My Response to Jeff from Home RenoVision DIY | Mapei Ultracolor Plus Grout FA 

I was about to start my bathroom grouting today when I stumbled across that video. It scared me and I started looking for alternatives. I then found your video which made me chance it and it was totally fine. I’m grateful for both videos though as it allowed me to prepare properly and work within a reduced timeframe. It dries quicker than I expected but it was my first time grouting.

Admittedly, after watching Jeff’s video I was contemplating returning my unopened grout bag. However, after watching your video my anxiety level for using this product was reduced by 90%. You are candid about your skill level and you focused on the good things that Jeff passes on to us. Btw, your shower looks great 👍 I will definitely have two buckets of water ready to clean within 15 to 20 min. I can proceed confidently thanks to the experience and lessons conveyed by both you and Jeff. Thx for taking the time and making the effort to post.

I just finished grouting my bathroom with the Mapei Ultracolor grout with complete success. This was only my 3rd tile job in my life and I would definitely recommend this product. It did not setup too fast, it was easy to use and looks great. Read the instructions, make small usable batches (I did 2 pounds of grout at a time) and don’t panic. Thank you for sharing your experience with this product. FYI: Jeff has a wealth of experience but I really wonder if he has actually used this product based on his video that would scare any amateur tiler.

To Jeff's point, I did wait the 15 minutes to wipe off the excess and I was too late! It had hardened into a complete mess on top of my tiles! Now I am scraping it off, millimeter by millimeter to start over again. This happened to 2 of the walls in my shower. On the last wall, I used a clean sponge and wiped off in 3-5 minutes and I cleaned the sponge after each wipe. I also only mixed 1 lbs to 7 oz of water so I could work with small amounts or else it would harden in bucket and I was only hand mixing. No drill mixer. So for me, this stuff wanted to harden immediately and I'm paying the price for waiting 15 minutes the first time.

Thank you so so much. I literally am in the exact situation you found yourself in. And I haven't attempted my grouting yet due to the grout... thanks a ton! ❤ I'm going to go for it!

Makes a huge difference if your tiles are porous or polished. Polished makes cleaning a cinch. If you have porous stone it'll dry way faster too.

Impressive and respectful argument. Your video provided the confidence I needed to pursue a first time DIY 50 sqft backsplash grouting with Ultracolor FA. Like many others, Jeff's video sucked what little confidence I had right out. However, after completing the project, I had virtually no issues with the Ultracolor FA while adhering to MAEPI's technical bulletin to the letter. I sponged ~15-20 minutes after floating the grout in a 68° degree kitchen with no concerns of rapidly setting grout on the tile face. The tile was buffed with a dry cloth ~45-55 minutes after sponging to showcase the luster of the marble we expected. Thank you once again for your insight and consideration. Relax folks. You can do this!

I just used this grout on my kitchen and bathroom backsplash. I watched a video with a few tips. 1 - Use cold water. I used filtered water. 2 - Don't use a high speed mixer, mix slowly preferably by hand. 3 - Mix small batches. Use 3.5 ounces of water per pound of grout mix. I made 2 pound mixtures at a time (2 lb grout/7 ounces water). I followed these tips and I had no problem doing it all by myself.

In fairness: your tile is high gloss (practically glass) which afforded you more time. In most cases, he is right.

I can’t agree more. I bought the fa and sat around until noon drinking coffee building confidence. Lol But like you said Jeff made us pay attention to this product. I built a large shower in my basement. I shut the dehumidifier off and turn down the temp and I believe that gave me more working time. I wouldn’t go past a half a batch at a time in hot weather. Grout came out beautiful. The product offers to much to not use it. Thank you for the confidence to try it and Jeff for making me aware of what I’m using.

Just used this video as a guide for doing my small shower. Saw Jeff’s video and it scared me too but decided to go for it. Mixed small batches, 2.5 lbs with 8 ounces of water. Mixed with a drill slowly. Had plenty of time to use up each batch and happy with the results.

I want to start by saying I am a home remodeler and have been doing this for many years. I used to use cementrous grout and until I found this product about 2 years ago hated grouting due to the haze that cementrous grout causes. That being said......Jeff is right about being careful with this grout. I have had a couple issues that burned me using that grout due to the porcelain tile being textured with a lot of grooves and the temperature in the home was above 75. We spent a day trying to clean off the grout that adhered to the textured tiles because of leaving it on the tile for 30 minutes. That's it it was only 30 minutes and it's still almost ruined the home we were working. That being said... If you're dealing with glossy tile that's glazed then you will not have any issues and can grout the entire shower without any problems....... I still typically ask the homeowner to please turn the temperature down to about 68 in the home on grout day. The typical response I get from my customers is are you going to pay for my electric bill! Ha ha ha. But I always respond with do you want your grout to look horrible! So please be careful with this product......know what tiles you are using it for and temperature and adjust the wipe time........again with that being said this is the only grout we use on all our tile work.

I has the same experience. Over cautious when I first used it, but still happy to have had a little warning. It was easier the second time, when I relaxed 😉

Glad I found this. I saw his video as well and have been stressing.

