White Grout gone blue

[Lukemac]

Hey guys and gals

I have just tiled a bathroom floor to ceiling(30m2) with granfix maxi white grout. The grout has dried and is a patchy blue and white!!! It looks horrible. some places are white some are a bluey colour. It is only the surface of the grout though, if I scratch away a bit of the blue it is white underneath. Does anyone no the cause of this??????

thanks in advance

[Sir Ramic]

What did you wash off with and polish off with.

[ukProTile]

Thats what im wondering?

[Bri]

Just what I was thinking Neale. I've turned White grout pink before with a red polishing cloth.

[ukProTile]

karl dahm polishing cloths are the nuts!

[Lukemac]

washed of with proper grout sponge. minimal water. and polished with a biege dusting cloth

[ukProTile]

what colour where the tiles? also, what were they ie porcelain? maybe contained a wax face?
did you wash the tiles before grouting?

[Sir Ramic]

were you wearing gloves ?

[Sir Ramic]

Oh and what colour was the bucket you mixed in ?

[Lukemac]

No! Is that important???

[Sir Ramic]

Well if the blue is on the surface then its not coming through the grout so it cant be a substrate issue. So more likely from the grout float, sponge, ink off the bag of grout etc etc.
When you clean a joint does the blue return ?

[Lukemac]

Bucket was yellow. just state the blue is not a dark blue. Its a light blue but u can definately see it is a shade of blue

[Sir Ramic]

Just for the record though, what was the condition of the substrate. If you can tell us step by step what you actually did and all materials then it may save us grasping at straws.

[Sir Ramic]

Have you any grout left. if so mix some up with clean tools and spread it over a tile. See if the blue is in the grout itself.

[Dan]

Has it fully cured? When was the grouting finished?

[kilty55]

was the grout well mixed?

[Stewart]

Sounds like efflorescence to me if it's a very light blue. As that's what it can look like on brilliant White grout.

[Lukemac]

I was very carefull when grouting this room as I once before had an issue with limestone drying darker in places. So since then I have been very aware off making sure I use a fresh sponge, clean bucket etc. The grout is now dry and Patchy and the blue does no clean of unless u scratch. It only seems to be on the surface. if scratch a couple mill down it is white. I used granfix flexi addhesive the grey one and was wondering if maybe I should use white, but I have been using this for the some time and never had this problem?

thanks again for any advice

[Lukemac]

yes stewart a light blue, like acrylic primer colour!

[ukProTile]

What tiles were they?

[ukProTile]

it sounds like possible a residue from the face of the tiles maybe?

[whitebeam]

In brilliant white blue is added, was the grout mixed completely

[Lukemac]

white Ceramic Tiles(not cheap). I used aryclic primer. granfix flex adhesive

[Lukemac]

This room was the unsuite and I have just completed main bathroom with same tiles but a bal white grout so I hope its not a tile residue!!!!!!otherwise Im have re grout 60 square metres!!!!!! Yes the grout was mixed well. As I said I am very cautious wen grouting as I had an issue with limestone once

[ukProTile]

30m ensuite...... nice

[ukProTile]

might be worth trying a grout cleaner or residue remover?

[Dave]

Hi..

Was it a flexible grout...?.. Sounds like polymer leaching from over wetting when washing off.. use a white scotch pad on the joints with a little residue remover..

[Lukemac]

thanks dave. will give that a try 2morrow. will let u know how it goes!

thanks for the help everyone

[kiwi Mark]

I have had this problem before with Granfix and my supplier sent the grout away to get tested. I will be showing him this thread tommorrow. Tried new bucket, floats you name it ,was driving me mad. Also had same problem when using silicon on all joints it just goes black where the silicon seems to touch the grout,looks like its mouldy . It must be something in the grout this is not the first time Ive heard this.I used a dettox mould spray to get it off just spray on and leave . ps heard nothing back from granfix

[Perfect Tiling]

Hi mate...sorry for your problem...but it happened with me to. The same grout turned the same colour but as you say, just on the surface. I called granfix who said they had never had that problem. I was using blue coloured gloves so put it down to that but it happened again when I had no gloves on and also used a new bucket. I cured the problem by not using granfix white again!!! Another problem that I have, only with granfix is that when siliconing it really darkens the grout about 15mm each side if the joint, other grouts are fine. Surely it must be a manufacturer problem with the bluing of the grout....lets see the granfix reply.