This guy is a pro and I can not STRESS enough...DIYers, DO NOT do this many sq ft of grouting before you wipe down with this grout. I do this every week and your conditions will most likely not alow you this amount of work time with this grout... Trust me. Great work by the way. Another tile guy here and enjoy your vids.
I learned this lesson the hard way on a kitchen floor a few years ago. We ended up needing to rip out the whole thing. Luckily it's a small kitchen. I'm about to tackle a bathroom and I'm definitely not choosing the FA grout variation. I don't do this often enough to feel confident that I can move fast enough to use this stuff.
@@colinholmes I use half bags, cold water and mix with a margin trowel...Since then no issues but I will never do this much square feet as youll end up with dry spots in the grout and will have to wipe too hard to get smooth an WILL have inconsistant color. This grout is notorious for this.
Mapei Ultracolor (rapid set) is the shittiest grout. I do large jobs like malls and plazas and no real pros use that. Imagine mixing grout 20 times to do a thousand sq ft section. Use regular sanded/unsanded Portland cement based grout. Laticrete is the best but mapei keracolor is a good option too.
No, what you need to stress is that he is working in January winter time and as he said it's a bit cold around 70 deg F. Doing it in the summer is when hells breaks loose with this grout.
You basically described my contractor career path. I went from a stressful shop running several employees with big overhead, to going back to my truck and dog. I enjoy the work more than I used to. Went back to kitchen/bath design build that is manageable. IRS is still looking for fees from 20 years ago!
I like the silicone before grout idea- particularly because I have a dark rear accent wall and light color side walls. The silicone will keep the dark grout on the rear navy blue wall from bleeding onto the light tile in the corner
Only BRT focuses on one topic and drops a video specific to it. Only way how one can truly learn about particular subject from A to Z. Not to mention bonus tips for materials and tools used. Great video as usual. Or shall I say, classic BRT. 👍💪👊 edit, clicked for a grout tips and got to hear my self talking in echo chamber. So glad to hear so many things work related that I though before as a proof of me being correct and thinking in the right direction. Thanks for sharing Steve.
Thanks for this video. After seeing initial info that this product was not suitable for us DIYers this video gave us the encouragement to proceed. Great results for you and us.
Great vid. I'm amazed that you did all of the walls in one batch. I just finished one of my bathroom walls earlier. I added 3:1 by volume and hand mixed. The stuff was so stiff after 10 minutes I couldn't add anymore to my walls. I managed to get the one wall done but it was only a total of 10 mins or so and I had to start sponging immediately and it was hard to work the grout in the joints. The remaining portion of the bucket was concrete after 20 mins and I was barely able to clean it out. I don't know how you had so much extra time and even had to wait longer. Maybe I'll mix up 3.5:1 or 4:1 tomorrow.
Great video. Thank you for all the details. Amd what am amazing bathroom you have. The accent lighting in the niche is awesome! Do you have a video of that?
Terrific video, thanks so much. But I'm confused on one point: Why does it make sense to caulk the corners *before* grouting, but caulk the tub *after* grouting?
just to confirm, you used the same grout for the floor and the walls correct? about to do my bathroom next week as a DIY. i have learned so much from your videos so thank you very much!
I hope you can do a video on how to fix color variations in grout joints. I’ve done 2 showers with Mapei grout and followed the directions to a T and have crazy light & dark areas. 3/16” joint with grey grout. I tried really hard not to “overwash” - but i’m unhappy with the result. Does this happen to you at all? What can be done to remedy this?
Actually the color evened our with the Ultracolor Plus FA when fully cured! I did have a hard time with color variation on the sanded Keracolor product in charcoal.
I watched your excellent video to prepare my grouting project. It went fine mostly but i made a mistake when the grout was nicely mixed to a nice cream consistency i saw some dry patches of grout crumbs sticking to the side bucket surface and it made me panic and i added a tiny extra splash of water maybe 3-4 extra tablespoon for 1.5 lbs of grout. I immediately realized it was too much water and avoided mixing the extra water too much. The grout mix ended up 95% perfect + 5% runny grout sitting on top of the good grout. i know i could have added extra powder but i was not thinking. I grouted trying to use the good thicker creamy grout under but some of the runny grout still got on the floor. The seam looked perfectly grouted though, no application problem, perfect homogeneous color. I let it cure for 4 days. It looks visually perfect, but i noticed when i use a damp sponge on the tile the grout joint changes color to a lot darker shade as it instantly absorbs the humidity then returns to its normal color as it dries. Is this a result of that little mishap with the grout mixing or is it normal ? (note i didn't seal the grout, and it's Ultracolor FA in a alabaster color a light grey). If i blundered what can i do now with it ?
The grout sealer is for stain/discoloration protection. Your tile system is not your waterproofing. You should look up some videos on shower waterproofing techniques/systems if you are planning a DIY job before you start.
