Grouting advice needed for small glass mosaics

[budbecks]

Hi all.

I have a problem with some small mosaic glass tiles. The glass mosaics are 8mm thick and are small 15mm x 15mm. I have tiled a bath base and complete shower with them. I have also tiled the entire bathroom including floor with 300mm x 600mm porcelain tiles. The customer brought all the materials through the local building merchants and so they supplied the correct grout and flex adhesive etc.

The trouble i have is the grout they supplied is BAL wide joint 2 - 12mm grout. All of the joints are 2.5mm and the mosaics are 1-2mm obviously. I have managed to grout all the large porcelain tiles but the mosaics are going to be a pain in the neck using wide grout. I find it horrible to use and very sharp and very gritty. I've used it before of wide grouting and its great but rubbish for mosaics.

The customer will probably only use BAL as that what the manufacturer recommends but is there a better grout for mosaics.

I need to grout about 9m2 of 15mm x 15mm x 8mm glass mosaics. How much/many kilos of grout would i need to complete the job.

If any one can help i would be very grateful and would save a lot of swearing

Thanks in advance

BB

 

[Rookery]

Bin the BAL wide joint grout cos its much too coarse. I'd use Mapei Ultracolorplus. I'm sure you can persuade your customer that its a better choice for the mosaics.

 

[macten]

If customer wants to stick with BAL then get microflex.
You'll obviously struggle to get that course stuff into small joints and being glass would probably scratch the tiles.

 

[Dannym80]

As above, got to be BAL microflex.

 

[cam_low]

BAL Microflex all theway, what colour are you using ?

 

[budbecks]

I went to nearest topps to see what they had.

The colour is charcoal so i'm limited as to sourcing it as i need it by Friday.

They had 2 different types which i think were microflex or superflex ? which had charcoal in 3kg bags at £11.50

The other was the new version with microban in it, more hygienic i think. but that was in ebony but in bigger 5kg bags at £15

what i have already done is charcoal in colour so i guess id have to stay with charcoal as i nor them seemed to know how much different the 2 shades are.

How many bags do you think i would need ? i know this is a hard question but they dont give coverage for mosaics on the bag and i know they take quite a bit.

Thanks for the inputs guys

 

[Ian]

I reckon you'll need a bit more than 5kg, but not as much as 10kg for 9 m2 so, probably get a 5kg and a 2.5kg bag.

 

[cam_low]

Charcoal colour is exactly that, charcoal. Microflex comes in ebony. As does micromax. micromax is a more gritty than microflex. I would stick with two 3.5kg of microflex as to not scratch the mosaics.

 

[budbecks]

topps said the superflex was finer but this was the one they had in 3kg and in charcoal.

The 5kg microban bags were courser they said and the colour was ebony.

Does anyone know if theres much of a difference between the 2 colours ?

Otherwise would i be right in thinking its 3 x 3kg bags of superflex in charcoal for about 9m2 ?

 

[budbecks]

Charcoal colour is exactly that, charcoal. Microflex comes in ebony. As does micromax. micromax is a more gritty than microflex. I would stick with two 3.5kg of microflex as to not scratch the mosaics.

Yes micromax is what they had in ebony.

Ok i'll stick with superflex or microflex in charcoal 3 x 3.5kg bags should do it

 

[keith1960]

Hi all.

I have a problem with some small mosaic glass tiles. The glass mosaics are 8mm thick and are small 15mm x 15mm. I have tiled a bath base and complete shower with them. I have also tiled the entire bathroom including floor with 300mm x 600mm porcelain tiles. The customer brought all the materials through the local building merchants and so they supplied the correct grout and flex adhesive etc.



The trouble i have is the grout they supplied is BAL wide joint 2 - 12mm grout. All of the joints are 2.5mm and the mosaics are 1-2mm obviously. I have managed to grout all the large porcelain tiles but the mosaics are going to be a pain in the neck using wide grout. I find it horrible to use and very sharp and very gritty. I've used it before of wide grouting and its great but rubbish for mosaics.

The customer will probably only use BAL as that what the manufacturer recommends but is there a better grout for mosaics.

I need to grout about 9m2 of 15mm x 15mm x 8mm glass mosaics. How much/many kilos of grout would i need to complete the job.

If any one can help i would be very grateful and would save a lot of swearing

Thanks in advance

BB

I have just grouted glass mosaic with microflex, all good apart from the residue on the tiles, can i use LTP grimex or LTp grout stain remover, and are mapie adhesives and grouts better than bal, everybody seems to sell Mapei now, my tile warehouse only sell Bal, where you can buy mapei at BQ if you run short

 

[budbecks]

Well what an experience !!

All i could get is superflex in 3.5kg bags. So i brought 3 bags. Then another 3 bags and was still short so had to get another. I needed 7 bags in total a £11.50 a bag £80 in grout for 9m2 of mosaics !!

Must admit is does look nice and there no way i could have done it with the wide joint they supplied.

The mosaics had polished stainless steel as well dotted around. In total there must be getting on 3000 polished stainless steel 15mm x 15mm mosaics and everyone has a protective sticker on so the grout doesn't scratch it !!

I've had to take some off to fit the shower screen and silicone the corners etc and it takes forever. It'll give them something to do mind !!

Im guessing hot water would aid removal but haven't tried.

Charcoal grout is pretty good stuff as well. get absolutely everywhere. I've only ever grouted floors black not walls or mosaics wow black everywhere.

Anyway after i finally grouted and siliconed all up it does look pretty good and im happy with the end result. I think they were too... i hope

I'll post some pictures when the plumbers put the sanitary ware in and electricians done his bit.

 

[Futuregrout]

Hmm. Wish I'd seen this thread last week. I ordered some glass mosaics, and took the supplier's advice and ordered BAL superflex. The tiles are for the kitchen. The datasheet for superflex suggests that it is entirely unsuitable.

I've not grouted yet. Should I go and get myself some microflex? I am grouting tomorrow, so will have to go to topps where it is £17 for a 3.5kg bag of white (or £23 for a 3.5kg bag of ivory?!).

Thoughts?

 

[Dave H]

I would use Mapei ultracolour plus or Arduflex fs, are you near a CTD branch,
as they supply all three brands

 

[Diamond Pool Finishers]

as above

 

[mz30]

hmm suppliers recommending bal i wonder why oh yea cause its expensive and suggesting wide joint grout for wall mosaics:mad2:

 

[Futuregrout]

Thanks guys. But is superflex unsuitable, or just not as good as microflex? Bearing in mind that the tiles I bought were described as kitchen tiles? If it is entirely unsuitable I will tell the supplier - in the past, having people on this board saying that what the supplier has done is unsuitable has made a big difference in discussions with suppliers!

 

[budbecks]

Reading the specs for superflex it does say that its suitable for shower with a clause to say that if the shower is a power shower or has body jets then an epoxy grout should be used.

 

[Dave H]

suppliers

as above

I've had several jobs where client has purchased tiles grout etc from topps tiles, and they
always supply Bal wide joint grout, always change it for Mapei, I love Bal adhesives but just don't get on with their grouts.