I'm a DIY'r and have done backsplash in my kitchen, and new to the forum.I have a 5’x6’ bathroom which I am redoing, as a result of mold I had on the subfloor around the toilet. I have replaced the sub-floor (the joists are 16” OC).I purchased and sized/cut all my 'Hardibacker 500' (1/2' thick) boards. A couple of weeks ago I finally had the time to install the Hardibacker. I went to my big box store and bought the “Simplet Set Pre-Mixed This Set Mortar” manufactured by Jamo and the HardiBacker screws.
I installed the hardibacker using this thin set and screwed the boards down every 8” leaving about 1/8” gap between boards. I also sealed the seams using the same this set and manufacture recommended tape.I plan on installing 13”x13” porcelain tiles and I’m concerned that I messed up by using the above mentioned thin set under the hardi backer board.
I have not done anything else at this point.Before proceeding, I’m looking for advice1.)Should I tear up my backer board, scrap up the thin set and redo it again using the proper this set2.)Which thin set should I use for the hardi backer (if necessary based on 1 above) and tile.Thank you,-RIch. Welcome, Rich.:)You were led astray by the packaging on that product, about which we have complained regularly. That is not a thinset mortar, it's an organic adhesive. James Hardie will permit its use for some applications using his products, but not for bedding the panels on floor installations.1.
Entirely up to you.2. Any Portland cement-thinset mortar meeting the requirements of ANSI A118.1 (it'll be printed on the bag of dry material). Even the least expensive mortar at Homer's (Custom Blend) is suitable for use under the panels. Use a modified thinset mortar (VersaBond will work) for taping your seams and setting your tiles.If you elect to remove and replace your Hardibacker, keep in mind that the manufacturer recommends his quarter-inch board for floor installations.All the information you need can be found on the James Hardi website.
(opinion; worth price charged. Welcome, Erik.:)While we do welcome all the help we can get here on the TYW site, we do require that the advice given in the Advice forum comply with tile industry standards, manufacturer's recommendations, and best building practices to the extent possible.If you'd like to argue the merits of your system in this case that does not comply with either manufacturer's recommendations or tile industry standards, the Professionals' Hangout is the place to do that.
Such discussions are welcome there. Hi Erik from another Fl.
Tile mechanic. (Retired)The advice given on this forum is based on manufacturer specs. They all say to bed the board in thinset.
It's not to hold the board down, but to fill any voids underneath. The screws hold it down.That said, as you, I have installed many boards, many, with out the benefit of thinset underneath and have not had a failure that I know of.Anyhow. Good to have you here and don't let the first few days comments get to you. This can be a tough bunch but we all strive to give good advice using the best standards.And finally. Where is our cool days!!!
Seemed like summer the last few days.:yeah. I appreciate all that replied and your experience. By no means did I intend to start any argument by asking my question.I do understand that it is entirely up to me whether I tear up the existing hardibacker I put down. Going forward with any future floor tile work around the house I will use the proper thin set mortar.Regardless, I am still confused with some of the feedback.
If the thin set mortar is for filling voids and not bonding, how critical is it for me rip up the hardi and scrap the 'thin set' I used.My intention is always to do things right, and I'm still learning. Rich, I can tell you only this. In this case, it wasn't done right but I would wait until there is a problem before taking it up. I think using the mastic is probably better than using nothing at all.This reminds me of a bath floor that I replaced about 15 years ago. I was doing other work in the house and the homeowner wanted me to touch up the grout in their son's bath floor.
The grout was coming out right in the center of the floor, where the most traffic is. I took out the loose grout and regrouted. It only took a couple weeks until they were calling me back to do it again. That's when I noticed a little flex in the floor when stepping in that area. The tiles remained stuck but the grout would come out. I ended up replacing that floor with a mud bed and haven't been back.
No thinset under the CBU and they also could have done a better job cleaning the wood. I will be laying Porcelain tile down in my 5x6 foot bathroom. The tile size is 13x13.
The arrangement of the tiles will basically be a boarder running around the perimeter of the room, with a diagonal section in the middle. All the tiles except for 5 will actually remain 13x13, others will be cut for the perimeterand for some of the diagonals.My question is should I still use a 1/4 x 3/8 x 1/4 trowel or should I use a smaller one? Should I use both?Any thoughts would be appreciated.Thank you,-Rich. It appears Custom Building Products sells the following in my big box store- Porcelain Tile Fortified Thin-Set Mortar- FlexBond Crack Prevention Mortar- VersaBond Fortified Thin-Set MortarI have purchased the Porcelain Tile Fortified Thin-Set Mortar, given I will be putting down 13'x13' porcelain tile down in a 5'x6' section ( I thought it was a no brainer) over hardie board.
I have not started yet, but now I'm thinking of returning it and getting the Flexbond.Why wouldn't you always use the Flexbond, given it claims to isolates cracks to 1/16'.Any thoughts or am I over thinking this.Thank you. Any thoughts or am I over thinking this.Any of those thinset mortars will do. Flex thinset can only help with very minute movement, it's not going to stop or fix a flexing floor. So make sure your sub floor is strong. You'll also need to use thinset under your Hardi-board and then screw it down per directions.ps, Hardi is a very thirsty cementboard, you might need to prime it with a primer or sponge it down prior to setting tile so it doesn't suck out the moisture in your thinset. As a DIY'er you might have problems not being away of this.:goodluck. Ok, I finally finished installing my 13x13 porcelain tiles in my bathroom.
Now I need to grout. I was originally going to go with the traditional grout i.e. Mixing (and still leaning towards it). However, I was at the store where I purchased my tiles and noticed that they sell Bostik NeverSeal and Reflection pre-mixed grout. They are both urethane products.I was curious if anybody has used this product and what results they had.
The whole idea of having uniform color consistency and not having to seal the grout seems appealing. I plan on doing the rest of the house with the same tile and grout (which ever I choose) in the near future, and it would nice to continue with the grouting without having a color change (do to mixing).I have applied traditional grout in the past and I am comfortable in the process of applying it, smoothing the grout and cleaning teh tiles. However, from what I read about the Bostik product, the approach is much different.So any suggestions, thoughts and results about the product would be appreciated.Thank you.
Suitable Tile Types. Vitreous, semi-vitreous or non-vitreous tile: ceramic, mosaic, quarry, cement body tile. Impervious porcelain and glass tile. Cement-based precast terrazzo. Polished, natural stone.
Groutable luxury vinyl tileLimitations to the Product. Should not be installed when ambient or surface temperature is lower than 50° F (10° C) or above 90° F (32° C). Some ceramic, glass, marble or stone tiles can be scratched or damaged by the silica aggregate filler.