The most important thing imo when using the FA is mixing it for the proper time it says on the bag. 4-5 minutes, if not mixed long enough it takes off fast using a mixer is better if used for the correct time. You get a decent amount of working time when mixed at the 4-5 minutes like the directions say. After about 3-4 minutes of mixing you will see a difference in the texture of the grout while mixing then keep mixing for a short while. Not mixing proper is why it takes off so fast if it takes off on you.
We did what the directions said with a mixer and never again! It dried so quickly just doing a small side wall shower and the front face of the shower. It hardened so fast that we weren't able to wipe it all clean. Grout lines are not as clean as they should be. Everyone says hand mix only.
@@Motoray__456mx Hmmmm I never have this problem and use the product pretty much weekly. I had it happen one time and it was because I didn’t mix it according to the directions.
@@wasntme3651 It's not the only place where i read contradicting direction about this grout : "not mixing it enough is bad", "mixing it too fast and too long is bad". So this stuff is very finicky and the manufacturer surely does not give you the instructions to get it right ! You might get it right but it's only luck.
@@ericastier1646 I get it right every time. The first time was the only time I had a issue and that was because I hadn’t read the directions. Just mix it at low speed for 3-4 minutes and it will be fine. If it’s luck then I would be the luckiest person on earth because I’ve made a whole bunch of batches of it with no problems. Cold or warm weather the FA has good pot life and doesn’t take off too fast if mixed proper. It is finicky about how much water, when mixing in the beginning it will look to be too dry when it has enough water but as it mixes it loosens up to a perfect consistency. When you are close to the proper amount of water but not enough, it only takes a few drops to make it enough. Just a little splash and it will be too loose. I use it on 99% of my jobs. The other 1% is Bostik.
@@robertwestover2125 I notice that the corner tiles are grouted on restaurant walls Bathrooms ect. Why not silicone? Is it because they're ceramic and not porcelain?
So many things going on in this video. I have one question ,when the water gets through the grout and residual water is in the wall, in thinset, behind the tile, As the water slides down the back of the tiles and gets to the bottom to where silicone is on the outside of tile at bottom, that looks to me like it would trap in water. Using silicone. if you were using grout, it would be able to come through and exit........ On the business talk side of this video, if you want to higher employee. All's they have to do is go get workman's comp exemption for the year. It's about $60. then if you want to require them to set up an LLC. I have an LLC s corp. That's also very cheap. those 2 things. Then if you want to be a totally totally legal subcontractor you have to get insurance, I have 1 million 2 million. And lastly, get your tax receipt and signed up with your county. a tile sub contractor that has all that is what you want. you should be able to make a $1000 a week off of that guy if you price things right. In my opinion, the boss and a couple legal crews. 2 or 3. That's where you're going to be able to maximize money and things won't get out of control. All you have to do is take care of 2 or 3 jobs and think ahead........ That should be the end game after you want to stop actually working.
@@BonBon770 That is a stupid behavior. You could have said "that does not make sense" and i would have found the reason one iteration ago : mouse slip, the comment should have been for one comment lower.
Sorry mate, but silicone b4 grout is not right. Think about it, silicone will adhear to grout, but grout will not adhear to cured silicone. Basically the joining between the silicone and grout is not there done this way and makes a path for water to get in. I appreciate your hustle, but this is just bad advice
Grout and caulking are not meant to be the waterproof aspect of a shower. The actual waterproofing is. The silicone is used because cracks will form in corners of grouted
@BathroomRemodelingTeacher it's the first line of defense mate, no reason to make a spot where it will absolutely get it. Not to mention on the bottom joint to tub, the silicone will act like a dam to water behind it
This guy is a pro and I can not STRESS enough...DIYers, DO NOT do this many sq ft of grouting before you wipe down with this grout. I do this every week and your conditions will most likely not alow you this amount of work time with this grout... Trust me. Great work by the way. Another tile guy here and enjoy your vids.
I learned this lesson the hard way on a kitchen floor a few years ago. We ended up needing to rip out the whole thing. Luckily it's a small kitchen. I'm about to tackle a bathroom and I'm definitely not choosing the FA grout variation. I don't do this often enough to feel confident that I can move fast enough to use this stuff.
@@colinholmes I use half bags, cold water and mix with a margin trowel...Since then no issues but I will never do this much square feet as youll end up with dry spots in the grout and will have to wipe too hard to get smooth an WILL have inconsistant color. This grout is notorious for this.
Mapei Ultracolor (rapid set) is the shittiest grout. I do large jobs like malls and plazas and no real pros use that. Imagine mixing grout 20 times to do a thousand sq ft section. Use regular sanded/unsanded Portland cement based grout. Laticrete is the best but mapei keracolor is a good option too.
