Help!

I am having trouble with MAPEI Ultracolor Plus but only with jasmine.

i dont have a lot of experience but i've grouted with biege from the same company and had no problems.

But with jasmine...... i grouted an area and after it was patchy and some areas were white, infact most of it was white. So i called mapei they said that i had started too early sponging it down or maybe used too much water. -both sound about right.
(this part was actually with keracolor ff)

i thought this was cos of keracolor so i started using ultracolor plus, but this time i measeured it exactly and waited quite a while and put minimum water on to wash it off. and i got the same **** maybe not as white.

then i rang mapei again, i thought i had followed all the rules exactly (measure-mix-wait-mix etc) but the bloke told me, that its because i'm mixing it by hand. and i need to use a paddle. -i was taught that this isnt really needed. especally for a couple of m2.

I have read the other thread about a bloke who had exactly the same problem. and in the end he got it so so looking.

But were there any conclusions? is jasmine just a sensitive grout???

Now my biggest problem is how to put it right,

fuga fresca was suggested, but the bloke from mapei told me i have to all the edges of every tile. is this true?

also does anyone have any tips for using it?? and do u think it will work??

Thanks,

Ross

ps. also how do you know when to give it that first rub over? finger test? or is that for the polishing?

pps. i've just discovered this site and i can't believe how good it is.....
be prepared to have a weekly question

Are you mixing the whole bag of grout dry first?
I find that Jasmin tends to have some red colourants in the dry mix and these need to be fully mixed - even if you ultimately dont use all the bag.
Again I find at times it can dry quite light in colour but never patchy if correctly mixed.
Mapei grout for me is

never had a problem with this colour grout. Always use a paddle to mix those red bits in that tj mentioned

Washing off at the wrong stage can cause polymer shading..

You have to let the grout get to a certain stage and then you can wash off...

Mapei were right to much water and excessive over rubbing of the sponge etc will cause polymer shading and dries with a whiteness colour to it, that is the polymers being brought to the surface.

This thread will help explain>> Understanding Efflorescence and polymer/latex leaching.

great link thanks!!

i've now corrected the problem with mapei fuga fresca.

but still with mapei ultra colour plus, i've had the same problem again.

this time i done everything by the rules.

-measured exactly
-mixed with paddle (slowly)
-let it lie
-mixed with paddle
-then applied
-left for 30 mins
-wiped off with minimal water and be careful not to over rub

and i still got the same ****. any ideas??

the only thing i can think of is that after i wipe it off with a sponge, i leave it for a bit, and then when the access grout appears on the tiles or when it dries a bit, i go over it again to clean it.........maybe then wiping this powdery grout off the tile into the grout lines.

what do you think?

also if you add the exact water and grout to mix it, its a really really dry mix

I don't give it a final clean until the grout is dry in the joints but honestly can't say if this is your problem

i've never had this problem with mapei grouts only a few of the bal tend to do this(cocoa,black) leaving for 30mins would make it really hard to was any excess off as i find bal cures quickest of all the grouts,are you soaking the sponge or using a damp one to wipe off?

Originally Posted by david campbell

i've never had this problem with mapei grouts only a few of the bal tend to do this(cocoa,black) leaving for 30mins would make it really hard to was any excess off as i find bal cures quickest of all the grouts,are you soaking the sponge or using a damp one to wipe off?

My poor arms say Butech colorstuk dries faster! Live n learn

before i was using a wet sponge, now damp, rung out as much as possible and still the same result

beats me!

use a different colour or make

Only used Jasmine Ultra colour a couple of times, will be interesting to see how this thread pans out. I have some porcelain to do in this next week

Originally Posted by ross9807

before i was using a wet sponge, now damp, rung out as much as possible and still the same result

How long has the grout been left to dry before you come to this conclusion..?

How long do leave the adhesive before you grout..?

How deep are the grout joints..?

hi

How long has the grout been left to dry before you come to this conclusion..? i've done it a few times, once over night and i saw it the next morning, but others it seems to happen after an hour or so.

How long do leave the adhesive before you grout..? again i've done it a few times, one part 5 days, one part 1 day, one part 3 days.

How deep are the grout joints..? their 2mm wide and fairly deep again it depends, i dont use a trowel but butter each tile and level the wall so in some parts there was 3mm adhesive behind the tile and in other maybe 9mm. theres no adhesive in the joints they go straight back to the wall.

thanks

I have only ever had this problem with granfix a few years ago!, make sure all your tools , bucket, stonge, mixer are really clean and then when wiping off ensure you are using a clean dry towel! all i can think of im afraid

Originally Posted by ross9807

hi

How long has the grout been left to dry before you come to this conclusion..? i've done it a few times, once over night and i saw it the next morning, but others it seems to happen after an hour or so.

