Anyone who reads my blog (and lets be honest – who doesn’t?) knows that I am a diehard SpectraLOCK junkie. For those who don’t know what that is, SpectraLOCK is an epoxy grout made by Laticrete. It is stain-proof, pet-proof, and bullet-proof! (Don’t try that, it’ll really piss off the wife…) If you don’t know any of that – you need to read my blog more! 
So just like everything I love – it changed.
Laticrete has recently come out with SpectraLOCK Pro Premium grout. A little birdie told me that this will replace the SpectraLOCK pro grout in the near future. Given that, I need to figure out how to use it – because it works differently than the stuff I’m used to. The difference in the workability may very well be due to the temperature, humidity, hangover flu bug, or any number of factors on the particular days I was working with it.
But it just doesn’t feel ‘normal’ to me – you know? It seems like it tightens up (gets stiff) and starts to roll out of the grout joints more quickly than the other stuff did. So, as with any installation product, if it begins to cure faster than you can use it you should just mix up smaller batches. And being the awesome DIY crowd you are – it’s probably a good idea for you to know how to do that anyway. So this is the best way I’ve found to do it.
A few basics first: SpectraLOCK is sold in different unit sizes. The base unit is called … wait for it … a FULL unit! Wait, where you goin’? This isn’t complicated like the metric system or anything, stick around. There is also the COMMERCIAL unit, which is what I buy (and you likely will not need) and it contains four full units. There is also the MINI unit – this is 1/4 of a full unit.
So: 1 commercial unit = 4 full units and 1 full unit = 4 mini units. Now, you can split up whatever you feel comfortable with, I split the full units into mini units. And this is what I’m about to show you. However, if you feel the need to split them into smaller units, or split the mini units into smaller units you can do that as well, you’ll just need to change the measurements.
When you break down the components into smaller units you need to do it by weight. I don’t see why splitting the liquids down by volume would be significantly different – but I was always told to break them down by weight. So do that. Really.
SpectraLOCK has three components, the part A and part B liquids and the part C powder. The part A is the yellow stuff in the foil bag, part B is the white stuff. Part C powder is in the carton. For this I’ll be splitting up one full unit so the bags and carton may look larger than what you have – mine’s bigger! 
You want to have a scale (scrape off the *ahem* ‘illegal substances’) and some one-quart ziploc baggies (the unused ones). For a full unit you’ll want to split each liquid into four baggies. Each liquid baggie weighs a different amount! So don’t just go puttin’ the same amount of everything in all the bags, it won’t work, you’ll have 1/2lb. of the white liquid left – then whaddya gonna do?
- Part A (foil bag) has 5 ounces of liquid in each baggie (4 baggies)
- Part B (white liquid) has 5.2 ounces in each baggie (4 baggies)
- Part C (powder) has 2.25 pounds in each baggie – or whatever you choose to dump it into (4 of ’em)
Just measure out all those components and zip them up. Once you’re done with that you’re ready to mix smaller batches in workable sizes. I just measure out the powder as I go along – I’m a rebel like that. 
AGAIN! If you have smaller units or want smaller batches you’ll have smaller measurements. You just need to weigh out what you have and split them into equal parts.
The photo above shows one full unit in the back, the two large bags and the carton, and one of the smaller units after I’ve measured them out, the two small baggies and the cup of powder. The amounts in the baggies and the cup is what you’ll be working with at one time.
To mix them just get yourself a nice clean container (scrub the beer coffee rings out of it) and add the two liquids together. Just roll up the baggie from the zipper side down until you have no room left to roll (like toothpaste) and snip off the corner of it with scissors. You can then squeeze all the liquid out of it with a minimum of mess.
Once you get those in there YOU NEED TO MIX THE LIQUID TOGETHER! Do that before adding the powder, or it’s gonna be one big mess you don’t wanna deal with – take my word on that. 