😮
No, what you need to stress is that he is working in January winter time and as he said it's a bit cold around 70 deg F. Doing it in the summer is when hells breaks loose with this grout.
You basically described my contractor career path. I went from a stressful shop running several employees with big overhead, to going back to my truck and dog. I enjoy the work more than I used to. Went back to kitchen/bath design build that is manageable. IRS is still looking for fees from 20 years ago!
I like the silicone before grout idea- particularly because I have a dark rear accent wall and light color side walls. The silicone will keep the dark grout on the rear navy blue wall from bleeding onto the light tile in the corner
Only BRT focuses on one topic and drops a video specific to it. Only way how one can truly learn about particular subject from A to Z. Not to mention bonus tips for materials and tools used. Great video as usual. Or shall I say, classic BRT. 👍💪👊 edit, clicked for a grout tips and got to hear my self talking in echo chamber. So glad to hear so many things work related that I though before as a proof of me being correct and thinking in the right direction. Thanks for sharing Steve.
Thanks 😊
Thanks for this video. After seeing initial info that this product was not suitable for us DIYers this video gave us the encouragement to proceed. Great results for you and us.
Thanks for the tips! I don’t have any tile work in my near future but I enjoy knowing the process and tips
I like the way you say caulking 🤓😁 I always enjoy watching your videos!
Great vid. I'm amazed that you did all of the walls in one batch. I just finished one of my bathroom walls earlier. I added 3:1 by volume and hand mixed. The stuff was so stiff after 10 minutes I couldn't add anymore to my walls. I managed to get the one wall done but it was only a total of 10 mins or so and I had to start sponging immediately and it was hard to work the grout in the joints. The remaining portion of the bucket was concrete after 20 mins and I was barely able to clean it out. I don't know how you had so much extra time and even had to wait longer. Maybe I'll mix up 3.5:1 or 4:1 tomorrow.
Great video. Thank you for all the details. Amd what am amazing bathroom you have. The accent lighting in the niche is awesome! Do you have a video of that?
Do you add the grout on top of the silicone?
Thank you for your wealth of knowledge and a phenomenal video.
Terrific video, thanks so much. But I'm confused on one point: Why does it make sense to caulk the corners *before* grouting, but caulk the tub *after* grouting?
just to confirm, you used the same grout for the floor and the walls correct? about to do my bathroom next week as a DIY. i have learned so much from your videos so thank you very much!
I hope you can do a video on how to fix color variations in grout joints. I’ve done 2 showers with Mapei grout and followed the directions to a T and have crazy light & dark areas. 3/16” joint with grey grout. I tried really hard not to “overwash” - but i’m unhappy with the result. Does this happen to you at all? What can be done to remedy this?
I can’t say I’ve seen this happen. Thanks for sharing. Hope they were bags were not expired
Actually the color evened our with the Ultracolor Plus FA when fully cured! I did have a hard time with color variation on the sanded Keracolor product in charcoal.
Better to use sponge with rounded corners so it doesn’t take out grout much 25:15
I watched your excellent video to prepare my grouting project. It went fine mostly but i made a mistake when the grout was nicely mixed to a nice cream consistency i saw some dry patches of grout crumbs sticking to the side bucket surface and it made me panic and i added a tiny extra splash of water maybe 3-4 extra tablespoon for 1.5 lbs of grout. I immediately realized it was too much water and avoided mixing the extra water too much. The grout mix ended up 95% perfect + 5% runny grout sitting on top of the good grout. i know i could have added extra powder but i was not thinking. I grouted trying to use the good thicker creamy grout under but some of the runny grout still got on the floor. The seam looked perfectly grouted though, no application problem, perfect homogeneous color. I let it cure for 4 days. It looks visually perfect, but i noticed when i use a damp sponge on the tile the grout joint changes color to a lot darker shade as it instantly absorbs the humidity then returns to its normal color as it dries. Is this a result of that little mishap with the grout mixing or is it normal ? (note i didn't seal the grout, and it's Ultracolor FA in a alabaster color a light grey).
If i blundered what can i do now with it ?
Is it necessary to seal the walls too with it being a water exposed area or is the mapei grout you used fine for the shower itself?
The grout sealer is for stain/discoloration protection. Your tile system is not your waterproofing. You should look up some videos on shower waterproofing techniques/systems if you are planning a DIY job before you start.
On the corners you used windex but it didn’t look like you did that on the tub, can you use windex treat w tub or do you want a better bond?
Im confused. Do you grout overtop of the caulk? Is there a risk there won't be adequate depth for grout strength?
It’s not really an issue. If you have excess caulk in grout joint, cut it out before grouting 👍
do you wait a full 24 hours after silicone dries then you can grout? I think that's why people dont do the corners first.
Love it! Thanks !
Is it necessary to leave weep holes in the caulking? I've heard some say its a must and others say its not.