Perform a test on a small area prior to use. Tile or stone with high absorption, surfaces that are porous or rough, textured surfaces and some types of porcelain tile may require sealing prior to grouting to prevent possible staining. See the General Surface Prep section for details. Do not use Fusion Pro with irregularly shaped or spaced tile or stone, such as pebble stones, where joint widths or depths exceed 1/2'. Not for use in either industrial applications or in areas subjected to harsh or continuous chemicals, high heat or high-pressure cleaning. For heavy industrial tile installations, use CEG-IG 100% Solids Epoxy Grout.
Not for use over concrete slabs with high moisture emission rates. Not for use in steam rooms or submerged applications (swimming pools, spas, water features and fountains). Not for use in movement joints or changes of plane in the tile installation. In these areas us an appropriate caulk or sealant such as Commercial 100% Silicone Caulk or Polyblend® Ceramic Tile Caulk.General Surface PrepTiled surface and joints must be clean, and adhesives must be dry. When grouting both vertical and horizontal substrates together, protect horizontal substrate from excess wash water that may fall during the cleaning of grout on walls by covering the floor area prior to grout installation on the walls.
Application of ProductIMPORTANT: Download our Fusion Pro installation instructions!-USE CHEMICAL-RESISTANT GLOVES, such as nitrile, when handling product. Pre-seal natural stones and porous or rough textured tile with, or. Fusion Pro cures by evaporation.
Ensure setting material has dried, substrate does not have a high moisture emission rate and work area has adequate ventilation. Only spread for 3-4 minutes, typically 20 sq.
(1.85 m²) before cleaning grout off the tile surface. More can be spread in cool, damp conditions; less in hot, dry conditions.
Do not allow Fusion Pro to dry or skin over prior to final cleaning. If grout dries on surface during installation, lightly moisten and wait 2-4 minutes, then gently clean tile surface using sponge or white nylon scrubber.Fusion Pro is a new technology grout with significant advantages over traditional grouts, requiring modified installation techniques to achieve best results. Do not apply or clean up this grout as typically done with cement or epoxy grout.Lightly dampen tile surface before spreading. Use a medium to hard grout float to spread grout. Spread grout and fill joints for 3-4 minutes, typically 20 sq. (1.85 m²) increments. More grout can be spread in cool, damp conditions; less in hot, dry conditions.
Drag the edge of the float diagonally across the tile to remove excess grout while leaving the joints full. Cleaning of grouted area should begin immediately, before grouting next section.With a lightly damp grout sponge held flat against the tile, apply even pressure and use a light, circular motion to loosen excess grout from the tile surface. Rinse the sponge and hold it flat against the tile face to gather and wipe off excess material. Shape joints full. Be sure to rinse sponge and change rinse water frequently to reduce grout haze.Lastly, drag a lightly damp microfiber towel across the surface for final clean up.
Do not allow Fusion Pro to dry or skin over prior to final cleaning. If grout dries on the surface, lightly moisten and wait 2-4 minutes, then gently clean the tile surface using a sponge (or a white nylon scrubber) to remove residue. If streaks or residue remain after 2 hours, use diluted, or and clean with a sponge or scrub pad.
Additional instruction and videos available online. Curing of ProductAllow 24 hrs until light traffic, and 3 days at 70° F (21° C) and 50% relative humidity before intermittent water exposure.
Lower temperatures and higher humidity will slow the cure times. Covering Fusion Pro immediately after grouting will extend the cure time. Grout should be allowed to cure 24 hours before covering with a highly-porous protective material to ensure a timely cure to protect the surface from other trades traffic.
Lower temperatures and higher humidity will slow cure times. Exterior applications must be protected from rain, snow and other wet conditions for at least 7 days with temperature above 50° F (10° C). If inclement weather is expected, protect the work area with tenting at least 1 foot (30 cm) above the finished surface to allow air flow. Enclose and protect exterior installations and maintain 50° F (10° C) temperatures for at least 72 hours for proper cure. Sealing of GroutSealing is not necessary. Do not use solvent-based sealers with Fusion Pro.
Cleaning of equipmentClean tools and hands with water before material dries. Handling & StorageProtect grout from freezing. If product freezes, return to room temperature and use as directed.
Do not stir if partially frozen. Product MaintenanceClean with a neutral cleaner such as,.
New Product added to – Fusion Pro Premixed GroutWe’ve added a new grout choice for our customers: by Custom Building Products. This advanced acrylic plus silicone formulation provides superior color consistency and stain resistance. Unlike traditional cement grouts, there is no mixing needed to use this grout. Just pop the top of the bucket, and get to work! This acrylic silicone grout can be used for interior or exterior wall and floor surfaces.
There is no worry about shrinking grout with this product, and Fusion Pro grout can be used on grout joints 1/16″ to 1/2″! Available in convenient 1 gallon pails, and any extra can easily be re-used in future applications by just re-sealing the bucket.Choose from 21 popular standard colors:Benefits of Fusion Pro Pre-Mixed Grout:. Unsurpassed stain resistance. Superior color uniformity.
Chemical resistant. Crack-resistant. No sealing requiredThis easy-to-used sanded grout can be used on counter-tops, tub surrounds, showers and high traffic areas. Can be used on interior and exterior surfaces, but not in areas that will be completely submerged in water, such as pools and hot tubs.
It is recommended that exterior applications must be protected from rain, snow and other wet conditions for at least 7 days. Do not use Fusion Pro in industrial applications or areas subjected to harsh or continuous chemicals. In areas exposed to high heat or high pressure cleaning equipment, you also do not want to use this grout.Fusion Pro Installation Video:Installation Tips:. Do not install when air or tile surfaces are above 90 degrees or below 50 degrees. Keep tile surface moist between spreading and cleaning. Use a to apply the grout to 20 sq.
Feet. Cleaning can begin immediately (starting at the initial spreading point). Use a damp in a light, circular motion to loosen excess grout and shape joints.
For best results, once cleaning with a sponge has been completed, lightly drag a across tile surface for final removal of residue. If streaks or residue remain after grout skinned over, use to remove residueThe curing time of the Fusion Pro Premixed Grout will vary when exposed to lower temperatures and higher humidity. A general rule for this grout is 24 hours until light traffic, 3 days at 70 degrees and 50% relative humidity until it should be exposed to water. Covering Fusion Pro immediately after grouting will extend the cure time.Be sure to purchase all of your and accessories when you purchase the Fusion Pro Grout on. Professional grade grouting tools including,. Your one “click” shop for everything you need for grout installation.We carry other brands of so check it out today!Video with MORE information on this easy-to-use grout. Blogroll.Find Colored Caulk to Match you Grout!