Once you get your liquids mixed together you can add the powder. Add about 75% of the powder first and mix it all up. Get a nice, smooth consistency, then you can add the rest of the powder. This helps get everything mixed evenly whereas if you dump it all in there and mix it you’ll spend more time getting an even mixture.
(Jesus, did I just type ‘whereas’??? I need a beer nap…)
Here's your grout - get to it! Quickly, damnit!
And that’s it. It’s all ready to go. When you grout, fill your grout lines and begin washing the tile in about 10-15 minutes. In another 40 minutes or so you can begin the second wash. I’ve noticed with the new stuff that you’ll only have about 35-45 minutes of what I consider ‘workable’ time. It’s not like it turns into a rock after 40 minutes, but it does become considerably more difficult to work with.
If you keep your batches small enough to install in that time frame it won’t be a problem – it’s when you go past the viable working time that it starts becoming difficult.
While I have voiced my displeasure with the new mix in a place or two, after I calmed down and sobered up thought about it I realized that SpectraLOCK is still the easiest epoxy grout on the market to work with. That, coupled with the rock solid (pun intended) color match you get from it, SpectraLOCK will still be my epoxy grout of choice.
I just need to quit being such a hard-headed bastard and learn to work with it a bit differently. One of the key factors in doing that is to keep the mixes in manageable batches. Just take your time, a little extra now will go a long way toward the long-term durability of your tile installation. And it WILL be stain-proof!
Here’s some basic information about the new stuff from Laticrete: Laticrete SpectraLOCK Pro Premium
And here’s a chart for coverage to see exactly how much you’ll need: Laticrete Grout Coverage Calculator
As always if you have any questions at all feel free to post them below. I’ll answer them once I sober up get home from work.
I have heard that white epoxy’s yellow over time, especially if exposed to UV light. We have a very sunny master bathroom. Have you ever seen an issue with the Bright White SpectraLOCK turning yellow?
I am now hesitating on using the epoxy since I don’t want to run the risk of it yellowing and I know once it is installed there is not turning back as you probably would need a sledgehammer to get the stuff off.
Our bathroom will be white calacutta marble and white subway tile. Since I can’t use harsh chemicals to clean the marble I was thinking epoxy was the way to go, but I keep reading horror stories. Hesitating whether just using a grout colorant every year or so would be the “whiter” choice in the long run. Thoughts?
Hi Michele,
The old epoxy grouts (like fifteen-twenty years ago) were not UV stable and would yellow or discolor over time. Most of the new ones are UV stable and will not discolor. Spectralock is UV stable.
Roger,
Have you ever encountered any issues with the epoxy scratching marble or getting that boarder ghosting effect that they mention?
I have never seen it scratch a tile, marble or otherwise. I have had ghosting and picture framing, but it dissipates (always has, anyway) from 3-4 days up to six weeks.
I’m coming to the end of my M bath project and I have a question of two.
1. I want to put porcelain bullnose on drywall as the base molding; what should I use to hold it?
2. I installed a Laticrete bonding flange drain (round and gray) but forgot to paint the top plate with waterproofing material. I said waterproofing material because I used Redguard instead of Hydroban. I am using Versabond thinset. Do you think this is no big deal or something that will come back to bite me?
You article on the Spectralock Premium grout hit the spot. So how come I’m still hungry? Ah, maybe I’ll just have some suds! Thanks for all Your help.
Hi Keith,
1. Thinset.
2. As long as you have the top edges painted down past the little triangles then it’ll be fine. I am worried about the bond of the tile to straight pvc, though. If you did that you should remove the tile above it and paint your redgard over the pvc.
Finaly I get to groutin’. Spectra is not easy job but it is far frok Mapei nightmare. Easiest way is to buy small units. Ya ain’t want to mix full unit at all. Work with spectra is dificult. Aint got no consistency of reggie grout or thinset so it needs 2B pressed into space. Bunch of muscles for that. End of the story is happy end.
