Best Grout for “painted” marble backsplash tiles?

[fogtown]

Have a backsplash installed with “Artisan by Stone Impressions Sanza” tile , spear to be painted white marble 6x6 .
Want a stain resistant grout , wondering what to use on the 1/8” joints ? Prism, Fusion, Flexcolor CQ?? Surface finish seems fairly tough but scratches .
Any suggestions?

[cx]

You are permitted to add links to such products, Jon. I've added what I think is the proper link to your tile.

Not much technical information available on that site, but best I can tell that is some sort of printed face on a natural stone, which I have never personally encountered. I would certainly want to make a test board to test whatever grout I selected. That surface sounds like it could be relatively delicate. I see no manufacturer recommendation for grout or setting material.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[Lazarus]

I like Prism for this type of installation.....

[fogtown]

In the specs for prism it warns of scratching, will have to do a test but these tiles appear to have a film applied of a clear over the pattern paint that doesn’t peel easily but after cuts can be peeled away from the edge - I’d like to use prism but not sure how abrasive it is ? “Some ceramic, glass, metal, marble or stone tiles can be scratched or damaged by the lightweight aggregate filler. Perform a test on a small area prior to use. Polyblend® NonSanded Grout may be appropriate for joints up to 1/8" or for tile not suited for sanded grout.“-Jon

[fogtown]

I called the distributor/manufacturer and they suggested sealing the face but couldn't recommend any grouts specifically ( didn't seem very technically oriented IMHO). . Seems like the face is a clear film coating with the design on it- don't see how sealing that is going to be successful. Probably just peel off or build up a messy film. Surface beads water out of the box. Would one apply sealer to this tile?

[Tool Guy - Kg]

Hi, Jon.

It sure sounds like the manufacturer hasn’t done their homework. Best thing to do is experiment with a test board. If it helps you weigh your decision, Prism uses smaller, more rounded particles of glass and fine aggregate sand instead of relatively larger, more jagged sand as used in other grouts. So, if you desire to use sanded grout, Prism is less likely to scratch than typical sanded grouts.

[fogtown]

These grouts are similar, went with Graystone Prism which didn't scratch but maybe micro-polished the surface a little duller? It's workability is like a traditional cement grout, but didn't seem to finish that smooth considering small aggregate size- or maybe I overworked it? The tile supplier wants it sealed- they said the coating on the marble tiles is 3 coats of sealer over the design. They suggested something like Sealer Choice Gold, Bulletproof , 511 and a few others. For Prism Custom states: "use a ph neutral water base sealer such as Sealer's Choice Gold or TileLab SurfaceGuard". Wondering what sealer would adhere to the cured sealer on the tile face the best- don't want peeling ?

[fogtown]

Seemed to work , added a little glow to the tiles and the Prism soaked a bit up .

[Tool Guy - Kg]

As far as you wondering about the rough finish of the grout: Typicality, you pack the joints overly full with grout, immediately “squeegee” the excess off with a clean grout float tilted up at 90 degrees to the tile face (but struck across the tiles at an angle to the grid of grout joints), allow the grout to slightly firm up, “shape” the grout with a slightly damp sponge wiped in continuous circles, then finally wiped clean with a clean sponge at an angle to the joints. But it appears that the joints weren’t packed with enough grout to begin with...or the grout float wasn’t clean enough when used to squeegee away the excess and caused too much grout to be pulled from the joint.