TONS of colors available.Hard to find Cove Base and Transition Strips.Installerstore is on Facebook! Stay involved with discount updates and new products! Share your thoughts and ideas with us.Distributor of Karndean, Marmoleum Click, EcoDomo, and More!.Find deals on discontinued registers, cleaners, stair rods, and more!.Floor Registers, Cleaners, And Much Much More!.SteelCrest Custom Metal Inserts!.Meet Jethro! The latest addition to the Rugrats Family!He's such a goo boy!10/10 would pet.Does your home need a custom metal air grill?Check out our custom metal air grill options by visiting our websit.Looking For a Custom Metal Air Grill?.The holidays are coming up quick! Prepare your floors for all of your holiday guest with Installer Store's wide ran. Seach Installerstore Blog.
Pebble Tile Path A crash course on installing pebble tile flooringHow can installing pebble tile flooring be a miserable endeavor? After all, when you use words like organic, zen, natural, and feng shui to describe the bathroom that you want aren’t pebble tiles always in the scheme somewhere? Well I have a huge pet peeve about pebble tiles.
Those pesky seamsOnce grouted you can always see the seams between the sheets.I can hear it already “But ours are shaped like puzzle pieces so you can’t see the grout lines”. Yes, I know.“They told us that they are designed to interlock so the seams will be hidden.” I know.“We put a couple of sheets together at the store and it looked good.” Again, I know.But I’ll repeat: once grouted you can always see the seams between the sheets. Let me present Exhibit A: These were interlocking sheets.
The seams are clearly visibleAnd Exhibit B: Not the best camera angle but the seams are visible in this one too. The lighter spots are a result of the lighting from above.Although some pebble tile installations are more subtle than others I have yet to see a line that the seams disappear on. So what can be done about this? Well, there’s an installation “technique” that can make the seams disappear.Here’s the “secret” to making the seams disappear The Secret Installation Technique for Pebble Tile FlooringKeep in mind I use the term “technique” in jest. But this photo shows the secret to getting the seams to disappear when installing pebble floor tile.Installing pebble tiles individually!And if you haven’t guessed yet, this is where the misery comes in. In addition to the tediousness of sitting down and pulling off all of the tiles from the sheets (make sure to pull the strings off too) but you then have to install those tiles individually.
But I’ll share with you a technique that myself and a tile friend of mine came up with. It’s pictured in the photo below: Spacing the sheets apart and filling in the centers helps the seam marks to disappearIt’s a mix of full sheets and individual pebbles. It works for most applications. The basic concept is that you don’t interlock the sheets. Rather you keep them spaced from everything else about 2-4 inches.Spacing them closer than 2 inches makes it difficult to find pebbles to fill the space.
Spacing them too far apart makes for slower work. But installing them in this manner will make the seams go away. The gaps get filled in with individual pebble tiles Grouting Pebble Tile FlooringAs you can image these pebble tiles have their own grouting quirks as well. For starters:Grout Selection: For pebble floor tiles you want to rule out the.
These include Quartzlock2, Fusion Pro, Plasma, and Flexcolor CQ.Rather you’ll want to use either a (my preference) like Prism, Permacolor, or Ultracolor. In fact, specifically for pebble tile flooring.
I believe epoxy grouts are ok for pebbles tiles but you’ll always want to double check with the particular product that you are looking purchase. Please be cautious with the high performance grouts. They are fast setting and you can get into trouble with them.Calculating Grout: This is basically the definition of an exercise in futility. What do you use for an average tile size? What about an average grout joint size? Recently I used 23 sq. Ft of black mini pebble tile and used about 85% of a 17lb box of Prism grout.
A 17 lb box of Prism is supposed to be the same volume as a 25 lb bag of standard grout. Hopefully this is helpful.Installing grout: For grouting pebble tiles the steps are basically the same as a normal flat tile although it’s a good idea to not walk on the pebble tiles until they are grouted if at all possible.
For instance, if you have a pebble tile shower floor you can probably reach everything from outside the shower. Basically, it installs like a normal grouting application although wiping your grout float like a squeegee is much less effective. You’ll want to be careful of the amount of pressure and force that you use with a grout float also. You won’t be able to remove as much of the grout as you would with a normal flat tile floor. Because of this you’ll be constantly ringing your sponge out during the washing step.
Probably a good idea to change your wash water frequently. More Thoughts on Installing Pebble Floor Tiles A 1/4 inch square notch trowel works well for installing most pebble tileCutting pebble tiles: The good news is that you don’t need a lot of equipment for pebble tile installation. I usually don’t cut any of the pebbles so there’s no saw to rent or purchase. It’s just a matter of finding the right size and combination of pebbles to fit the space.Trowel size: I find a works for most every pebble tile installation. It’s always case-by-case but I would start with that size and see how it goes. A pebble tile shower floor with no seams!Pebble Tile Shower Floors: When installing pebble tile shower floors it’s not a bad idea to slope the shower floor more than the minimum.
So normally the rule of thumb for a shower pan slope is 1/4 inch of fall for every foot. For example: If your shower is required to fall 3/4 inch from the edge to the drain you may decide to just make it 1 inch or even 1.25 inches if you know that you are going to be installing pebble tile on your shower pan floor.The reason for this is drainage. Because of the odd shapes, water will take longer to drain and may not drain as efficiently as a flatter tile shower floor. This is still a factor with the flatter sliced pebble tile but not as much as the bigger rounded pebbles.Point load on foam shower pans: If you are installing a foam shower base, like a, it would be advisable to read the instructions before committing to this tile. They may have a minimum tile size requirement and, if so, the pebbles are not likely to meet the minimum tile size. Now obviously if it’s a residential shower you won’t be rolling heavy carts through.
So you’ll have to use your judgment on whether you want to go ahead with it anyway.So get some nice cushy pads to kneel on, mix really small batches of thinset, and get into your patient zen-like frame of mind. Your organic Feng Shui bathroom is taking shape! Look at the bright side: at least you don’t have to worry about spacers, chalk lines, and difficult cuts.I use this same technique to install pebble tile for an accent stripOne last thing, when doing some research for this post I found You may find it helpful (although the background drives me nuts).Filed Under:, Tagged With:, Reader Interactions.
The tile supplier is giving bad advice. SooooooI had an impossible time finding ANY tile people in my area that I felt a) confident they knew what they were doing, and b) they weren’t meth-heads that were going to scope my place and rob me blind while they had a key. Obviously by your comments and my current issues, I still ended up screwed because my guy used Mapei on my smooth/flat-top river pebble floor (the workmanship on the large subway tiles I used for the shower walls, while not just stellar, is acceptable).The job cost me a small fortune to begin with. Is there ANYTHING AT ALL I can do or use to FIX this to at least reasonable appearance without tearing out the floor and spending another half-a-small-fortune? I have staining in a lot of the dips between stones, despite my best efforts to keep it clean (and even wore away some of the surface from scrubbing, exposing pieces of netting).I’m just sick and I am afraid if I hire someone else to tear it out and re-do it, they’ll just screw it up just as badly and honestly, I canNOT afford more mistakes. (I had another local tile guy look at it and he, apparently defending those in his craft or being just plain ignorant, said he didn’t see where the guy did anything wrong).