Hello , I am working with the new laricrate insdustrial unit. Is a pain to grout with is a,b and c but is to thick and hard to spray o. 6×6 corry tile. I know is bad but is even worse the one am doing has traction lines so is very hard . To clean is the same way. Any ideal thi is the 2000 IG unite
Hey Adrian,
With any quarry tile you want to use a grout release on the tile before grouting. Quarry is made to be non-slip, so it’s a pain to grout. Applying grout release will help tremendously. I have absolutely no idea what you may be trying to ‘spray’ on – typo? You can leave about 10% of the part c powder out of it and it helps a lot as well. It will not compromise the finished product.
Hellooo again,
I want to use epoxy grout in my shower installation (kerdi) :
– I have 1X1 tile and it will be costly, could I use epoxy up to a certain height and then use regular grout?
– I want to use epoxy because I have seen so many ugly shower with mildew. Am I overkilling it?
– What do you think of Mapei kerapoxy?
1. Yes, but it won’t match perfectly. The shade and color will, but the material differences in the two grouts tend to make it look like a different shade.
2. Not in my opinion. You should do everything you can to prevent problems before they arise.
3. I don’t like it. It’s a good grout, I just prefer to use what I consider the best product. I consider spectralock the best epoxy out there. Nothing wrong with kerapoxy, it just works differently than spectralock.
Hey Roger
It was suggested to me to not use SpectraLock on my bathroom floor because if there was any movement the spectraLock is so strong that it will crack the tile. My subfloor is 3 1/4′ x 3/4″ tongue and groove planks set on a diagonal over that I put 1/4″ plywood, 3/4″-1″ self leveling underlament with a in floor heating mat, Ditra uncoupling membrane and then the tile. Walking on it now there is no movement whatsoever. Do you think this is a legitimate concern?
Also with the SpectraLock pro Laticrete provides 1st and 2nd wash solutions. With breaking the bucket down into smaller batches I am going to need more of the wash solutions. Do you recommend getting more of the stuff Laticrete supplies or is the vinegar solution OK? And what is the vinegar solution ratios?
Thanks for all your help it is greatly appreciated!
One more thing. How long does the part A and B keep after breaking down to smaller batches? Meaning how long will it be good for in ziplock bags?
And if I hadn’t said it before you
It’ll keep over a year provided you keep them in the dark (away from uv light).
Hey Greg,
It is true that spectralock will normally hold up better than some tile does – the tile will sometimes crack first. However (!), if you have a floor that moves enough to crack either then you have more problems than cracks. As long as you have space around the perimeter you’ll be fine.
You can use cascade dishwasher detergent for the wash solution. It works a lot better than vinegar.
Hi Roger,
Just purchased some Spectralock Pro Premium and find it to be a “Sanded Grout”. Was hoping to keep joints to 1/16. Any issues with using a sanded with joints that small? Would it be better to increase joints to 1/8? Can you suggest a unsanded grout as good as the Spectralock?
Thanks for the help.
Dave
Hey Dave,
Spectralock works just fine with 1/16″ grout lines. I do it all the time.
Roger,
Thanks, it’s so nice when a screw up works out.
Now it’s time for tile!
Dave
Hi Roger,
I’ve followed your advice on adding ”backing” on tile inlay to match the field tile and it worked out great and was ”less messy”. Thanks again…Now I have to grout that sucker and was wondering what type of grout I should use for the whole shower walls (field tile + inlays). The inlays are small black vertical 1×6” ceramic tiles (applied in a vertical fashion) and the field tile is 10×16 white ceramic…I’ve already purchased Mapei’s White Kerapoxy but I’m worried that this is not the proper stuff for the job since some of the grout lines in the inlays vary between 1-3mm…The larger grout lines are 1/8.
What would you recommend…Do I have to buy something else or can I just go ahead and grout the sucker.
Thanks again for your help,
Mat
Hey Mat,
You can grout it with that. It’ll work just fine.
