women diyers very well!!! Keep making videos. (Also, love the accent) You are amazing!
You took quite a few chances here. You did this job in high heat. You added more powder to the mix, above the manufacturer's recommendations. You mixed using an electric mixer. You initially missed the microfiber step. I would say you got lucky. This product has its risks, and it won't behave the same way for someone else, because all the details matter. I'm glad it worked out for you. Because your tile is distressed, it's not the best choice for analyzing grout performance. But the information you provide should be helpful to others. Thank you.
Ha! Don't I know it! I think the biggest problem that people have is it setting up very quickly, and it getting stuck to tile. I knew this going into it, so I did very small sections and started sponging after about five minutes of application. I think that is the only reason I didn't have any major issues. I think that if I had let sit for 10 minutes before sponging, then I would have been in trouble.
@@CountryGirlLiving Yes, under certain circumstances, this product is notorious for setting up far too quickly, with the haze (and product) sticking to the tile, with permanence. There are videos on CZcams where pros get caught off guard and then find themselves stuck dealing with the horrendous aftermath. Your knowledge and intelligence saved you. You knew how to test the grout for stickiness, even with gloves on. You knew when to stop grouting and start sponging. All of that saved your project. I'm afraid others won't be so lucky.
This comment is right to the point and reflects my thinking as well. She should have failed but got very lucky and i am not getting at her but at this product. I would say even after having watched 3 videos on it and read this whole comment section i still do not feel it is safe to use. I know how miserably difficult it was to tile LFT in the bathroom and the idea of even a slightest chance that grouting could jeopardizing all that makes me disagree with using this grout. Even her who knew of the ordeal and tried to avoid it only came a hair away from going under the train. Some people are lucky, i usually am not and have to very careful. At this point i am still banning this product. Also her "distressed" tile is not good to show how well the grout haze was removed. It does seem the tiles were a bit brighter at the beginning of the video.
Thanks for taking the time to make this great video. I'm about to use this product and feel more confident that everything will go well.
I am glad you found it helpful!
Your video was great. Your tips were very helpful. I'm glad I watched the video before applying the grout. I'll let you know how it goes.
The main reason it sets up in the bucket is because they mixed it very fast which introduces air into it, also using warm water changes the consistency. You also mentioned its hot out, so that is also a factor. Many people use a fan to cool themselves which is a nono, but only when you are letting it dry. If you see the bag directions they actually say to use a margin trowel to mix which would work the muscles. I notice you kinda babied it, but its fine to work within your means. Using it more liquidy is to give you a longer set time but it can be messy. Using the sponge for a couple of wipes and then rinse it is the best. You need lots of buckets of fresh water. I'm a fan of your work but not of the tile choice. Not my bathroom :)
Having a good car detailing experience, i would say that you can minimize the number of water buckets if you use the 2 buckets method. Don't immerse the dirty sponge on one bucket until the water goes dirty (it will go dirty almost immediately). Instead use buckets in pairs of two. First bucket is to wash off most off the grout of the sponge, second bucket to get the sponge perfectly clean. This will extend the clean water bucket much longer. It is also a well known technique to clean car finish to perfection. I'd say 4 buckets total, 2 + 2 will be enough for 1 pound batch of grout.
I recently tiled our master bath floor with porcelain tile and used this grout on it. I was thinking I would have to really speed up the process before the grout set up. I am amazed that on the first wipe down, the haze came right off and on the second wipe down, there is no haze left. It wiped off so easy, I thought I had done something wrong! The grout in the joints is taking about 45 minutes to set up and be firm to the touch. I used cold water and a margin trowel to mix it at a 3:1 ratio with an extra fluid ounce of water. Very impressed.
Yes well the problem is all the parameters you didn't mention such as season , weather temperature humidity, mixing speed, mixing paddle, tile finish. Please add all these to make you comment worthwhile otherwise it is useless.
You are very witty. Loved your opening with you slowly bringing up the bag of grout into the frame.
Thank you😃
Great video! Just finished putting in a tile floor and this is super helpful before trying to grout it. I'm probably going with the flexcolor at first, but eventually will be trying the ultracolor, and it was really helpful seeing another DIYer working through it.
Glad you found it helpful!
Thank you. Am using this today and am very glad to see your vid 1st. Am not a do it yourselfer but not a lot of tile experience.
Thank you so much! I just did a similar project (first timer) your tips were extremely helpful for a great finish (wiping twice AND the buffing)
Excellent video! Thank you. I'm about to try it and I'm very happy to have seen your video!
