Custom's PolyBlend... or is it me?

[nelsonkoehn]

Do you all have consistent results using Custom's PolyBlend grout, or is it something that I'm doing wrong?



30 hours of cure time.

Mixed half bag of grout, slaked for 12 minutes, mixed again.

Mixed to a consistency that was had to be squeezed out of a grout bag, did not run out.

Used bottled drinking water to mix grout. (Usually use distilled water)

Used a dash of vinegar in clean up water. (Did this kill it?)

Put on with a grout bag and when I had all the grout on I used a grout tool to wipe in and off the excess grout.

When it went on I could tell it was not drying very good.

4 hours later and it was past time to go home, so damp sponge wiped this stuff of. (Don't believe you could use less water to clean up)

Day and half later and I could just cut the stuff right out with my knife.

The job looked good from afar, completely even color, which is hard to get with Polyblend, IMO.

This is not the first time this has happened to me. What did I do wrong.

Half of the tile was right over sheetrock, the other half was over Hardibacker. No difference.

[cx]

Did you check the manufacture date on the bag, Nelson?

I trust this is still part of your bathroom remodel?

[Tool Guy - Kg]

...and what was the temperature of the floor? ...and it's been my experience that if you use enough water to squeeze it through a grout bad, it's mixed quite a bit wetter (resulting in weak grout) than the instructions. ...and 30 hours isn't a lot of time for grout to get rock hard.

[doitright]

Hi Nelson

I agree with Kurt.

Was this a porcelain tile? If so, extra time has to me accounted for drying. I like to do a final wipe using a well wrung out micro fiber towel. This helps to avoid excess water being dispersed from the sponge.

When possible, I also still believe in the damp cure by wiping or spritzing water on the grout after initial installation for 72 hours. You can double check with Custom's Tech if there is any harm in doing this with their product.

In the future, you may want to consider alternate grouts.

[nelsonkoehn]

Originally Posted by cx

I trust this is still part of your bathroom remodel?

No, this is a new project, prolly aught to split this thread.

[nelsonkoehn]

Originally Posted by cx

Did you check the manufacture date on the bag, Nelson?

No, I have not.

Originally Posted by toolguy

...as the temperature of the floor? .

It is a tub surround, inside of a new house. A/C is going, temp between 70 and 80 for weeks. Had the grout inside for 3 days.

Originally Posted by toolguy

30 hours isn't a lot of time for grout to get rock hard.

but to scratch it out with your fingernail after 30 hours? And the next one I can't get back on fast enough to get it cleaned at all. 30 minutes and you had better be getting it off!

Originally Posted by doitright

This helps to avoid excess water being dispersed from the sponge.

I seen that it was drying very slow so I wrung out the sponges, hard. Was skeered about the too much water so made sure to not have to much. And again this was on walls so IF there was any water extra it run down and off.

Originally Posted by doitright

In the future, you may want to consider alternate grouts.

Tend to think that is the problem. Four stores in my little town that stock Polyblend, and that is the only brand in town. Don't think there is enough grout used in the county to keep the grout fresh. Got the homeowner headed to big box for a different brand. I have had consistent results with Mapei, even if they are not perfect, at least consistent. This is getting me that it isn't the same every time.

[cx]

Nelson, we hear discussions hereabouts all the time about color variation and difference in color from the color charts and blotchy color about a lot of grouts, Custom Polyblend included and sometimes cited as a repeat offender. But I've never heard of that material failing to properly set up in the joints, not even from its staunchest critics.

And having used that product off and on for at least 25 years, I've never experienced that problem. I gotta think you got an out-of-date batch or something similar.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[Tool Guy - Kg]

Originally Posted by nelsonkoehn

...but to scratch it out with your fingernail after 30 hours?...

With just your fingernail? Well then why did you show a picture of a utility knife in the act of cutting into the grout on the opening post? No matter, if it's a finger nail digging it out that easily, I would tend to think it was an expired bag of grout like CX suggested along with an excess of water (to make it squeeze through that grout bag).

And I see you answered CX's question about this being another project so I split the posts back out onto their own. I left the "finished" picture (#14) you gave us for the other thread on the other thread. Give a holler if I made any sort of mistakes in splitting any posts away inappropriately.

[nelsonkoehn]

Using the utility knife to pull it all out. Can't leave soft grout in, ya know
Guess you could call that pic a 'work in progress'. Should I have put that pic over in that thread?

[tileguynky]

Had this problem on a bath floor that I did a while back. Homeowner bought the tile and grout from the orange box store. Would not tack up to wash, used very dry sponge, two days later while doing a cleaning the grout started to crumble in the joints. Checked the date, was bagged on day 49 of 2010 and my job was second week of of January 2011. Color was Alabaster, probably a slow mover at a the orange box store.

[Hammy]

I had the grout fall apart on one job, and it turned out the grout was re-mixed ( meaning re-watered ) as it started to set up in the bucket. Regrouted with properly mixed grout. Problem solved.


Hammy

[ceramictec]

can I ask why you used a grout bag on a wall where you
could have grouted with a float faster and easier ?

Originally Posted by nelsonkoehn

Mixed to a consistency that was had to be squeezed out of a grout bag, did not run out.

I dont know how you got a hard consistency that came out of the grout bag, but I
have used a grout bag for near 20 years and it always has to be mixed loose, if not you
need a plasticizers to make it flow. if you dont the tip clogs withing seconds.

my guess is you have too much water in your dark colored grout and it made it brittle.
I'm sure if you call Customs Tech line about the grout bag they will tell you the same thing.

Originally Posted by Hammy

I had the grout fall apart on one job, and it turned out the grout was re-mixed ( meaning re-watered ) as it started to set up in the bucket. Regrouted with properly mixed grout. Problem solved.

exactly, that's the problem with using a grout bag, you need to get the grout loose to flow.

[nelsonkoehn]

OK, got another bag today, mixed it up and put it on with a float. Could tell it was working right before I had it all on. The grout was harder after 2 hrs than it was after a day and half the first time.

Got a batch # off of the old bag. 1108203T. Custom Polyblend, that is. Could someone help decipher this for me. Thanks.

[ceramictec]

Originally Posted by nelsonkoehn

1108203T. Custom Polyblend, that is.
Could someone help decipher this for me. Thanks.

only their tech dept will know what the code means.

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