Roger,
1. Went to Lowe’s and bought the SpectraLOCK Premium epoxy grout. Unfortunately, it looks like they only sell mini units. Any advice on where to buy a full unit?
2. I caulked in the corners and at the junction of floor and ceiling with caulk to match the grout. Out of curiousity, was this necessary with epoxy grout?
3. If I decide not to go with epoxy grout and to do traditional grout, do you recommend using a grout additive? Or do you recommend just sealing the traditional grout with your favorite sealer (511 impregnator)?
Thanks,
Mike
Hey Mike,
1. You can get it online at StoneTooling
2. Yes, you still need to silicone changes of plane.
3. No. I hate them. They do what they say if installed correctly, but they’re more of a pain in the ass than they’re worth in my opinion. Sealer is a better option for me.
I see you don’t mention the specific initial wash / final wash additive that comes with the grout. Use? Don’t bother? Thoughts?
Use it if you have it. Some of the consumer kits don’t come with it, that’s why I didn’t include it.
Hmm, seems my calcs were off…..
So how small a batch can one successfully mix? I’m short ever so little. sigh.
And I suppose I should add for future reference……
When adding grout for low spots and or shortages, does one add it as soon as possible, or wait for cure then add?
Always best to do it as soon as possible but epoxy will bond to cured epoxy just fine.
Thanks! I guessed right and did a small 5 sq/ft batch and hit it pretty much within the hour.
Follow up: Is it okay to go in and add a thin patch well after the fact if you find a low spot down the line?
The tile we used is textured, so it caught a lot of the excess. I know there are some bits left behind in the tiny grooves. Best way to clean them up? Should be not super stuck as it did get hit with the clean up…….. thinking stiff bristle nylon brush and mild cleaner.
It should be just fine. Best way to clean them up is to get it all off as you are grouting.
Try the nylon brush, it may work. If it doesn’t try barkeeper’s friend and a mr. clean magic eraser.
Hey Mountain,
It never is exact, and doesn’t have to be. Provided you aren’t a great deal off you can still mix it up as you have it weighed out.
Hi Roger,
Is it ok to use the initial and final wash on polished marble? I was also planning to seal before grouting with Spectralock, but will using either wash remove some of the sealer? Or, do you just recommend sealing everything at the end?
Thanks!
Hi Stephanie,
Yes, it’s fine to use both washes on marble. I would actually recommend sealing before grout as well as after just to ensure you get a good seal when everything is finished. Not really necessary, but it never hurts.
Looks like you have answered similar question in regards to cure time for pro premium grout in shower. Appears 24 hours is acceptable…. Its been 48 so I should be good to go!?
Yes.
Send pictures! You don’t call, you don’t write…
Hello, just finished grouting shower using pro premium grout. What is the cure time before we can use the shower? The specs say 7 – 14 days full cure, do we have to wait 14 days until exposing to water? Great site and your manuals were very helpful! Thanks!
Hey Joe,
Normally 24 hours is just fine in a regular shower.
Hi Roger, is spectralock pro premium ok for marble bath tile and shower floor? I hear mixed things. We are using Ming green polished for the floor and honed ming green mosaic for shower floor. Thanks!
Hi Stephanie,
Yes, it shouldn’t be a problem. Always test it, of course, but it should be fine.
Thanks Roger! I realize that we might need 2 full size units (20 sq ft of 1/2 x 1/2 marble mosaic shower floor 1/8 grout space) and a mini unit for the rest of the bath floor (70 sq ft of 12×12 marble 1/16 grout space). If I bought from StoneTooling it would be about $220 for parts A, B, C and tax (unless I have my calculations wrong?!) Is this WORTH the $$$ in your professional opinion? I don’t need stain protection since it’s the bathroom, but if it protects that much better than other grouts for mildew/mold/hard water, then it might be worth the investment. Should I go with something cheap like Polyblend and then seal with a quality sealer instead? Thank you!