How long do leave the adhesive before you grout..? again i've done it a few times, one part 5 days, one part 1 day, one part 3 days.

How deep are the grout joints..? their 2mm wide and fairly deep again it depends, i dont use a trowel but butter each tile and level the wall so in some parts there was 3mm adhesive behind the tile and in other maybe 9mm. theres no adhesive in the joints they go straight back to the wall.

thanks

The deeper the joint the longer it can take the new wet grout to return to true colour.

So the shallow sections will dry fully a lot quicker than the deep sections..

because the grout is hard, doesn't mean it is fully cured.. Have you returned to a job a week or so after ,to see if the grout has dried uniform in colour..?

I think you will find that it does all dry the same, just in different stages depending on grout joint depth.

Yeap, Granfix does it to you, but Mapei! Got to be doing something wrong some where.

i just finished a bathroom, used ultracolor plus but vanila.

done everything by the rules diddnt give a final wipe, and waited till it was dry to brush dust off with a dry towel.

and ....... no problems -same colour all over


then i done the floor, added a little extra water (literally a drop)
other than that i done the same.

and the floor is definatley a different colour much whiter all over.

the customer doesnt mind and is well happy. but i still dont get it????

after puting grout in the joints, how do u know when to go over it with a sponge?

i think i'll just keep practicing and finally i'll find the exact problem.

thanks for everyones help though!

Grout on walls can look different to the same grout on the floor simply because light is reflected off it differently. Is it the same tile on the floor and wall and are the grout joints the same size?

Oh and I have used Jasmine loads of times and never ever had a problem. One of my fave grouts in fact!

the grout was the same width, the tiles were different.

and i can see what you mean, but i don't think it was this cos u could clearly see the difference in colour from the bit i grouted between the floor and wall tiles.

i think it might be down to that extra drop of water.

if you mix 1kg of grout with 0.2 liters of water isnt it really really dry?????

surely way too dry to work with.

I am going to go slightly out on a limb here from the normal Ultracolor Plus advice with regard to mixing ratio's. The bag states a certain amount of water to powder as a ratio as ideal but, and here's the caveat, it depends on the colour and that is stated on the bag. If you find it is a little too dry then add more to give you the correct consistancy, but you need to use the same amount of water for every mix after that.

Silly me. used Jasmine again.should have known better. dried patchy yet again.
The speed that this grout sets off in the bucket makes it impractical to mix a whole bag at once ,especially when grouting tight joints. Too stiff a mix makes it difficult to press into tight joints,slowing down the application and therefore grout goes off in container.Problem with mixing grout in small quantities is that pigment quantities can vary dramatically ,especially red,from mix to mix.
It would help if Mapei could mix the stuff better before they bag it.
Mixing it thoroughly before adding water sounds good,but i have not tried it,not even sure how i would do it.
Did do one job where i measured out all the quantities precisely..... didnt work!
Always wring out my sponges.

Love the colour,just a pity that its such a nightmare to use in small quantities.
Jasmine is the only colour that i have ever had a problem with< which is such a pity as it goes with so many tiles.

How times change!
When I first started in this trade for Noah, he wouldn't let me fix a tile until I could grout.
3 months of solid grouting and I had to make the tea while it was drying.
Mind you you could have any colour white you wanted, but on floors the mix had to be exact quantities and the sawdust clean.
Then when I could make a good cup of tea...........

Originally Posted by lent

Silly me. used Jasmine again.should have known better. dried patchy yet again.
The speed that this grout sets off in the bucket makes it impractical to mix a whole bag at once ,especially when grouting tight joints. Too stiff a mix makes it difficult to press into tight joints,slowing down the application and therefore grout goes off in container.Problem with mixing grout in small quantities is that pigment quantities can vary dramatically ,especially red,from mix to mix.
It would help if Mapei could mix the stuff better before they bag it.
Mixing it thoroughly before adding water sounds good,but i have not tried it,not even sure how i would do it.
Did do one job where i measured out all the quantities precisely..... didnt work!
Always wring out my sponges.

Love the colour,just a pity that its such a nightmare to use in small quantities.
Jasmine is the only colour that i have ever had a problem with< which is such a pity as it goes with so many tiles.

Not true, If while you are working the mix starts to harden in the bucket then a quick remix with a paddle mixer will give it new life. You can dio this numerous times up to a point. On no account though add water, just mix it up.

get a 2.5kg bag

I find Jasmine ultra needs different techniques for different tiles, on ceramics a piece of cake, but on porcelain because of the lack of suction, you have to get the timing spot on. Wash off to soon, joints slump, wait to long and depending on the tile you can struggle getting the tile face clean. Trial and error imo.