Well done. Your project looks great. However, you have reinforced what Jeff and others have said has given me second thoughts, so I'm taking mine back and going for some old school grout. Thank you for your review!
It’s because she used a mechanical mixture. You have to mix it by hand then you will have no problems.
I don't blame you. I think Mapei is doing a poor job at instructing failproof strategy to take control the grout setting off on you. It should be apparent to Mapei that their product is difficult to work with and a failure can ruin a whole tile job + demo which is a big deal, yet they're not taking the extra steps to make their product instructions more amenable. All these tips we have to search on youtube SHOULD be in the instructions. Also they should add a control system to the product, such as first doing a mock run on a spare piece of tile by mixing only 1/4 cup grout and clocking the time it takes for it to not transfer T1 then at 1 minute time interval try to remove a small band of grout each on the tile with a wet sponge until it no longer comes off which it T2. Then the customer knows his work time to remove all the grout is T2-T1 and must start cleaning the grout at T1. This takes the guess work out. i hate the feeling that i am gambling already done hard work because of a difficult unforgiven product.
This video is already a top hit for a general "Mapei Ultracolor Grout" search! One hint from DIYfferent's video is to use a slow speed mixer or mix by hand. They ran into the same problem when using a regular drill, but not when mixing by hand. I'm doing my first tile project so I'm being extra paranoid - I'm only mixing 1 to 2 pounds of Ultracolor at a time, with about 1/2 or 1 cup, respectively, of water, and just mixing by hand with a stick. It's actually pretty interesting to hand mix - it's hydrophobic at first, then sucks all the water up real quick and clumps, then smooths out. Interesting stuff. And 1 or 2 pounds is no big deal to mix up. I'm lucky that it's pretty cool and humid here right now so working time is ample. The other general hint is to do a rolling wipe - just once per side - then clean the sponge. That'll cut down on the smearing. I'm still battling haze, but that's because my technique is terrible. 😀
what I'm hearing is (correction, not 7 ) 3.5 oz cold water to 1 pound. Let me know what works for you as I am using this in a couple of weeks.
Enjoyed the video Country Girl.
Thanks RG
Good luck on your project! This grout is definitely different than normal grout! I am glad I didn't have an major issues. DIYfferent commented here and told me about the hand mixing too. I am for sure going to try that next time
@@RG_sssSMOKING That would be almost twice as much water as you'd want. 1 cup is 8 ounces. The instructions say 10 lbs to 1 quart. 1 quart is 32 ounces. 1 pound is a tenth of a bag, so roughly 3.2 ounces, which is shy of half a cup. I did accidentally mix one batch really wet. I didn't install it, but it did eventually set up. This is a mix-and-apply (no slake) grout, so you can tweak the mix if it's too wet or too dry as you're mixing. Just mix for a couple of minutes before making any decisions.
@@jasonostermann9294 Jason you are so right!! thank you for correcting me. How did you mix your grout? Was it hard to mix?
Thanks again.
@@RG_sssSMOKING Super easy (barely an inconvenience). Dump it in a small paint bucket, grab a paint stir stick, start stirring and folding. Just like cake batter.
Nice video and I hope everything is still great. I'm not 100% a 'tile guy' but I've remodeled a bunch of bathrooms and I've done a lot of tile. I tried this stuff out and will never use it again. I mixed exactly to spec and the grout failed. I had to regrout an entire shower and mosaic floor. Mapei wouldn't do anything but send me some proprietary sealer that the customer didn't even want to try. I NEVER once had a problem with cementitious grout other than a minor color difference. They are trying to reinvent the wheel. Do yourself a favor and use basic grout with a high-quality grout sealer.
Thank you for ur help it very informative 😍😍😍😍🙌🙌🙌
Great job and great info. Grouting my bathroom floor today.
I change the grout brand at the tileshop if owner picks Mapei grout , sets way to fast and sets worse in aussie summer , I dont have this problem with Ardex grout . I like your tiling CountryGirl , great job , less stressfull if you use a different brand grout makes for a better day .
like what ? laticrete ?
Wow, nice tile work, no lip page, even spacing….etc. love the DIY mentality: “what fun is a project without the chance of failure…..” 100%
Thank you!
Great video, you recovered nicely and figured out what you needed to do.
Just a follow up after I used some of this grout. I hand mixed a small batch using the 1 lb to 3.5oz water as the mix ratio and it worked out fine. I did find out after doing a test section that there is a product called grout release. My tiles are porous and were hard to clean after grouting. I called Mapei and they said to seal the tiles with grout release or a sealer. I bought Miracle penetrating sealer which is also good as a grout release. Tiled a test board of some spare tiles after I sealed them and they cleaned up easily. Hand mixing the grout using cold water made it easier to work with.
you are my new martha stewart, good vid
I love when Clarice Starling does renovations.