Worth every penny in my opinion. Although a quality sealer will work, epoxies have the added benefit of strength and an absolutely impervious surface. If you do use grout with sealer DO NOT (!) use polyblend. That is the worst grout on the planet.
I just looked at the laticrete website . . . you can make Laticrete Spectralock grout be glow in the dark?? In eighteen of their colors??? This shower project is about to get a whole lot more awesome.
Yup. Dazzle is very cool stuff!
What are your thoughts about urethane grouts? It is certainly easier to work with than epoxy. My experience so far has been that other than the cost…which is pretty spendy…..it is really good stuff.
Mi
Hey Michael,
They do what they say they do. They are not, in my opinion, comparable to epoxy grout. Epoxy is nearly indestructible, Urethanes remain soft and flexible. They both have the ease of cleaning aspect, but that’s as far as you’d be able to compare the two. It’s good stuff, but it’s a completely different product category than epoxies.
If you are putting Spectralock over existing grout, how deep do you need to dig out the exiting stuff? Is using a dremil a good tool for this?
Hey James,
At least 2/3 the depth of the tile. You can use a dremel, and it works well, but you need to be very careful not to chip the tile. It will chip the hell out of them if you’re not careful.
Thanks for your reply Roger. I feel just awful to be in this position, as he is a very nice older gentleman and he is trying so hard. Perhaps I could hire someone else to do the grouting at least. As for what has already been done I do have a few questions….
1) is it possible to remove the grout without damaging/chipping the tiles? They are 12×12 porcelain tiles and also several rows of 2x2s.
2) I believe this grout is a type of epoxy grout (mapeis opticolor). Are you familiar with this grout? Would we still need to remove 2/3 of it or is it different with this type of grout?
3) do you have a suggestion on how to transition from the feild tile to the thicker accent tile short of ripping it all out and starting over? Are their any tricks to make a little “ramp” of grout actually look somewhat decent? Or maybe we could add a little decrative stip of something to ease the transition….not sure if that would work since the field tile is already right next to it. My husband would never agree to having it all ripped out so I need to try to find some other acceptable solution.
4) will the shiny film ever come off? Does the grout haze remover really do a good job?
5) can we hire you to come fix everything? Please?
Thank you so much for all your advice!
Marie
1. Opticolor is what is called a resin grout. It is similar (after cured). You can get it out of the grout lines, but it’s going to be difficult.
2. You still need to remove 2/3 of the tile depth.
3. Not really any way to make a ramp look any other way. The easiest solution is to remove the mosaics and replace it with a thinner one. Unless you want to install a fairly thick accent piece above and below it, which will stick out even farther, then you’re pretty much stuck with the ramp.
4. Epoxy grout haze remover may work, I’ve never used it on a resin grout.
5. I’m not a cheap date.
But if you’re in Colorado – sure.
Hi Roger
We are in the middle of a master bathroom remodel and I am less than pleased with the results thus far. A local handyman is doing the tilework (recommended by a good friend) and it seems to me that he may be in over his head. He suggested we use mapei’s opticolor grout which we agreed to (come to find out this is the first time he’s ever worked with it). At this point he has finishd most of the tilework on the walls and the tub surround. The accent tile, which is an expensive linear mosaic, is thicker than the field tile and so it is sticking out quite a bit. Even though he’s not finshed tiling (still has some to complete on the tub and wall, as well as the entire floor and shower) he started grouting. What he’s grouted so far looks very subpar. The wall grout lines are sagging……not sure if that’s the right term, but basically they are indented like theres not enough grout. The sharp edges of the tile are exposed in many areas. The linear mosaic has not been grouted because we plan to use a different color for that but he did grout right up to the edge of it (where it meets the field tile) and it looks especially bad there because the mosaic already sticks out farther. He originally told us that once grouted, we wouldn’t notice the eneveness of the tiles….. that the grout would “slope” to bridge them together. That’s clearly not the case. The sharp edge of the mosaic is exposed in many