Epoxy grout and caulking questions

[EDDY IN MONTREAL]

Hello everyone,

I am about to epoxy my shower. The walls and floor of my shower are all done with Schulter.
I read some articles about grouting the corner walls and along the shower floor perimeter.
From what I read, it's BEST to caulk all these expansion joints. Am I right to say this?
1- Can I just epoxy all of of and leave it like that?
2- Can I grout it and then apply a bead of silicone over it?
3-Do not grout the corner walls and along the floor perimeter, just apply silicone caulk. If option 3 is the BEST solution, I guess I would grout first avoiding those spaces and then apply the silicone caulk?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Eddy

[cx]

By "epoxy my shower" do we assume you mean to apply an epoxy grout between your shower tiles, or do you have something else in mind?

Number 3 is the only correct way to complete your shower according to ceramic tile industry standards. And yes, you would grout the tile installation, leaving the change of plane joints open for the application of your flexible sealant after the grout has cured.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[jadnashua]

Epoxy is just too rigid and won't allow those joints to flex or allow for expansion.

It's too late now, but if you wanted to avoid caulk, you could have used an engineered expansion joint there. Caulk may or may not last the life of the shower, and engineered expansion joint should. It can be a pain digging out caulk to recaulk later.

[EDDY IN MONTREAL]

Thank you to both of you for your answers. This coincides with what I had read but just wanted another person's opinion. You guys are the BEST!

Thanks
Eddy

[cx]

When soliciting opinions on that sort of thing online, Eddy, you can get as many opinions as you have time to search for. Such is the Internet. But best to determine which of those opinions coincide with the appropriate industry standards. Those are the opinions you'll want to seriously consider.

Or just look up the industry standards, if you can figure out how.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[EDDY IN MONTREAL]

Hello again,

I just finished grouting my wall with Mapei Karapoxy Premium. This is not my first time using this product and I never had a problem. The three other times grouting was with porcelain tiles that had a smooth glossy surface.
This time I have porcelain tiles that are mat. I applied the grout with a float, then used a scrubby pad to remove the excess then I washed the wall with soap and water at least 2 times. Upon looking at the wall I noticed that it had a shiny sticky look to it. I again scrubbed the walls and washed them again with soapy water 2 more times. It doesn't want to come off. What can I do? I read that epoxy grout haze remover could do the job and I also read that paint nail remover can do it also.
Any ideas on what I can do.
Thanks
Eddy

[jadnashua]

During the wash and mostly the buff clean, microfiber cloths are your friend. But, you'll need a pile of them, or you end up just spreading the epoxy back over the surface. You only get to use each one a few times...rinsing them only removes some of the material. At this point, you may need the epoxy haze remover. I've never tried nail polish remover...might work. You could try a small section. It won't hurt the tile.

[Platypus]

Usually, anything that nail polish remover can do, acetone will do better, faster, and cheaper.


Note that this may also include the job of "giving the user cancer", so have good ventilation.

[EDDY IN MONTREAL]

Hello again everyone,
Thanks for your answers,
Today I spoke with Bob at Mapei and he suggested any cleaner that is Akelein based. It works best in removing the sticky haze leftover from the epoxy. I couldn't find any such product near me. So, I ordered a Miracle Sealants EPO REM QT SG Epoxy Grout Film Remover from Amazon today. It had the best reviews.
I have washed the walls 2 more times with a scrubby soapy solution and wiping down with sponges. Every time I do this, my pail of water changes color. It's doing a good job but needs more elbow grease.
I have another question. I am missing some epoxy on a grout line. It didn't fill up to what I would have liked. Can I apply more epoxy on top of it? I should be doing it on Monday. That means the first epoxy job was done on Wednesday. Meaning it had 5 days to harden.
Thanks
Eddy

[makethatkerdistick]

Yes, you can apply more epoxy on top of epoxy. It will adhere well.