Epoxy Grout Tricks

[K_Tile]

I thought I would post some photos of our method to epoxy grout installation.
I wasn't able to stay for the installation but I want to show some of the set up. I will try to get pictures next week when the guys are grouting another area. These pictures are from today. I had three guys on the project and they grouted about 900sf of quarry tile with base in about 4 hours. We are using Kerapoxy grout.

Picture 1. Pretreat tile/base with Snuggles or Dawn to help lubritacte the tile
Picture 2. Heat wash water
Picture 3. Heat Part A and B resin (Part A in the bucket, Part B floating on hot water)
Picture 4. Cabosil. Excellent additive to make epoxy non sagging
Picture 5. Cabosil size for one gallon unit.

Will post more next week.

[duneslider]

When you say pretreat with snuggles or dawn, what do you mean? Use it straight or diluted? Do you worry about it getting in joints?

What does heating do? I would think that would make it set faster.

[Jhereg]

I'd like to know if cabosil is affecting the color of the grout. Are you voiding any warranty's by adding it. 900sf in 4 hours seems way too fast for epoxy, though I've never used kerapoxy, only spectralock.

[BP Tile]

Good thing I don't do epoxy grout anymore.... I found out the hard way and went to the hospital to deal with the bad rash reaction from epoxy....

[K_Tile]

duneslider

When you say pretreat with snuggles or dawn, what do you mean?

What does heating do?

When we use Snuggles we use it straight and Dawn we dilute. We are using both products as a surfactant for the epoxy. When we hit the quarry with the buffer it really makes a nice bubble bath lifting the epoxy from the tile. It basically doesn't allow the epoxy to burn into the tile. You do have to be careful about to much fluid in the joints. Water and epoxy dont mix. The sponge is damp not dripping wet.

Heating the epoxy resin does cause it to set a little faster but that is a good thing. It also reduces the viscosity of the resin making the epoxy a little easier to spread. Using heat and Cabosil it sets quicker and is fluffier eliminating the dreaded epoxy sag the next morning.

Jhereg

I'd like to know if cabosil is affecting the color of the grout. Are you voiding any warranty's by adding it. 900sf in 4 hours seems way too fast for epoxy, though I've never used kerapoxy, only spectralock.

Cabosil doesn't affect the color of the grout. Its some interesting stuff.

"Cabosil is a synthetic, amorphous, untreated fumed silicon dioxide. Because of its inert nature, it has been used in food such as kethcup as well as in shampoo and some cosmetics. When mixed into liquid resin, Cabosil functions as a resin thickener (flow control agent) and sometimes as an anti-settling, anti-caking agent. Its applications are many, including thickening paint, dyes in the screen printing industry, epoxy, polyester, urethane, water, hand soap and shampoo. It is a versatile thickening agent that has even been used to "thicken" fresh water and sea water"
http://www.eagerplastics.com/cab.htm

Spectralock is the easiest. Kerapoxy and C-Cure are next IMO. Kerapoxy comes with Part A and C premixed just have to add Part B. So you cant adjust the flow as you can with Spectralock.

As for speed. We do a ton of epoxy work probably 50-60% of our tile job are epoxy then we also do seamless epoxy floors (commercial and industrial). I'm not trying to start a I'm faster than you thread just wanted to stat we have a good efficient system. The crew started tile base at 2:30pm yesterday and clocked out at 6:30pm. We use buffers, squeezes, towels, vacuums anything to get us off our knees for cleaning.

BP Tile

Good thing I don't do epoxy grout anymore.... I found out the hard way and went to the hospital to deal with the bad rash reaction from epoxy

Some of our guys have the same reaction to cement. You just never know and neither do they until they try.

[ceramictec]

Hey Kevin,

thanks for the tips.

on the Snuggles can you apply it with a bug sprayer to get a good coat ?
I assume it must fully dry before spreading the grout.

[Bill Vincent]

Picture 4. Cabosil. Excellent additive to make epoxy non sagging

Why I never thought of that, I don't know. We used to use it in epoxy terrazzo, as well, when pouring base or thresholds in place.

[custombuilt]

would the snuggles work on other ceramic tiles rather than just quarry?

[ceramictec]

that's a good question Jason.
be good to put a coat of something easy to stop staining and the sticky residue from staying.

Kevin,
Do you allow the Snuggles liquid to dry on the tile or do you want the tile damp? Do you use the cabosil in Spectralock, too. How does it affect Spectralock? Doesn't carrying around a bottle of Snuggles with that cute teddy bear give our tough tile guy image a problem?

olzo

[woodie]

This may be common knowledge, but I just figured it out a few months ago srtictly by accident.

After I have floated the epoxy grout I wipe the area with an 8" sqeegee it removes about 95% of the the remaining epoxy (really stretches the mix).
When your running a small biz you save the money where you can.

I found the easiest grout to clean up is the grout you don't leave on the tiles

[kurgon]

K Tile has some great tips here. We use basically the same setup as him.

[gwataloo]

Just want thank K Tile for the Snuggle tip. It made washing up the Kerapoxy a breeze.

[K_Tile]

Wait until you try the Cabosil for base.

[tilemanct]

How does your system work on nasty abrasive quarry tile? Have two big ones comming up. I do like the Kerapoxy!