🤣🤣
Great video! I’ll use your tips this weekend when I grout our kitchen backsplash.
Good luck!
Other videos pointed out that overmixing with a drill is the major factor causing fast setting. It has to do with the amount of oxygen that's whipped into the grout. Handmixing appears to be best of all.
Nice grout job, it’s a great grout but do not to miss it with high speed mixer, do it by hand
I learned the hard way about this grout and more or less spoiled a floor tile job in a small bathroom. I used a regular drill, mixed it way too fast, and it started heating in the pail. By the time we went to wipe it down, it was too late. We literally used files and scrapers to make the result tolerable. Never again.
thanks for reporting to save others the same debacle. I guess the grout became the final finish of your tile faces.
@@ericastier1646 The only saving grace was that it dried so fast we didn't even have a chance to wipe it such that it could glaze the tiles. Like I mentioned, we were scraping and sanding groutlines for days to make it tolerable. But such is the life of a DIYer, some days are diamonds, some days are stone. Just have to learn from it and do the next job better/smarter.
@@DIYDaveOK I finished reading this whole comment section and just saw your reply. If it was only for you comment, you made a mistake but several others including contractor professional did not make mistakes (hand mixed with cold water) and still are swearing against this product. Clearly it deserves its stamp "AVOID"
I did what you did, kept adding powder until it got thicker. But other videos said it’s suppose to be like pancake mix. So it was hazing so quickly and ir hardened and wasted half my container. I like the color though. Need to just keep practicing with it.
Your job is amazing me and my wife loved. From seagoville texas
A great, informative video.
I tried this grout. As an amateur it is just too USER-UNFRIENDLY, dries to fast, too hard. I don't have the confidence to use it.
I'm giving this stuff a wide berth or I'll end up having to re-tile the lot. 😢😮
Thanks for your video! It was super helpful for me using this product on my backsplash!
Glad you found it helpful!
You did good these new grouts mix slow try to keep the grouting too in the morning
Good point in the summer morning are relatively cooler. So grout early morning.
I used this on my bathroom floor, its a great grout but it sets fast, You need to get wiped down quickly or its hard to get off, the wipe down with cloth after is important, I didn't do it the first time and had to use a grout stain remover to remove the haze, after that I did what you did and had no issues, but for those people who are new there is another gotcha, whatever you do only handmix this product, if you use a mechanical mixer you are going to have serious issues due to air content and it'll set ludicrously fast.
Thanks for all the tips! It helped the job go smooth.
Glad it helped!
Mapai told another youtuber who experienced a nightmare, that the reason for fast setup is using a HIGH SPEED drill to mix. It introduces too much air to the grout and causes fast set up. I just called Mapaei to conform. Run drill on low speed, so less air is introduced. Also, no letting sit and remixing. Just a single 3-4 min mix at low speed.
Mapei needs to be sued for the minimal instruction and guidance they provide for this grout. It is obviously too problematic across parameters some of them not under control (weather, temperature, tile type)
Good video tips for the product. Awesome eyes
Was watching another video, they claim that Mapei support told them not to use a mixer, as it introduces too much air, causing the grout to cure super fast. Mix the ultracolor with a paint stick instead, and it will have the working time listed on the package.
I am going to try that next time i use it. Thanks
A paint stick is not sturdy enough, it flexes with paint, it will break with grout. Mapei need to be fired.
If the mix gets hard in the bucket.. never add water .. that’s right but mixed it again it will ger smooter and really easy to work 😊
Mixing too much also shorten the set time, which is what you did. And so much for following the directions exactly!
Elcellent instructional video, I learned alot, Thank you.
You might slow down you mixer as you're introducing a ton of air while whipping. That may get you more than 5 minutes. Thanks for the video!
never use a high speed drill wend you mix,mix it by hand it will slow down the harden reaction.nice video!
Just watched another video that said using a high speed paddle mixer introduces a lot of air into the grout causing the grout to setup in
minutes
You got this !
Super helpful. Thank you for your video!
Thank you!
Seems easy enough. I’ve grouted a few miles of joints now getting ready to do the bathroom floor. I do have one question that would make this project worry free……do you make house calls ?
The more videos I watch the bigger my headache and fear or using gets🤩
That is a cracked tile. It is not part of the tile design - we have the same one in blue.
It is thin ceramic tile so this can happen when too much force is used during install.
No, it was not cracked. It was the printed design.