PLEASEAny suggestions to improve the grout surface and appearance, and what I could try, would be GREATLY appreciated. I’m not sure what you mean by “my guy used Mapei”. If you mean that he used Mapei Flexcolor CQ grout for the pebbles then you’re right that it really isn’t the right product for that. The only practical way to remove the grout would be to scratch it out I would think. Not an easy task but those kinds of grouts are softer than cement grouts.
So there’s that.To regrout- you could use either an epoxy grout (not very user friendly) or a high performance cement grout such as Mapei Ultracolor. I would recommend a sealer if you go this route.You could also try calling the Mapei tech line and they may have some tips for removing the grout.
Maybe there’s a chemical or something.A word of caution: Depending on the way the shower was waterproofed you may not be able to remove the grout all the way down. There may be waterproofing immediately below the pebbles.
Other times there’s a layer of sand/cement that the pebbles are adhered to and the waterproofing is below that. In that case there’s no reason not to remove all the way. My installer used a ton of thin-set when putting the pebble floor in my shower. So much so that it looks like it has already been grouted.
The thin set is dry and i have spent nearly a week using different tools such as a dremel, a grout saw, wire brushes, etc to get the thin set out from between the pebbles in order to make room for grout. My installer says its fine to leave the thin set in between the rocks and just grout in the few places that there is not any thin set as long as i use a sealer. Is this correct? If not how can i remove the excess thin set?
Question – I’m having river stones/pebbles laid in a threshold, about 3.5 in wide/deep, by the usual space/length of the door threshold. I’m asking the tile installer to remove all the stones needed from the 12 by 12 sheet, and that they must each be placed individually to ensure a tight, compact fit – he is debating that and suggests he can lay it down by cutting a strip 3.5 in wide, to lay down. What is the correct way to lay these stones into a threshold – tile on the bathroom side and carpet on the bedroom side.Thank you –Tom. Thanks DIY tile guy – my concern is, in some areas there may be a “half circle” where a stone would have laid, but there is a gap because the stone is ‘cut in half’ by the edging and therefore is not laid – in that instance, shouldn’t the gap be filled with a smaller stone if possible, vs.
Filling in that half-circle area with grout, and leaving many instances of pockets of grout? The similarity is like your edges of the shower floor, where you place specific pebbles to approximate the gap or space that exists, to avoid having larger, noticeable gaps. I understand what you are saying and you guys should probably have a conversation about how big of a space is acceptable. Now that I’m thinking about it the installer may be planning on cutting strips to fit into the doorway. If that’s the case you’ll want to talk about that also. Cutting pebbles could mean that the edges will want to sit proud.It’s a good thing that you are thinking of this because it’s important to talk things over and make sure both sides are expecting the same thing.
But my two cents worth is to talk about what it needs to look like not how it should be done. Based on your post I’m returning the grout recommended by my supplier for a pebble tile shower floor, but my larger concern is now the Kerdi foam pan.
I’ve installed it meticulously to Schluter’s specs but you raise a compelling question regarding point load as it pertains to tile size. Research on the issue led me to this extensive thread:I’ve spent hours reviewing that debate, since Schluter maintains any tile size is acceptable (not all are convinced of this claim) and am still afraid to proceed with my installation. At this point, the pan, drain base and curb are installed as well as Kerdi membrane with the corner pieces.
My question to you is, would you suggest troweling (at a notch of your recommendation) another layer of unmodified thinset OVER the membrane in the pan to potentially increase the point load resistance? I could then install the pebble tile over the additional layer of mortar. Since you recommend 1/4″ x 1/4″ square notch minimum for pebble tile installation, maybe I’ll bump up to 1/2″ x 1/2″ for the added support. Next question is, to modify or not to modify? Schluter of course always demands unmodified mortar, but after speaking to a rep I don’t have their warranty anyway, since the walls are Redgarded over Hardi for glass tile, as opposed to covering with their orange plastic membrane (which I read numerous times isn’t suitable for glass tile). So in your professional opinion, for the foam shower pan lined with Kerdi membrane, which mortar would you endorse for the pebble tile and drain installation?Also, thank you for providing this free resource, which provides priceless peace of mind to those of us who obsess about getting it right the first time!
My newly installed tile shower floor was installed improperly. The water will not drain. It pools in the center.
The original installer came back, ripped up some tiles and “fixed” it. I know there is a rubber liner thing. They laid a nice cement like base but the tiles themselves actually sort of lean up hill rather than down toward the drain. You can run your hand over the tile and feel the rise in the wrong direction. I would have to get down on my knees after every shower and squeegee the water to the drain.
Can I pull up the tiles and install a pebble floor. How thick can the thin set be in order to get the proper slope! Any ANY ideas would be most appreciated. Thank you in advance. Unfortunately the only way to do it properly is to redo the top layer of the shower pan. The “mud” that’s used for this layer (sand/cement mix) is designed to let water drain through it. Trying to fix things with too much thinset or other types of patches can interfere with the system.Also when using pebble tile the shower pan should have additional slope to it in my opinion.
More like 1/2 inch per foot so that things will drain well.Sorry to be the bearer of bad news and I hope things turn out well with your shower. There’s a lot of things that can cause cracks in grout. If top of the line grout means epoxy then that’s good. If it’s a urethane then that’s not good (for pebble floors). It sounds like it might be a cement grout which is usually fine but it depends on which one and which kind (hopefully not unsanded).One thing to note: Pebbles aren’t supposed to be used over foam shower pans. The reason being that the pebbles are under the size requirement which is usually 2-inches. What this can do is cause too much pressure to be concentrated in too small of a spot.
The term for this is “point load”. If you used a foam Kerdi pan then this could be what the cause is. A lot of times people will push the limits with lighter-duty residential showers and usually don’t have an issue.So while it’s difficult to diagnose your cracked grout over the internet it’s possible it could be the wrong grout (for pebbles) or a foam Schluter shower pan. Thank you for having a site like this to help everyone out. You offer some great advise.
I thought I would share a technique I came up with while doing my kitchen backsplash. Going to save my knees when I use it again on my shower floor.
Started with ripping the pebbles off the mesh. Knowing my overall dimensions, I started by sitting comfortably at the kitchen counter & arranged the pebbles in visually appealing manner. When I had a good portion done, I laid out clear contact paper on top of the pebbles. Once this was done, with a marker I outlined between the pebbles approx. A 6” square & numbered them, then with an x-acto I cut them out leaving the contact paper intact to hold the pebbles. It made the job a breeze.Now for my question: I have a regular mudset shower pan, modified or unmodified thinset?
