Grout Coloured grout issues

[ProfessionalAmateur]

Good evening all,

I’m a fairly proficient DIY’er and have done a couple of bathroom projects but have only ever used white grout.

I’m tearing my hair out at Mapei Ultracolour at the moment. I’ve got 299 Limestone, and I literally have applied to the exact manufacturer specifications and using the correct techniques - it’s still come out ridiculously patchy and faded and it looks awful. It seems like it needs laboratory conditions to mix and use and it’s just not user friendly for me. I’ve even been using scales and measuring jugs! I’m stopping before I get any further and raking out what I’ve done.

Does anyone have any other suggestions for coloured grout that isn’t going to give me this headache? My wife is going to divorce me if I don’t this sorted soon!

I’ve seen Ardex online, is that any good and more user friendly?

Thanks for your help

 

[J Sid]

from my experience..... Get divorced, lot less hassle

yes Ardex is very good, but sound like your washing off technic may be the problem not the mixing

 

[hmtiling]

Mix per instructions and don't wash until it's started to harden. This isn't a big window with ucp. Don't have a lot of water on the sponge and don't finish it with your finger.
Ultra tile and tilemaster grouts are much more user friendly

 

[ProfessionalAmateur]

from my experience..... Get divorced, lot less hassle

yes Ardex is very good, but sound like your washing off technic may be the problem not the mixing

Haha you are probably right!!

Well I thought that about the washing off, but I again have followed instructions exactly and used a very wrung out ‘just damp’ sponge, once over, then smooth over grout, again with it barely damp.

I’ve even followed a video from the Mapei website
Obviously I am doing something wrong, or else it would be right, but it just seems so faffy and with many tiny factors that could flaw the final result

 

[One Day]

Try scrubbing the set grout joints with warm water and a nail brush.
9 times out of 10 it removes the surface salts which are making it look patchy.

 

[J Sid]

I take it your joints are clean of adhesive before you grout

Haha you are probably right!!

Well I thought that about the washing off, but I again have followed instructions exactly and used a very wrung out ‘just damp’ sponge, once over, then smooth over grout, again with it barely damp.

I’ve even followed a video from the Mapei website
Obviously I am doing something wrong, or else it would be right, but it just seems so faffy and with many tiny factors that could flaw the final result

 

[ProfessionalAmateur]

I take it your joints are clean of adhesive before you grout

That’s a good point, I’d say 90% is clean, I was pretty ocd about it but some I missed - would that have an affect on it then too?

 

[ProfessionalAmateur]

Try scrubbing the set grout joints with warm water and a nail brush.
9 times out of 10 it removes the surface salts which are making it look patchy.

Thanks I’ll give that a try before I do anything else

 

[ProfessionalAmateur]

Mix per instructions and don't wash until it's started to harden. This isn't a big window with ucp. Don't have a lot of water on the sponge and don't finish it with your finger.
Ultra tile and tilemaster grouts are much more user friendly

Thank you, I’ll look in to those manufacturers then and get some samples.

In all honesty I did apply it like that, I can’t figure out where it has gone wrong. Some small areas it is perfect colour, and others terrible, but I didn’t do anything different between them

 

[hmtiling]

Thank you, I’ll look in to those manufacturers then and get some samples.

In all honesty I did apply it like that, I can’t figure out where it has gone wrong. Some small areas it is perfect colour, and others terrible, but I didn’t do anything different between them

I've had ucp 113 go patchy after using it for well over 10 years. Another tiler I know had the same issue with the same colour within a week of me. Had to be batch issues. Could be the same.