Grout that doesn't require sealing?

[cmac2012]

I have a client who claims she heard of a grout that does fine w/o sealing -- ever. Can this possibly be true?

[Brian in San Diego]

Yes, the epoxy grouts like spectralock claim to never need sealing.

[sandbagger]

yep - Spectralock by Laticrete. Do a search - some good discussion on pros and cons. This DIYer just finished a master bath vanity and shower with it. Took 8 minis. Very easy to use, but at a price.

btw - not all epoxies are created equal, either.

[Hamilton]

Customs prism grout claimed no need for sealing. They recalled it to
re work the chemistry and hopefully they will be selling it again.
Epoxies have no need for sealer, but are usually grouts only trained
pros want to deal with. personally i dont like epoxy much.

[ddmoit]

Here's yet another product that claims no sealing necessary. I can't find a whole lot about it though.

http://www.starquartz.com/index.html

And here's another thread on it...

http://www.johnbridge.com/vbulletin/...ad.php?t=46689

[nforcer2]

i have some information that isnt very good related to quartz lock. feel free to contact me and i will provide the test data.

[cmac2012]

Thanks for the feedback. I popped into my favorite tile store yesterday and asked about it, they said they have an epoxy admix that you can use with regular grout but that it could be a bitch.

I'm primarily a carpenter and I've used the Smith's brand epoxy sealer and epoxy rot replacing putty. The putty is sorta like an expensive, higher quality bondo with a much longer pot life. Both products emit really obnoxious fumes.

I'll look into that Spectralock by Laticrete stuff. Hopefully the fumes aren't as bad but I've got a respirator anyway.

[coach]

TEC makes a grout, XT which is stain resistant, mold and mildew resistant and crack resistant, and it is not an epoxy.

http://www.tecspecialty.com/default.asp

[TENNsmokey]

When I asked the Tile store where I bought TEC XT grout,they told me I couldn't use sealer on it if I wanted to ,it won't penetrate into it.

[Brian in San Diego]

Cmac,

If you decide to use Spectralock, they sell it in mini units at Lowe's. I think the mini is the way to go because until you get used to it, it takes longer to apply. If you use Spectralock, this thread is a must read. http://johnbridge.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=35153 I used Spectralock in my shower and love the results, especially the stain and mold resistant part.

Brian

[sandbagger]

I'll repeat what I said earlier - not all epoxies are created equal. Some, in fact, aren't even true epoxies.

I did a LOT of research on this in the early days of my project, and had to conlude as Jack did that it was just too much for even this DIYer. Then I bumped into the SpectraLock thread a few weeks ago and after several exchanges decided to take the plunge.

I started with the vanity countertop. Nice flat surface and not too big. How much risk could that be? So I read the instructions, read all the posts, and read the instructions again. Gathered all the tools in one place, bought 2 new buckets for solutions. Marked the buckets "1" and "2" and the 2-gal fill level. Read the instructions again. Borrowed wife's egg timer, and cleared a space in freezer for holding bucket of unused grout.

In the end the vanity was a breeze. I'd heard all the horror stories about gummy residue and all, but following directions it all cleaned up nicely. But what I really did not expect was how easily the joints almost shaped themselves. I've probably done at least 500 sq ft of floor so far with portland grout, but these were easily the most even, consistent lines I'd done to date, with less futzing around. I did the left and right halves separately and that worked nicely. And just as advertised, the intersections of the two areas blended perfectly. But the real test came with the v-cap edge. This had me a little more nervous with the wrapping around the corner and the negative slope of the edge surface. Heck, I had only done a few vertical bull base trim pieces before this. So I did it in sections again. A little trial-and-error with the float and I soon had the technique down. Those v-cap lines came out way better than I had hoped.

Bottom line? This DIYer may never do portland grout again. I certainly won't do it in a kitchen or bath, and never on a counter. The beautiful grout lines alone almost justifies the cost of Spectralock. Throw in stain resistance and no sealing and it's a no-brainer.

[ddmoit]

I'm in the SpectraLock camp for now. I've never grouted before in my life. I am currently more than half way through grouting a bathroom that's basically a cube with 7.6' sides. It's tiled with 3/4" mosaics (1/16" grout lines) on the floor, walls, and ceiling. Aside from the fact that it's costing me a fortune, I am pretty pleased.

[sandbagger]

Aside from the fact that it's costing me a fortune, I am pretty pleased.

mosaics can get spendy. The cost of my little 30x56 river rock floor went up 50% thanks to Spectralock. I actually suggested using regular grout for floor - have to seal it anyway - but by this time wife was too enamored with the epoxy and said it was worth the cost. We'll see if she remembers that when the final bills come in.