Best non epoxy grout? It’s fine to seal them that way if you want. I prefer to apply the sealer after grout but sometimes it’s necessary to seal prior to grouting.As far as a sealer recommendation, it really depends on what you have a access to. There’s a million different sealer and you get what you pay for. Look for one that isn’t water based and protects against oil stains.The only way to get a stain proof grout with pebbled is to use an epoxy grout. For cement grout Prism if a good choice.
It should be sealed. If you have access to Custom Building Products (makers of Prism) look for a sealer called UltraSolv. It’s from Aquamix which is also part of the Custom Building Products family. I know this is an older post, but it is the most informative that I’ve come across.I hope you can help.I did a cheapo diy from Pinterest, using individual pebbles over my existing shower floor. Thinset, a crapton of grout, and several layers of seal have been applied. Although I spent days sifting through pebbles, many are sitting uncomfortably high.
So much so, that my husband is showering in our guest bath. Although it looks good, I think I need to remove it to save his sanity lol. Any advice for removal?Thank you! Thank you so much for the information!
You have me seriously rethinking the installation process of a pebble floor in my shower. We are getting ready to gut the bathroom and start from scratch and I was going to use a tile ready shower base for ease of time and solid base. We are not professionals but have laid our share of tile throughout our house and the walls in the guest bathroom.
Just never a shower floor. Sounds like I’d be better off pouring my own base to increase the pitch for drainage.
Since that is foreign to me, any sound advice for prepping a base from scratch to accommodate pebble tile? I originally came to this post to read about smooth vs. Rounded pebbles to see what is best for the shower floor too. I am worried the natural rounded pebbles will be too funky to stand on while showering and the smoother surface would be better. Hoping the tile store I will visit will have displays of both I can stand on but if you have an opinion on the tile I’m all ears as well! So much to research before we install!!! If you have a foam shower base then I would just leave it as is and tile over it.
The slope isn’t ideal but it still slopes and it’s consistent.And, yes, the point load issues are still the same. I’m not saying that this will be a problem but it’s at least nice to know the potential pitfalls ahead of time. With a residential shower the likelihood of point load problems are reduced from a more heavy duty environment but they still exist.As far as walls or floors first, it’s technically doesn’t matter which is done first as long as that corner is caulked.
With that being said, the caulking of the corner is awkward with the varying size of joint.So one way to do it is to install the floor first, then install the walls, and scribe the bottom row around the pebbles a little bit. That way you keep the caulk joint consistent in size. You don’t have to scribe and you could just caulk the uneven gap but it looks a little uglier.Some installers will install the walls first then the pebbles and just grout the entire shower pan to the walls and not caulk. It does look ok doing it this way but it’s not technically proper. I have a pebble floor in my master bath shower.
The whole bathroom has the Schuler orange grid thing with heated floors including the shower floor. I hate the pebbles and cleaning the grout constantly. We run the fan consistently while taking shower, and the home is maintained at 45% humidity. There is always mildew growing a bit between some areas and in the corners.
Because of the heated floors, I was told it would be very difficult to tear it out and replace with tiles. What are your thoughts about tiling over the pebbles? Any recommendations? Tiling over the pebbles can be done and it’s probably the best course of action because of the heat and waterproofing in the shower. It will be a challenge because the current floor will have to be flattened and smoothed out prior to installing another type of tile over the top.As far as which particular products and steps to proceed with, I don’t know that I would be comfortable creating a plan of action over the internet.
I think your best bet would be to hire someone qualified and/or get a plan of action from one thinset manufacturer that will tell you which of their products to use for each step.If you hire someone to do this, I would require that they consult a manufacturer that they like to deal with and have a written plan to proceed. There should also be a way to extend the drain higher but it will depend on the manufacturer of the drain.Sorry I don’t have a better answer but doing the above will make sure that it’s done right. I just installed river rock pebble tile on my shower floor.over the existing tile. I was told by a local “expert” this was no problem.
I used the thinset, let it sit for 24hrs, grouted and let it sit for 7 days. Looked great and had no issues for 2 weeks while using.
Then the grout started cracking at an alarming rate and rock just came loose, then the entire sheet. The thinset was wet and the mesh backing was just mush. What should I do now? Do I need to rip up the old tile and start over? What type of thinset and grout should I use?
Not sure what thinset you used but I’d want to use one of the more expensive ones for that application.Also, existing tile needs to be clean and existing sealers removed. You may have to grind the surface of the tile or put on a bond promoting primer like Eco Prim Grip.Finally, if you used a nonsanded grout or a single component grout, like Fusion for example, you’re going to have problems.Don’t know if any of that stuff applies to your situation. With more information I may be able to help further. Hey tile guy. I’ve had trouble figuring out a few things with my bath renovation and hoped you could help. I will be setting “skipper” (rounded, 3″-4″ wide x 1″ thick) stones on sloped, deck mud shower pan, over redgard, and would appreciate any advice on best approach. Stone prep, setting, grouting, etc.If redgarding onto a PVC Oatey adjustable clamp style drain ring, is there anything I should do to prep the drain ring?
Scuff, scarify, acetone, etc? Will fiber mesh onto plate. Originally installed drain to use with a PVC liner but had to switch to redgard because of poor seaming at corners, so redgard won’t be under drain, only over.Also, curious about the area where cement board meets drywall. Is it best to just thinset tiles on to drywall same as on cement board, or should something different be done? Using 4 x 12 tiles and I expect a single row to extend above the top seam.
Advantage iii sct. Thanks for the reply, but my inquiry was for advice in what to use to set them to the redgard floor (modified thinset?), what if any preparation to the stones be done prior to ensure a good adhesion, best suggested grout (a local contractor mentioned an unsanded “poly” grout due to its flexibility and less likely to crack), and a sealant suggestion for keeping the “wet look.” I’ve searched for weeks and can not find anything that seems informative enough for the best route to take. Sorry for the continued posts. Thanks again. Your site is an invaluable resource.says. Yes, modified thinset if what you want to set them. Versabond would be a bare minimum and I’d rather see you get better than that. I believe Home Dept carries either Versabond flex or Flexbond.Whatever you do, don’t use unsanded grout.
That and Fusion Pro would be the worst choices that you could make for pebble tile on a shower floor.Prism if a good choice but will have to be ordered in to Home Depot. Epoxy grout is another good choice but can be more difficult to install. Regular sanded grout will work too.They make wet look sealers- Miracle (blue bottle) has one called seal & enhance, I think. Also you should be able to find something in the Aqua mix line which is carried at Home Depot.Nothing needs to be done to the stones in preparation to install unless the instructions on the stone call for it. I usually pull them off of the sheets and install them individually so you don’t see the sheet lines but that’s a personal choice.No need to apologise for the questions.
That’s what this blog is for and I appreciate that you are willing to participate. Good luck on this project!.Scott says.