@@CountryGirlLiving This is hilarious. I never got the point of "distressed" products (jeans, furniture and now tile), why buy at new price to get artificially aged looking products. I dislike anything that is fake and pretends to be something it is not, this is a current trend, i cannot wait for it to be over and seen as ridiculous.
Hi, thank you for this video, you did an excellent work, I used the same kind of grout on my bathroom floor (1/16 of an inch) all went rigth except that after the grout dryed it can be remove just by rubbing a finger, it does becomes pauder again, so I called the manufacter they say that I need to seal it, this is very interesting becuse the Lowes website saids that no sealer necesary but the bag says not typically, bottom line I am stock with this grout in two new bathroom floors, today I purchased a sealer at home depot and try it around a couple of tiles let see how it goes. Any suggestions anyone? thank you
It sets up faster if you use a drill to mix it, that creates air and it dries it out. Supposed to hand mix. Just watched another video about that. Yours turned out pretty though. Never grout corners.
Yeah only other tip is mix by hand. High-speed mixing introduces too much air to the mixture and causes accelerated drying.
When you dry mix, you don't just shake the bag a bit - you dump the entire thing into a bucket and thoroughly blend it.
my exact thinking when she juggled with the bag, i thought, dumb and dumber ?
embarassing.
So helpful, thank you
Thanks for this video. So glad I watched before tiling with this grout. I am curious whether having it soupy (like when you’d just added a little extra after your first mix) extends the pot life? Maybe this stuff is meant to be wetter by default? I mixed by weight (100 g water to 450 g mix) and it was decently wet. I added a splash more water and it lasted for a good 8 minutes before getting chunky.
damn 8 minute is really nothing and she said 5 minutes. This product is extremely unfriendly.
Update: mix on your drill’s lowest-speed so you whip in as little air as possible. I get over 30 min of pot time.
mix by hand with a paint stick and it won't set up so quickly. the paddle mixer puts too much air into the mix and causes it to set too fast.
There is a video that the guy called customer service and they instructed that it needed to be stirred manually with a stick. The whole problem of it setting up too quick is due to the paddle attachment on the drill causing too much air in the mixture. Hope this helps someone!
No, some retired contractor reporting mixing by hand in the exact ratios with cold water and ran into the same problem. This stuff is too risky. Apparently mixing it by hand is not entirely safe either as if insufficiently stirred it also sets off too fast. There are too many parameters to control and people who get lucky don't even know why or think they do but only escaped horrendous results by chance. Not my definition of a good product.
Not supposed to use high speed mixer on this product. It introduces air in the mixture which makes it harden faster. If done correctly and at optimal temperature it will take 40 min to set.
Yeah right, having to wait six month for the season to cool down or never (Florida). Way to go jouster.
I think I am more interested in those hooks in the shower....
But I think it looks great, as I can't do it.
first comment, that consistency you added powder to was what you actually wanted. Also, you shouldnt over mix it, that will cause this to harden fast also. This does rapid set compared to portland based grout but should still have 30 to 45 min working time. Did you mix it a second time after it slaked too? I normally hand mix this grout.
Ridiculous comment to state a working time without mentioning at what temperature and humidity. This is how this product is a problem to start with, all hand waving instructions that ignore important parameters.
@@ericastier1646 Well then.....whats your comment then if you're such a wizzard? Clearly you must know more than the manufacturer of the product 🙄
@@SNeal5966 Clearly not ! According to you, one has to have the solution before knowing that something is wrong. wrong reasoning, sophistry and false presumption.
@@ericastier1646 You are making a claim that is patently false, Internet troll!
Hey! So I'm watching your video and in it you're using a drill mixer. I watched another video where the guy used the drill mixer and his grout set up WAY too fast. A Mapei rep said you should NOT USE A DRILL MIXER. The rep said you should hand mix it because when using the drill mixer, too much air gets in the mix and it dries too fast. Yes, even in the video the guy says that it shows a drill mixer but the rep said NO. The rep said you should have 45 minutes work time. Just a FYI
Thank you, I am going to try hand mixing next time. Several people have made that suggestion.
Guy said high speed mixer causes drying to take 10 min recommended hand mix
This stuff is good at 3.5 oz of water per lb - no muss no fuss, I mix by hand and use cold water (colder better if you want more work time)...it seems like it is not mixing and then will suddenly meld into the expected consistency needed to not look terrible and not fight you when using and cleaning up.
Thanks for the tips. Yeah, I am going to try mixing by hand next time
@@CountryGirlLiving Yw! Just had to fix a few tiles in our shower and used this grout again..I use refrigerator water so it's a bit cooler and my working time was forever with it. When the chemical reaction kicks in though this stuff goes rock solid real fast (and gets pretty dang hot to the touch)
I got black and it dried way too fast how do I get it off ughhhh I'll be scarping for ever. Any faster way.
