Calling all tilers, just a short note to ask if anyone knows what is best to use. mappei or granfix adhesives/grouts. is it just a personal preference or is there one better than other.
thanks
jim

Hi Jim
check out the 'adhesives and grout' section of the forum, opinions vary

imo mapei mate the best!!!!

Mapei.

There that was easy! Now for one on sport...

i was hoping everyone would say mappei. another tiling shop has moved along the road from us and they are selling granfix at a very low price to try and take our mappei traders off us, not working yet, but in this financial climate who knows!

Mapei all day long....

Originally Posted by jim72

i was hoping everyone would say mappei. another tiling shop has moved along the road from us and they are selling granfix at a very low price to try and take our mappei traders off us, not working yet, but in this financial climate who knows!

Granfix, Now that threw a spanner in the works
I have used both and never had a problem with either of them!
But it is the fixers choice as wot they prefer to use, and from what i can work out most people use mappei

Originally Posted by jim72

Calling all tilers, just a short note to ask if anyone knows what is best to use. mappei or granfix adhesives/grouts. is it just a personal preference or is there one better than other.
thanks
jim

sorry Jim, didn't realise you were trade, (and before anyone thinks i'm blind...this was in the new members section)
I attended the Mapei training day last week and as a result i'm ditching the rest and going Mapei

MAPEI

MAPEI

MAPEI

Mapei when I get a supplier near enough, Mapei grout from screwfix

Sorry guys, Granfix addy as that is what my supplier stocks.. Mapei grout though

I prefer Granfix personally, but i'm relatively new to the trade, so take that as you will hehe! It's getting harder to get round here now though, as all the tile shops seem to be shutting down.

Had a new shop open round my way, ultra and benfer.

Shops shutting is'nt good

Mapei!

only used granfix tubbed adhesive but i prefer mapei d1 or sontex acrylic.sontex acrylic is stiff stuff with an excellent grab,so i tend to use that but use mapei spf and grouts.

mapei all the way

Mapei please.............

mapei for adhesive not sure on there grouts?

Originally Posted by mike brettell

mapei for adhesive not sure on there grouts?

what grouts is it you dont likeMike?

i must admit i dont like the grey gg prefer the sf stuff.

gg(gritty grain) sf (super fine)

powder mappei best, & much better choice of colours for grout. not just saying that cause i sell it, i like it.

Mapei for every day for the adhesive. However I personally don't like the grout

Granfix grout in my opinion is a better grout and that conclusion comes purely from working time etc.

I have to agree on the working times. I used Mappei again today, and i'm just too slow for 20 minute grout.

In response to aztectiler and beanz, I say this without trying to cause any offence in that I know you are more than capable of knowing how to mix grout but have you been to one of the mapei training days at your local Tile giant branch?? The only reason that I ask is that I work in the same shop as Jim.

When we were a Tile it All branch (before we were acquired by Travis Perkins) we sold Granfix, we now sell Mapei as we have changed to Tile Giant.

My long winded point is that Mapei gorut especially ultracolour needs mixed in a pretty specific way in order to get the full working time out of it. Pop into your local branch and see if they have any Mapei trade days coming up where a rep will come out and explain the process or even ask a member of staff in your local branch, who i'm sure will be very willing to help.

Again not trying to imply you dont know what your doing, just Mapei grout seems to be different to most on the market.

Originally Posted by brian c

what grouts is it you dont likeMike?

i must admit i dont like the grey gg prefer the sf stuff.

gg(gritty grain) sf (super fine)

I agree with the GG. It is like pebbles!

Craig, i'd say that today is the 1st time i've mixed Ultracolour successfully (I'll know for sure on monday hopefully), and the 2nd or 3rd time i've used it now. Working time is 15-20 minutes according to the bag, and that seemed about right. Saying that, i didn't measure out the grout, i just made it stiffer than i usually make it. I'm slow enough, without messing about with scales etc.

The first time I ever mixed ultracolour was a HUGE FAIL. I am a man, so didn't read the instructions Now I am used to it, I enjoy working with it (Keeping in mind I only have to grout upto 3 or so metres for displays)

At our last trade morning the rep mixed a batch of ultracolour grout and it still wasnt set in the tub after 40 mins!!! 1 litre of water should do a whole 5kg if its too stiff give give it a mix leave for a few mins then mix it again then if u still think its too stiff add the water till its how u want it was what the rep explained to our tilers to do since then we have had no more complaints about the grout dont know if this is what you have done??? But i suppose when does anything go exactly to plan lol!!!

When i get my speed up i'll give that a go, but if i tried to mix up 5kg of grout in one hit, i'd probably be throwing 3kg in the skip lol! I mixed it pretty stiff, not what i'd call a comfortable consistency, but not un-workable. I wanted to make sure i didn't get any lightening this time, as the tiles are black, and the grout needs to be black too.. Although i'd have prefered a mid grey personally, the customer is dead set on black.

Originally Posted by beanz

When i get my speed up i'll give that a go, but if i tried to mix up 5kg of grout in one hit, i'd probably be throwing 3kg in the skip lol! I mixed it pretty stiff, not what i'd call a comfortable consistency, but not un-workable. I wanted to make sure i didn't get any lightening this time, as the tiles are black, and the grout needs to be black too.. Although i'd have prefered a mid grey personally, the customer is dead set on black.

Do you leave the grout to sit and slake for a few minutes and then re-mix? I find that works wonders with the consistency.

Just mixed up half the bag all our tilers carry empty 500ml bottles of Irn Bru in their vans and just mix half the bag with 500ml but the key is apparently they double mixing something to do with the polymers in the grout empty bottle are an easy measure for water