areas. Finally, the tiles that were grouted now have a shiny coating. I know this is from improper or inefficient cleanup……so I actually snuck in there at night to try cleaning with dishsoap and water mix per instructions on the grout. But it had already been set up for 2 days at that point so I’m guessing its too late. When mentioned to the handyman, he said that he had already cleaned them several times and noted that he couldn’t see the shiny film I was referring to. The porcelain tile has a textured surface and has little specs or sparkles in it (originally) which I just loved and ws a reason I liked the tile. Now the whole surface looks shiny or wet……sparkles are not as apparent. If u didn’t know how the tiles were before you might not think twice about it. But I don’t like it. So should I just let him continue on as is and then at the very end of the entire job, go in with an epoxy grout haze remover? And what about the ‘sagging’ grout lines and exposed tile edges? Can those be dealt with after the fact as well? Also, if we use the grout haze removal, wouldn’t that end up removing sone from the grout lines also? And one more problem. …..the grout turned out much lighter than expected. It almost looks white. We were expectig a gray color that woyld match very closely to our gray tile.I know there are grout colorants so I was planing on possibly looking into that once the entire job is finished as well. But our main concern right now is to get this grout job to look decent (regardless of color) and to get the shiny film off our tiles. Any advice on how to proceed would be much appreciated! And any tips on how to approach our handyman without sounding ungrateful or overly critical? Thank you!
Marie
Hi Marie,
If you have square edges on your tile the grout should be flush, not dipped. All tile should be flush with all other tile. The shininess is due to improper cleaning. Grout lines should not ‘ramp’ up to anything in most instances, certainly not a mosaic inlay. Grout lines should NOT sag, there is no way to fix that once it cures short of redoing it. Grout haze remover does not usually affect the grout lines themselves. The ‘white’ on the grout is likely efflorescence from using too much water when cleaning.
My advice: put a stop to his work immediately. DO NOT worry about sounding ungrateful or overly critical. It is extremely obvious he is not experienced with the type of installation he is attempting. Think about this: you are paying a shit-load of money for something in your home – is it overly critical to expect it to be done correctly? You are paying for a service, the service is not being performed correctly. It is that simple. Stop him from making it worse, find someone who knows how to work with these products (experienced!) and have it done correctly. If I were attempting brain surgery I would expect someone to stop me, I wouldn’t know what the hell I was doing. He obviously doesn’t either.
Great write up on the Spectralock. Currently doing a steam shower, Kerdi membrane everywhere on top of Durock. 12″ Travertine on the walls, 4″ Travertine on the ceiling, granite bench and river slicks on the floor already grouted with Polyblend. I have a couple three questions for ya, 1. How much of the Polyblend would I have to dig out to go over the river slicks with Spectralock? 2. Seal all the tiles first with Drytreat, but will staining be an issue? 3. I have read that working on the vertical can be troublesome, is that true? 4. So then if that is true, what about overhead? Any advice/response would be greatly appreciated.
Hey Michael,
1. You need to remove it down to 2/3 the depth of the floor tile
2. Staining will not be an issue if the tiles are sealed.
3. Sometimes, it all depends on your expectations.
4. It’s messy, there’s no way around it. Just use a bit less grout at a time and take your time with it. The grout will stick just fine when you pack it in, but it’s time consuming.
Hi Roger,
A great big Thank You in advance for your Advice.
Lowes carries Laticrete SprectraLock Stainproof Grout. It is not SpectraLock Pro. Tell me, are you familiar with this product? It seems to be a mini unit and comes in premeasured packs that go together: Part AB mixes with Part C, the color powder. Should this product from Lowes be measured out as you have described in your article, or can it just go together as the instructions on the included pamphlet describe?
Hi Nini,
It’s just regular spectralock. It has all the same benefits as the pro version. If they are mini units (which they should be from lowes) then just mix them up as the instructions say. Splitting them up just makes it easier for larger batches.