Starting a new thread because the comment margin became too thin to read. Please reply here rather than above.Thanks for the replies, but my inquiry was for advice in what to use to set the stones to the redgard floor (modified thinset?), what if any preparation to the stones need be done prior to ensure good adhesion, best suggested for grout type (a local contractor mentioned unsanded “poly” grout due to its flexibility and less likely to crack), and a sealant suggestion for keeping the “wet look.” I’ve searched for weeks and can not find anything that seems informative enough for the best route to take. Sorry for the continued posts.
Thanks again. Your site is an invaluable resource. Hello, DIY Tile Guy,Thanks for sharing your expertise!I am about to have a sliced pebble backsplash installed in my kitchen.I got the net sheets and, trying to be helpful, I pre-sealed the tops AND SIDES of all the stones, usingSuperior premium gold water-based sealer.
Now I have two concerns:– Will my sealing the sides of all stones prevent the grout from adhering to them securely?Current spacing between stones on net sheets varies considerably. In some sections it is very tight, just a hair between stones, while other spacing is more like 1/4″ or up to 1.2″The grout I am using is Superior Pro Grout ExcelIs there anything I can do to make sure that grout will work well?Do I have to remove stones from net and set them individually to make grout work effectively?Can I leave any sections on net?Is grout more likely to crack or release stones now that sides have been sealed?ALSO,– Many of the stones seem large (over 1.5″) and I’m concerned that the weight of the backsplash will be too much for my drywall to support.What do think? If yes, how do I address the situation?Thanks in advance for your adviceI’m feeling pretty panicked. The weight of the stones shouldn’t be an issue.
Typically, weight per sq. Inch would need to be really heavy to have to worry about it pulling the wall out.For the grout, I would say to just make sure the grout is capable of joints as big as 1/2 inch or more. Then just do the best that you can with getting grout into all the joints. It doesn’t make any sense to switch from non-sanded to sanded and having the pebbles too tight in spots is probably not a big deal for pebble tile.Usually, installing pebble tile still mounted on the sheets is fine. However, thinset needs to get through the mesh backing so if you see a heavy glue or epoxy coating over the entire back then the sheet mounts probably won’t work.My preferred method is to install the sheets about 2 inches apart and then fill in the space with individual pebbles.Pre-sealing the pebbles is probably a good idea and it would be very difficult to apply sealer only to the tops and not the sides. So I would think that you probably will be fine and using a water-based sealer, as opposed to a solvent base, is in your favor.I would think that you’ll want a sealer that protects against oil stains for the final sealing coat (after grout).These are all good questions.
Hey Tile Guy! I bought a house about three years ago with a recently renovated pebble floored master shower with 4″ x 4″ tiled walls. The shower has about a two foot knee wall for glass shower wall and bench seating on the side. I have two problems that have begun recently. One of the problems is that the little larger than 1/8″ horizontal grouted joint at the top of the knee wall where the tile turns from vertical to flat has begun to crack and grout has started falling out.
The second issue is that the grouted pebble floor has started to wear away exposing some mesh below. The wearing seems to be in the common areas where the shower stream mostly hits the floor leaving a slight depression.I know the grouted mix is sanded just based on some sand residue observed in corner of shower and in drain when cleaned.
I am guessing both issues are that the contractor who did the work for the previous owner didn’t seal properly? Is this the common culprit for such issues?I plan on cleaning out tile joints that are cracked and regrouting with similar grout. Guess I can just reseal after I finish and this will solve my joint issue. Are there grout and sealer products you recommend for that?In regards to the shower flooris it as easy as removing some grout between pebbles and regrouting and resealing?
Do i even have to remove any grout or can i just grout over top of whats there and reseal? Did not know if there is a minimum grout thickness required before it just debonds later.
Also looking for approved products.Thanks for the help in advance!! I can’t definitively diagnose this over the internet but the possibilities range from minor cosmetic/maintenance fixes to serious problems.Sometimes cracked grout is just cracked. There might have been a little movement or settling and the grout joint cracked. Another possibility is the grout is weaker than normal which is generally caused by improper mixing.But sometimes the cracked grout on the half wall under the glass is cracking because the wood framing in the wall is swelling. It is swelling because it wasn’t waterproofed properly and moisture is getting in.So the best that I can tell you is to regrout it and keep an eye on it for continued expansion and cracking.
Also, keep on the watch for more cracks. Typical areas that are prone to problems if not waterproofed properly are the bench and the curb.In regards to pebble tiles this, again, could be a weak grout issue. If the grout is a urethane (or another single-component grout) then that would likely explain the issue. Probably the best way to tell is to see if the grout turns dark when it gets wet.
If this happens then it is a cementitious grout. If it doesn’t then it’s likely a urethane-type grout and should be replaced.Urethane + pebble tile + shower floors don’t mix.If you replace the grout with a cement grout then you want a minimum of 1/8 inch of depth for a regrout. Additionally, grout sealer is a good option and one that I would recommend but it is not a waterproofing and it is not a water management solution. Sealer should be used to help maintain the cosmetic appearance but don’t rely on it as a waterproofing component. We have discovered the same issue with the wrong grout. The floor was installed before we bought our house. First I noticed some of the grout disappearing under places where water drips (a hanging washcloth).
Since we’re in humid Houston, mold began to form in sections where the grout did not meet the tile. Following someone else’s advice, we added a clear sealer around the perimeter. Mold began growing underneath.I’m thinking that we should first remove the sealer and bleach out the mold. To create the space to regrout, should we chisel around the pebbles or do you have other advice? Then, after we chisel or whatever you advise, we should seal the old grout.
Put down the new grout and then seal the new grout. Does that sound like a good plan?Thank you sooo much! I hope i can explain well enough my roblem!
We have a black stone shower floor with grey grout(I think?). The shower floor was in the master bath shower when we bought the house. Recently I’ve noticee white, hazy lines on the grout. I clean the stone floor regularly with Mr.
Clean(cut 1:2 with water) but the white hazy stuff doesn’t get better, it’s getting worse. I jus read a couple articles about sealing stone shower floors. We’ve been n the house for 3 years and have never done anything but clean the floor. If the shower floor is stone then the whole thing should be sealed regularly.To do this, you want it clean and the grout joints to look right before it’s sealed.With natural stone, such as marble or granite, you have to be really careful what you use for cleaning.I would recommend a cleaner in the tile section of your local home improvement store. Stay away from the acidic cleaners. There should be instructions on the back that say the product is safe for natural Stone.If this doesn’t work then you may have a bigger issue and it might require a natural stone care specialist to take a look at it. We are getting ready to put a pebble tile floor in our bathroom.
Not in the shower, but it will still get water from splash etc. The last time we did this, we sealed and enhanced the pebbles and then thinset, grouted, and sealed again. Would it be better for the sealing of the pebble to be done after the thinset? Do the unsealed pebbles adhere in the thinset better? Just curious before starting this project. We have moved from our last home so I can’t check how the floor is doing on our last attempt. Your advice would be appreciated!
