Micromax 2 query?

[kaharrison9]

Good Evening All.

Wondering if anybody has any thoughts on the Bal micromax 2.

As have tiled a floor and used the micromax 2 for the first time and have noticed a few weeks on some hairline cracks have appeared.

The floor is chipboard then overboarded with 15mm ply around a year ago.(not ideal and nothing to do with me)

I have put Ditra down with Ardex af200,used a s1 addy and grouted with micromax.

The Bal help line suggested this grout.

The floor appears deflection free.

Have never used this grout before and it is new so anyone any thoughts on it's performance?

Thanks.

Kevin

 

[Andy Allen]

im using it next week on a wooden floor and have been told to mix it with GT1 to make it flexible..

 

[Gazzer]

I have used it but not experienced this issue.

 

[Ian]

im using it next week on a wooden floor and have been told to mix it with GT1 to make it flexible..

I thought it was supposed to be flexible anyway, the price will be astronomical if you have to add gt1 to it.

Kev, I'm surprised this has happened, I'd give BAL a call and see what they say. Micromax 2 is meant to be an all round grout suitable for every scenario.

 

[Andy Allen]

I thought it was supposed to be flexible anyway, the price will be astronomical if you have to add gt1 to it.

Kev, I'm surprised this has happened, I'd give BAL a call and see what they say. Micromax 2 is meant to be an all round grout suitable for every scenario.

i'll check tomorrow, just going by what my supplier told me...

 

[Andy Allen]

don't mean to hi-jack the thread, but whats it like to work with..?

 

[Ian]

don't mean to hi-jack the thread, but whats it like to work with..?

I didn't like it Andy, I used the original one a lot and really liked it. This new one sticks to the tile face and make washing off a real pain, not to mention the daft price.

 

[On one]

im using it next week on a wooden floor and have been told to mix it with GT1 to make it flexible..

I would be surprised if you were supposed to add GT1 to an already flexible grout....you can add it to a non modified grout which can make it more flexible than MM2.......wouldn't like clean the grout haze up though!!!

 

[kaharrison9]

Yes the tech guy made no mention of any additives.

It is meant to be an overall grout, flexible, fine for porcelain, overboarded timber floors, ufh, etc.

If they are now suggestion to use an admix now that would be interesting with it been a new product. (sounds like microflex in a new package)

Have never had to before.

 

[AliGage]

don't mean to hi-jack the thread, but whats it like to work with..?

Bloody awful!

 

[Andy Allen]

totally agree theres no way im adding GT1 to an already modified grout, will be having a show down with the supplier.....and seriously thinking of changing the grout for next week...

 

[Ian]

totally agree theres no way im adding GT1 to an already modified grout, will be having a show down with the supplier.....and seriously thinking of changing the grout for next week...

If you have a tilemaster supplier near you Andy, get some grout 3000, it's a top product and very easy to work with. Less than half the price of MM2.

 

[AliGage]

Not used the above but i swear by mapei nowadays. Used to be all over BAL but price and the drama when they messed the first MM up i switched and haven't looked back.

 

[kaharrison9]

What was the mm fiasco AG?

I have a 90m2 floor upstairs in Ardex mg grout and not a crack in sight and i'm confident of none occurring.

Then I have a 160m2 downstairs in MM2 identical background as above and cracks appearing.

The only reason I used MM2 was because Ardex was out of stock and I was told what an amazing product the MM2 was.

The MM2 seems very light weight and is a pain to clean.

Waiting to see how far the cracks situation goes then will buy the admix and re-fill.

For the 2 part grout it will cost around £45/£50 for 10kg.

Main thing is to complete the job but will not be going down the MM2 route again

 

[Andy Allen]

was in the suppliers today, and got them to ring the bal tech depo while I was there, and you can mix GT1 with MM2 to make it more flexible for wooden floors..

 

[On one]

Well I stand corrected. Apologies for that bum steer,still doesn't seem right though.

 

[kaharrison9]

The gt1 admix is for timber floors that are not overboarded which is understandable but overboarded floors the mm2 alone according to the back of the grout packet is fine. There is not even a mention of the GT1 on the info on the detailed grout packet.

As mentioned above I have a Ardex floor and a MM2 floor exactly the same background and one has grout cracks and one hasn't.

Bearing in mind the MM2 is not a cheap product.

 

[Andy Allen]

your right about the over boarding, same as they recommend bal super flex grout on over boarded floors, but bal wide joint grout with gt1 on floors that are not over boarded, not saying you have done anything wrong, but if the floor has to much deflection then the grout may not have been good enough without the admix.

really is a mine field imo, which is why I prefer mixing gt1 with wide joint grout for all my wooden floors.....belt and braces...

 

[AliGage]

Are the cracks all over or isolated to one area?

 

[kaharrison9]

I have not lifted all the floor protection but it is mainly sporadic in areas and in say 6 tile runs.

I have total confidence in the 100m2 Ardex grouted floor which I didn't use admix with no cracks and am kicking myself for not using it downstairs.

I have lost confidence where the MM2 floor is leading to.

The marketing of the MM2 is very impressive on the bag, crack resistant, timber floors, heavy trafficked floors, highly modified,1 - 20mm joints, etc. Yet no mention of the admix. Even the bal technician made no mention of an additive.

Like for like with other grouts in my opinion it is not flexible enough alone to be described as a floor grout.

It is a new grout and maybe time will tell.

A test I have done is to fein master out one of the cracks and have grouted it with some Ardex, will be interesting to see what the result will be.