How to make the grout not bleed onto the caulk doing before hand?
How many minutes did you mix and I’m assuming at a low speed
The most important thing imo when using the FA is mixing it for the proper time it says on the bag. 4-5 minutes, if not mixed long enough it takes off fast using a mixer is better if used for the correct time. You get a decent amount of working time when mixed at the 4-5 minutes like the directions say. After about 3-4 minutes of mixing you will see a difference in the texture of the grout while mixing then keep mixing for a short while. Not mixing proper is why it takes off so fast if it takes off on you.
Good points 👍
We did what the directions said with a mixer and never again! It dried so quickly just doing a small side wall shower and the front face of the shower. It hardened so fast that we weren't able to wipe it all clean. Grout lines are not as clean as they should be. Everyone says hand mix only.
@@Motoray__456mx
Hmmmm I never have this problem and use the product pretty much weekly. I had it happen one time and it was because I didn’t mix it according to the directions.
@@wasntme3651 It's not the only place where i read contradicting direction about this grout : "not mixing it enough is bad", "mixing it too fast and too long is bad". So this stuff is very finicky and the manufacturer surely does not give you the instructions to get it right ! You might get it right but it's only luck.
@@ericastier1646
I get it right every time. The first time was the only time I had a issue and that was because I hadn’t read the directions. Just mix it at low speed for 3-4 minutes and it will be fine. If it’s luck then I would be the luckiest person on earth because I’ve made a whole bunch of batches of it with no problems. Cold or warm weather the FA has good pot life and doesn’t take off too fast if mixed proper.
It is finicky about how much water, when mixing in the beginning it will look to be too dry when it has enough water but as it mixes it loosens up to a perfect consistency. When you are close to the proper amount of water but not enough, it only takes a few drops to make it enough. Just a little splash and it will be too loose. I use it on 99% of my jobs. The other 1% is Bostik.
Why silicone the corners? Wouldn't grout be what you're supposed to use?
Expansion and contraction; corners will crack
Is it because the tile is not side by side on the corner for solid grout contact? Therefore expand and contrast...
@@shaundm78 yes, exactly
@@robertwestover2125 I notice that the corner tiles are grouted on restaurant walls Bathrooms ect. Why not silicone? Is it because they're ceramic and not porcelain?
Grout or silicone in the floor/wall joint?
Technically should be silicone 👍
So many things going on in this video. I have one question ,when the water gets through the grout and residual water is in the wall, in thinset, behind the tile, As the water slides down the back of the tiles and gets to the bottom to where silicone is on the outside of tile at bottom, that looks to me like it would trap in water. Using silicone. if you were using grout, it would be able to come through and exit........ On the business talk side of this video, if you want to higher employee. All's they have to do is go get workman's comp exemption for the year. It's about $60. then if you want to require them to set up an LLC. I have an LLC s corp. That's also very cheap. those 2 things. Then if you want to be a totally totally legal subcontractor you have to get insurance, I have 1 million 2 million. And lastly, get your tax receipt and signed up with your county. a tile sub contractor that has all that is what you want. you should be able to make a $1000 a week off of that guy if you price things right. In my opinion, the boss and a couple legal crews. 2 or 3. That's where you're going to be able to maximize money and things won't get out of control. All you have to do is take care of 2 or 3 jobs and think ahead........ That should be the end game after you want to stop actually working.
I hate windex strong fumes not good for ya.
@@ericastier1646 try x-15
@@BonBon770 ???
@@ericastier1646 I just wrote something that didn't make sense back. Because your comment didn't make sense to me. What do you mean windex?
@@BonBon770 That is a stupid behavior. You could have said "that does not make sense" and i would have found the reason one iteration ago : mouse slip, the comment should have been for one comment lower.
Use denatured alcohol instead of windex
Did you use silicone on the shower wall corners before grouting? Don’t think I caught what you used. Thanks for the great video!
Yeah matching 💯 silicone. In this instance the matching mapei silicone
Ya, but sometimes he makes dust in the house!
my dude, knee pads!! 😏😏
He is a beast, build like a hardworking man and can take minor pain not problem. Real pro.
Sorry mate, but silicone b4 grout is not right.
Think about it, silicone will adhear to grout, but grout will not adhear to cured silicone.
Basically the joining between the silicone and grout is not there done this way and makes a path for water to get in.
I appreciate your hustle, but this is just bad advice
Grout and caulking are not meant to be the waterproof aspect of a shower. The actual waterproofing is. The silicone is used because cracks will form in corners of grouted
@BathroomRemodelingTeacher it's the first line of defense mate, no reason to make a spot where it will absolutely get it.
Not to mention on the bottom joint to tub, the silicone will act like a dam to water behind it
Big mistake ! . . . The caulking will not adhere to the grout. .
Love the old school floor tiles!!😄