Also, what do you typically use as a between room edge? We will be putting the tile in right up next to a carpeted hallway. Should we lay a wooden threshold? What do you typically do? First of all thank you for taking the time to help all of us DIY’s. Your suggestions are practical and obviously backed by some great experience. Now to my dilemma.
The existing shower base is terriza (concrete with flecks of color throughout) but the base has a sloped outer perimeter lip that makes laying the pebbles (tiny irritating pebbles) almost impossible. I came up with the idea to fill the pad 28×48 inches with some type to concrete leveler to make the surface area flat (with a slope).
Fusion Pro Grout Installation Instructions
Am I crazy and if I’m not what brand or type of “crete” would you recommend., And yes I didn’t pick out the critters, the spouse did. This is a tough one because I’m not sure I really understand what type of shower base that you have. Also, it matters how porous the base is and if it will accept a leveler.Your best bet would be to call the tech like of one of the companies that makes leveler products and explain what you have and what you want to do.They can then explain the products to use and how to go about installing them.Custom building products, Ardex, and Mapei all have floor leveling products. I would try one of them and hopefully they can help you out. Hi Tile Guy-Thanks for providing great info!Our contractor installed our 2 yr old flat cut pebble shower pan floor on Wedi with Fusion grout and it has some issues. The floor was never even from pebble to pebble and there are 1/8-1/4” wells in some areas around pebbles and a few small holes.
It looks like the grout shrunk in places. I’ve cleaned out some of the old grout wehere there are problems. What about skim grouting a new layer to even out surface? I’m regrouting and recalkiing some wall areas where the grout failed and not sure what to do about the floor.
Pebbles are going to have some unevenness by nature. They won’t all perfectly slope in a straight line like flat tiles wouldHowever, that doesn’t mean that they can dip in and out either.So there could be some depressions in the foam pan but it’s hard to diagnose over the internet.Fusion grout is the wrong grout to use for pebble tile. So that will have to be removed and regrouted with either a cement or epoxy grout.You might be able to skim over Fusion with another grout. Usually it needs to be at least 1/8 inch of new grout.But that’s a good question for the new grout manufacturer.
I’m not sure how they will view going over a single component grout like Fusion.Also, Wedi, or any foam shower pan isn’t the best choice for pebble tile but with flat pebbles in a residential shower it’s probably not a problem. Hello, I have gutted my bathroom down to the joists and started new, including sistered joists and all new wood.
The Schluter Ditra and Kerdi board is my plan,The shower pan measures just under 38″ along the two walls of the neo-angle shower, as I had to cut it from a Schluter square pan to fit my neo-angle and because of sistered joists had to move the drain a bit closer to the shower door and further from the inside corner because there were joists in the way of the drain underneath. I already have the foam pan and curb cut,and almost everything is ready, except for me. I am the sole DIY, and at 63 am thrilled to find your site about this particular thread on pebbles!I have just purchased Botany Bay sliced pebbles for my home shower floor, to go over the Kerdi preformed neo angle foam pan and orange membrane, as directed by Schluter. The materials that you’ve mentioned are suitable. The inside of the curb is a design decision. I can’t think of a technical reason to go with one over the other.Please keep in mind that pebbles over a foam Kerdi pan may violate Schluter’s terms for a warranty. It’s a point load issue- too much pressure concentrated on too small of a tile.For a residential shower, it’s less of an issue and it’s not unusual for people to willingly go ahead with a pebble installation over a Kerdi shower pan.
But if you have any questions about that particular aspect of your installation then you may want to call the Schluter tech line and see what they have to say. Thank you so much for this helpful informationl. We installed a sliced pebble floor in our shower. Fortunately, I knew about installing some of the pebbles by hand to avoid being able to see the seams. We found it difficult to fit the stones quickly before the thinset hardened so I think it is important not to do a very big area at a time. Once the thinset was hard, my perfectionist self wasn’t happy with the spacing of some of the pebbles. Even though the pebbles were set over a Kerdi membrane, I was able to pry them up without damaging the membrane.
I ended up pulling out over 150 stones in order to fit them together more tightly. In my quest to have as little grout as possible, I ended up using a bench grinder to re-shape many of the pebbles so they would fit better. (Yes, really.)I would advise that if you are even close to as picky as I am, buy several extra sheets of pebbles so you will have more sizes to choose from. We had seven extra sheets for our 3×6 ft shower and I’m glad we bought that many. My family said that I was crazy to be so meticulous about fitting the pebbles. It took forever but the pebble spacing is tight and I’m very happy with the result. I used Sikaflex Construction sealant from Home Depot to adhere the replacement pebbles.
It looks and smells just like Kerdi Fix but it is much cheaper. I would never trust a professional to put in a pebble floor. It takes too much time to make it look right. No contractor is going to do that for you unless you pay him by the hour.You suggested extra sloping for the floor when installing a pebble floor. I wish I had read that before we did our shower. In a couple of spots, the pebbles are slightly low so water pools in these places. I didn’t notice it until after the floor was grouted.
Would it be possible to pour epoxy to fill the low spots? If so, what product should we use? This feedback is excellent! I typically have recommended not getting very much extra because you use all the pebbles but your point about having multiple sizes is a good one.As far as an epoxy, I’m not really sure what you are looking for.
Do you want a clear epoxy to go over the pebbles? Or simply additional epoxy grout?No matter what, pebbles won’t drain as well as smoother tiles.
But if you have low spots you could experiment with filling in more grout but typically removing and raising the pebbles up is a better plan. This should be done with thinset or with an epoxy grout.But thanks for sharing your experience. I think it could be very helpful to some of the readers. I’m about to tile our bathroom floor (NOT the shower) with river rock mosaic tile that’s 12×12, where each pebble is glued to the underlying mesh. I was concerned about the seams showing after grouting, so I was considering ripping each pebble off the mesh and placing them individually. A most excellent site and source of information.
I have a similar pebble bottom shower problem, a stone or two every now and then. Not sure about the type of pan, but know the pebbles were on a mesh, 12×12. I am thinking I need a good waterproof grout or something like that to keep the pebbles in place. I will try to get more information on the installation materials and check back since I know who installed it and it is on a raised wood foundation, 2×6, t&g over girders on 4ft centers. I also need to check for any leaks.Thanks,Richard. Hi DIY Tile Guy!
I appreciate your post and your insights on this issue. We are building a custom home and our master walk-in shower has flat white mosaic rock tiles. They look horrible. The seams are WAY worse than in the two pictures you posted above. I paid a “professional” tile installer (he works with a tile store, has done work for my builder a lot in the past, etc) over $7,000 (including tiling the floors in 31/2 baths and the laundry room and doing the shower) and I expected him to know how to install it without seams, especially for that price. At the very least, if it was going to have seams showing (so it looks horrible) due to the tile, then he should have told me so I could have chosen a new tile.