Hey Roger, have you heard of putting this stuff in the freezer to make it last longer (kind of like viagra for Spectralock I guess)? Just so I make sure I understand you correctly, your description above recommends 5 ounces of part A, 5.2 ounces of part B and 2.25 pounds of part C per “batch” of SpectraLOCK pro premium. How big of a container do you need for your recommended batch? Looks like you have a 2.5 gallon bucket? Thanks for entertaining my questions and for the great/informative site!
It’s me again, I’m already a pain in the ass
I just read the DS 681.0 sheet and it says parts A and B are 1.3 pounds so??? that implies a 1:1 ratio and you say part B requires .2 ounces more to make a smaller batch 
Hey Corey,
Yes, you can put it in the freezer. Do that sparingly, however, and only when absolutely needed. It is better to mix smaller batches instead. The container I use is a 2.5 gallon bucket, but you don’t need one that big. 1 gallon would suffice easily for each ‘batch’.
You’ll find, if you dump out the liquids and weigh them, that regardless of what the data sheet states part A is 1 lb. Regardless, you want an evenly split weight of each product. The old spectralock pro had different weights, so it’s not always accurate. As long as you split the weight evenly it will be the correct ratio. Mixing one full batch as opposed to four smaller won’t change the weight of the product in the bag.
I honestly don’t know why they have that on the data sheet. I do know that the most current incarnation of this particular product is (at least) the second incarnation of the product, might be the third. That may be why, they could have changed the amount of product in the later batches.
Thanks for the advice in this article. I split things up like you recommend and it worked great. This was a perfect amount for me to smear around, empty the bucket and still have time to wash the tiles.
I am using bright white subway tile. Will the epoxy in bright white have a dingy yellow look? I want it to be bright white but heard it may not match due to the epoxy. Do you think I need regular grout or would the epoxy still match? I want the bulletproof stuff but it has to look good!
Hey Randi,
Spectralock white will be white, not dingy yellow or anything else. Different epoxies will have varying shades, spectralock is white, c-cure white looks yellow to me, etc. I know laticrete will be white.
Hello! The person doing our tile did not wash it off quickly enough and the white tile now has a haze on it that will not budge with a vinegar wash. I even tried straight vinegar…no luck.
Is there anything that I can use to remove the haze? It’s been on over 24 hours.
Thanks for your help!!!!!!!
Hi Denise,
Try grout haze remover
Hello~ My tile guy used spectraLock pro in light grey in our kitchen. The color was inconsistant in about 5 large area’s. He recognized this is where he stopped and started. He said he has never seen this before. The company sent him a colorant to apply which he has not done yet. He has no idea how it will turn out. I would have thought an epoxy would be impervious to added color. Any idea’s why the inconsistency in color and if a colorant will have longevity? The grout, which is regular grout, for our back splash also has inconsistent color…does not look bad however but makes me wonder if the floor grout issue is his error. Any thoughts??
Hi Li,
I have never seen spectralock inconsistent where the grout was stopped and started. I have, however, heard of it. The reason it happened in that instance is that the liquids were not measured consistently when mixing. In other words, the person installing it simply eyeballed how much they thought 1/2 or 1/3 of the liquid was, mixed it up and grouted, then did it the same way every time they began to grout again. The liquids need to be weighed and the grout needs to be consistently mixed or you will end up with inconsistent coloring.
Now, whether or not it’s the same issue with your particular project I don’t know, but that’s the only time I’ve ever heard of it. The grout colorant is epoxy-based so yes, it will be durable and it will last.
Roger,
I grouted with spectralock pro premium(loved it bty) grout, now ready to caulk with latasil. Is it ok to use (rubbing) alcohol to smooth the joints? In the past with silicone i have used water with a drop of dishwashing liquid. But I have never used latasil before. What do you suggest? Thanks.
Hey Scott,
Latasil is 100% silicone just like any other, it’s simply colored (and a hell of a lot more expensive
). Yes, you can use rubbing or denatured alcohol while installing it. I use the denatured alcohol.