When i first used this product it was a nightmare. I mixed it like I always did by making it the consistency that I like, high speed mix and waiting 5 mins and remixing. All wrong!!!! lol Since then Ive used it several times. The key is to read the instructions and do exactly what it says. First i do 1/2 bag at a time. So I bought measuring cups (quarts). 4 cups equals a bag and 32 oz of water. i use 2 quart cups with a bottle of spring water 16 0z. i do mix with a paddle mixer on a drill but very slow speed in reverse . The bag does show to mix in reverse I think its so that not as much air gets into it. I mix it for 4 mins and use it right away . I have about 45 mins to work. Its been fine so far, If you find it hardening up alittle bit in bucket. Do not add water. Just mix it a little
thank you for this great video - you mention several times that the grout was "set". how did you know? color change, touch test? thanks
touching the grout it does not transfer to your finger, time to clean it fast. Tricky part you cannot do it too early either or you will smear the grout out of the seams and over the face of the tile.
I guess we missed the part where you caulked the corners and the wall to pan?
Critical mistake using drill to mix, created more air bubbles which hardens in 5 min or less you need to HAND mix, not ur fault bad instrucrions on packaging! Hand mixing = 30 45 min work time.
I am going to try hand mixing next time. 30 min working time would be much better!
Great video! I have the same exact tile and am planning to use this grout too ( but lighter color - Alabaster). This video helps a lot
What size spacers did you use when setting the tile?
1/16" or 1/8"?
they were 1/8" spacers. I wished I had used a different color grout. The light color will look good. The grey I used looks too much like the grey on the distressed edge of the tile and it all just kind of blends together.
Great work! Question... what mix ratio did you end up with exactly in the end given 3:1 was a little runny for you? I was given this grout by a rep from Lowes to do my bathroom floors and never done tiling but I do all my own work and tedious about it everything so I got a little worried when I was seeing videos before about how easy it is to jack up your tile but I feel great about it now after seeing your process and a good start point of where to try and start with til I find my groove with set times how fast I work in the end.
Hey i saw you posted 1 day ago. I am in the same situation i finished tiling two days ago and it was miserably tedious difficult work. I do not like a bit the idea of a grout that is a threat to the huge work tiling was. But i was thinking to do a mockup experience on a spare tile mixing only 1 cup of grout and timing the time to set and clean off working window.
@@ericastier1646 Yeah I will be in the next week or so, so I was looking into this stuff and was like dang Lowes gave me a crazy specific grout. lol Honestly though now the more videos you watch the easier it seems it will be to work out just trying a little at a time.
@@ericastier1646 The clean up seems like the scariest part and seeing how it's not bad to get the haze off as you go watcher her video we should be alright.
@@redbaren67 Honestly i watched 4 videos on this grout and read most comments and mixing speed does not explain all of what i read. Some hand mixing people ended up with grout on the tile they could not remove too. My conclusion thus far is :
1) mixing too fast and too much OR not mixing enough by hand can both result with a very fast setting grout.
2) After applying the grout, the time window after it is dry enough to clean the tiles and too dry is very short. Even if you do everything right, you're still struggling in cleaning the tiles clean.
I have not yet decide which grout i will use. Given what is at stake the risk is unacceptable.
I use fusion pro instead...already mixed
So the manufacturers couldn't even get the mixing ratio correct ????
It was close...
👍
FYI: Hand mix only
I've read this entire comment section and based on many professionals, who did everything right including mixing by hand with cold water and still ran into issues, i am not using this product and also i am taking Mapei a grade down for selling such product and not owning to the problems it creates that are clearly BEYOND the limited instructions they give.
How long did you wait to use the shower?
Great job, which do you recommend for a large floor 12x12 ceramic the keracolor sanded or this ultra color fa?
For floors, I always use keracolor sanded and seal it. I don't really have a good reason other than the fact that it is easier to work with.
@@CountryGirlLiving That makes no sense. Bathroom floors or most any floor get more dirty than walls, it's why you want to use the ultra color fa for floors and kera for walls.
Whoo hoo! Be careful, this dries fast!! It takes a pro to use it!
Dont use high speed drill. Hand mixing introduces less air. Or low speed drill should be fine too.
It set up fast because you used the drill. I know the instructions say you can use a drill BUT DONT! Mix by hand and you will have plenty of work time. Drill adds to much oxygen too the mix
I'm learning English and painting at the same time
What color did you use