Am I wrong to be upset? Is there anything I can do to remedy it? The installer should communicate what to expect prior to installing but having the seams show usually isn’t an installation issue. It’s a characteristic of the product.So I have a hard time blaming the installer when it very well may have been installed properly according to manufacturer instructions.It would be tough to fix at this point but not impossible. It would involve removing several of the pebbles along the seam lines and reinstalling them.
Free download narayana stotram mp3 free download. It might be easier to redo all the pebbles and specify that they be installed individually. I’ve been installing tile & doing custom shower bases for almost 40 yrs. I’m building my last house to age in place in, Japanese theme.
So I’m doing a roll in shower, with Forest green marble walls, & a pebble floor. I ordered the sheets, I too hate the seams. So took most of them apart. Problem is once I really started handling them. I noticed they have been WAXED, to look “nice”. Most have a fairly heavy coat of wax ALL over them, sides, backs & all.
I can scrap it off with my fingernail? It is my opinion that NOTHING will stick to wax!! Not polymer-modified Thinset, not even 3 part epoxy I have on hand(I did a custom fiberglass base, using planed floor joists for slope), grout. So even if you can get them to stay in place long enough to grout(you have be ON them to do so??), you are going to get loose ones & grout cracks, & water under, & then everything failing, right?
I tried to clean with Muriatic acid, nope. Has ANYONE ever set these waxed pebbles??! Dear DIYTileGuy, I want to put an accent strip around my shower and have a bunch of loose pebbles that perfectly match the tile I bought (it looks like sandstone from Home Depot but I’m not sure if it is real sandstone or not). Do the pebbles have to be attached to a back mesh for the “thinset” to hold them or can I put up the regular flat tiles 12″x24″ (the lower 2/3 of the shower), have a 4-5 inch gap with just thinset and stick my pebbles individually by hand onto this strip, then put up the the other flat tiles (top 1/3 of shower) and then grout everything? I Know I from your blog I should use an epoxy or cement grout for the pebbles, can I use the same for the flat tiles so it all matches? I was going to use Flexbond for the pebbles, I’m assuming that will work for the other tiles too, is that correct?
My two biggest concerns are the waterproofing behind the pebbles and that they stay on the wall and not fall out. Thanks for your blog and all your advice. It’s hard to know why grout would be cracking in this situation.
It could be that it didn’t bond well to the pebbles. It could be that the floor, or even mortar bed, is flexing. If it was installed over a foam shower pan then it could be that there’s too much pressure on individual spots. This is called point-load. It could also be an issue with how the grout was mixed or what kind of grout was used.Grout problems are quite common, especially with the more econonical grouts, and the reasons behind the problems can be quite diverse.Sorry for such a vague answer but this is something that is hard enough to diagnose in person, let alone over the internet.If you have more information then that may help narrow things down. I just ordered all my tile & we picked out a rock tile for base made by Shaw, They were quite expensive but they come flat cut for uniformity & match our tile perfectly. Tile store told me there will be no problems with drainage due to the uniform flatness of rock & I should run grout level to top of stone just like a normal tile.
Fusion Pro Grout Instructions
They are 12 x 12 on mesh & I was just wondering if I will still be ending up with the tile lines as shown above. I am using the Schluter foam base & shower is almost 6′ x 6′.
The more I read above the more concerned I get, I only want to do this once. Any input would be appreciated!!
Fusion Pro® Single Component® Grout is stain proof and color perfect. It's easy to spread and clean over ceramic, porcelain, glass and natural stone tiles for exterior and interior wall and floor use.Learn more about Fusion Pro atFusion Pro Single Component Grout from Custom Building ProductsInstalling stain proof Fusion Pro grout is fast and easy.
Keep in mind that Fusion Pro is not a cement, epoxy or urethane-based grout, so if you have experience working with those products, installing Fusion Pro will be a little different. Before you install, make sure you have the right tools and materials: A medium-to-hard rubber float, fresh water, a grout sponge, a nylon scrubber and microfiber towels.Fusion Pro cures by evaporation so the area needs adequate ventilation.Also check that the tile has been set for at least 24 hours, that the mortar is dry and that the substrate does not have a high moisture emission rate. Tile surfaces and coatings vary widely, so always perform a test. We recommend applying a grout release when working with hard-to-clean tiles such as porous, textured or coated tile - or any natural stone.Begin installation by wiping the surface clean with water, leaving it lightly damp but without forming any puddles in the grout joints.
Using the grout float, spread Fusion Pro across the surface, filling all grout joints. The first time you use Fusion Pro, grout for only about two minutes. Once you're comfortable, you can progress to larger areas but work for no more than about three-to-four minutes at a time. This should cover around 20-square feet of tile. You can spread more Fusion Pro when conditions are cold and damp; less when conditions are warm and dry. Unlike conventional grouts, clean-up should begin right away.
Do not allow Fusion Pro to dry or skin-over prior to cleaning.After spreading, use your float to remove excess grout, making certain the joints stay full. Now, using a clean, lightly-damp grout sponge, go over the freshly grouted area.Depending on site conditions, you can allow the water to dwell for about 30 seconds prior to cleaning. Clean the grout by holding the sponge flat to the surface and work in a light, circular motion. Maintain the shape and fullness of the joints as you move across the tile.Use a light touch and do not over-scrub or over-water. Then, hold a clean, lightly-damp grout sponge flat against the tile and do a clean-wipe across the tile, diagonally, in one direction.
Drag a lightly-damp microfiber towel over the tile – removing remaining grout from the surface.Make sure to refill your bucket with fresh water every 30 to 40 feet. Keep the sponge and towel as clean as possible and wring them out fully after each rinse.With Fusion Pro, there's no need to return and seal the grout.Here are some contractor tips: If any grout dries on the surface, re-dampen it right away. Wait two-to-four minutes and gently agitate with a sponge or nylon scrubber before continuing with the clean-up. You can also reapply a small amount of grout to help re-emulsify the product and then wipe it clean.Two hours after clean up, inspect the surface for streaks or residue. If streaks or haze are present, you can apply AquaMix Grout Haze Remover or Tile Lab Grout and Tile Cleaner. Let it soak in for a few minutes then lightly agitate with a white nylon scrub pad. Wipe the surface with clean water and a sponge - and lightly buff the tile with a microfiber towel.
When grouting both walls and floors together, protect horizontal surfaces from excess wash water used to clean the vertical surface. Give Fusion Pro three days to fully harden – a little longer in colder temperatures or in higher humidity.It can usually be opened up for light traffic after 24 hours.Stain proof. Color perfect. Fusion Pro Single Component GroutWe know grout.
Count on Custom.For details visit custombuildingproducts.com.
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