# Which grout?



## TAHomeRepairs (Jun 18, 2012)

I know I see alot of threads about which grout, plus the usaul bickering over urethane vs. epoxy.....Angus/Floormasta:whistling.....I am tiling a bathroom ( shower walls and bath walls) with 12x24 White Marble. Rectified edge, the largest joints are 1/16". Having never ventured away from portland grout, I am not sure which to try. As angus said in another thread, who ever wants to be the guinea pig? So I was thinknig of trying out some spectralock, is this a good application to pop my cherry? I sometimes see premixed stuff, is this the urethane grout? I am not one to venture out and try new things often, but I think it's time. The HO supplied the tile, and my supplier is way out of my way, so I will likely top at a box store just for convenience. I was surprised to see Shmoes carried spectralock, but intrigued at the same time. Any input is most appreciated-Tom


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## Splinter (Apr 5, 2005)

The epoxy can supposedly leave a halo on the marble edge, I havent tried it, and likely wont ever. I stick with Permacolor for marble jobs.


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

I'd be more worried about scratching the marble. Is it polished?

The biggest difference between epoxy/urethane in a shower is you cannot use the shower for 7 days after installing urethane. If that's a problem in any way, epoxy is your answer.


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## jarvis design (May 6, 2008)

I've used spectralock with a white Carrara marble (3x6 subway) on a backsplash and had no issues with scratching or halos.


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

I've used QuartzLock 2 on carrara marble (honed) without issue too. But to me, polished marble is a different animal. Of course, the 7 day urethane thing can be a deal breaker for most. QuartzLock's white is a brighter white than any other grout. 

If scratching is an issue, there is a urethane solution.


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## Floormasta78 (Apr 6, 2011)

All these are great when used properly.. I say go with pre mixed urethane until you get the hang of epoxy. Try epoxy on floors first so you can get a feel for it and how fast you can work with it.. 


The cigars go well with some Jameson or Kettle One on the rocks..


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## TAHomeRepairs (Jun 18, 2012)

Thanks for all the input, Yes the marble is polished. I too wondered if scratching would be an issue. I guess I'll give the urethane a try. 7 days won't be an issue on this job...so lets try it out.:thumbsup:


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## TAHomeRepairs (Jun 18, 2012)

next week i start a 1100 sf porcelain job, maybe that will be the one for epoxy.


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## Floormasta78 (Apr 6, 2011)

Repost... 

This is my most recent epoxy grout job.. It was 12x24 rectified polished porcelain. No scratches and clean up was fast because that shine helped..


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

TAHomeRepairs said:


> Thanks for all the input, Yes the marble is polished. I too wondered if scratching would be an issue. I guess I'll give the urethane a try. 7 days won't be an issue on this job...so lets try it out.:thumbsup:


If you're worried about scratching the polish marble, you will need to look at StarGlass:

http://www.starquartzgrout.com/starglass.html


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## cleveman (Dec 28, 2007)

If it is a polished tile, and you choose urethane, do a small test area first. I have done a polished countertop on two occasions and I needed to scrape them clean with a razor both times.

There is some talk of some "blaze" or something like that cleaner to take care of this. The razor isn't bad on a 12 square foot counter.


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

There's nothing really to test for. Seems with a polished surface, you have to be more thorough when cleaning. 

Only thing to test for is scratching of the aggregate. QuartzLock is made with actual quartz. StarGlass is made with round beads of glass and is why it doesn't scratch.


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