5:25 "building up my self esteem" Ah, yes, the DIY dilemma. I have felt this on numerous occasions LOL. I'm sure my mom thinks I'm the laziest, but I really just 1) like to prepare a lot before starting a project (most of which I am doing for the first time) and 2) have to work up the courage to be ready to fail at any moment (despite all the preparation). #diy

Thank you I almost returned it and it came out great. I have some tips for everybody. *1) USE COLD WATER TO MIX, AS COLD AS YOU CAN, 2) MIX A GOOD QUANTITY BUT LEAVE IT IN THE BUCKET, DON'T APPLY IT ALL AT ONCE, WORK IN SMALL SECTIONS 3) LOWER THE AC IN YOUR HOUSE.* I got a pitcher and put some ice and water and that is what I used to mix the stuff (without the ice of course) It literally lasted me a little more than an hour on the bucket before it got hard. I applied it in small sections, if you are doing a bathroom lets say I did half of a wall. I used a timer and when I got to 15/20 min I started wiping with the sponge.

I agree with him and trust him. The tile you have is extremely large and glossy with makes it extremely easy to wipe off. Even if it failed on you it would be pretty easy to replace it. I'm using irregular tile and a mix of glossy and matte along with glass in places and all are all different sizes and shapes. Replacement for me would be super expensive and a big time pain in needing the time it would take to redo it all. I also would say in most circumstances he's right at least he has enough sense to tell those that think they can do most anything themselves not to make the mistake and ruin their work!

This is true. I watch Jeff all the time and in fact watched that same RU-vid. When my daughter came home with thus exact stuff for Nero do her backslash, I had instant panic. I feel better having watched this. I am hoping for the best.

The thing most people mess up is they over mix it and add too much air which makes it set much faster.

I really appreciate your video. I was the same way. Almost carried this stuff back. But I came across your video and decided to try it anyway. And glad I did! This stuff worked great. I kept waiting for a "white flash" from the bucket and it immediately go rock hard, lol. I mixed exactly to the directions and did what they said. I was surprised that I had to wait quite some time before it set up so I could wipe it down with my sponge. About 22 minutes. I believe that temperature and humidity is the trick to this stuff for an armature like me. My day was 50° outside and 70° inside. If I hadn't seen this video and one other on RU-vid I would have returned it for a basic grout. Glad I didn't.

Jeff is right . I do professional work as well and made the mistake that Jeff pointed out. You got glass tile, way easier to clean. I ended up with some stains listening to you in one of my showers. Thank God the tile had some grey already in it but there’s no way to remove the stain. Tried using some chemicals. He mentions not for the DIY and Jeff was right

I'm in Raleigh NC remodeling a 2,200sqft home pretty much all by myself that my mom gave me. I'm almost done and then either moving to the mountains near my mom or the beach

I think he was fair about the stuff. I did a small bathroom. The tile wasn't glazed, I tried to was the stuff off right after it was applied. I never got 100% off it off. It was a hot day.

When grouting mosaic tile it's a lot more complicated especially if it's Stone like slate graphite and glass. In this case it's extremely important to seal your stone and go back and get the grout off the stone quickly or you will ruin your tile. For glazed type large format tile, it's very easy to get the grout off and the lines are minimal. After using this grout for a backsplash I have to agree with what he said. I came very close to ruining my tile

I agree...I saw his video right before I was going to use Ultracolor Grout FA. His video scared me. I set a 15 minute timer and rushed to get it all applied before starting to wipe. Grout was still incredibly wet. In fact, I found 30 minutes was a good time before you start wiping. I've since done other projects with the same grout. It's workable for a good 30 minutes or so, and can still be easily wiped an hour later. This is in 73 degree, 55% humidity conditioned house. His times were way off.

Yesterday I was exactly the same situation as you were. Bought the Mapei FA, then watched Jeff's video. But I went for it anyway. Just mix small batch at a time you you will be fine. If one do it alone, I mixed one pound at a time using a kitchen scale. You can't go wrong. Jeff's video title caught people attention, perfect.

I saw another video saying the same as Jeff, having had the same problems as Jeff with the grout curing too quickly. He called the manufacturer and they said the problem of drying/curing too fast is that he used a stir paddle which adds air to the grout causing premature curing. They said he should have hand mixed the grout!! That said the bag showed an illustration of using a mixing paddle. Looking at my grout (tech 550 power grout) information sheet it states, " Do not use an electric drill and mixing paddle. These can entrain air into the grout. Air entrainment may decrease stain resistance and increase the potential for cracking." EVEN THOUGH THE BAG SHOWS MIXING WITH A PADDLE! Keep in mind I am a rookie that knows just enough to be dangerous.....

I don't think Jeff said anything wrong in his video. If you're a DIY'er and you're first grouting experience is going to be the tile shower you installed, I'd recommend you stop and try a floor or something too first. If you use an epoxy, urethane, or say power grout, if it sits on the wall too long and you didn't get to it in time you'll end up chiseling it off; in that instance you'd have no choice to start over. As a fellow contractor and tile setter, wiping it in 15-20 minutes is for best results. It would be a terrible situation to have spent 3k on materials and fail at the grouting stage. If you have any questions before you start, it's always a good idea to consult with a professional if you're unsure of something. Also, when washing grout, use warm water, it's breaks the grout up better than cold water.

I was getting ready to grout and had JUST finished watching Jeff's video when your popped up. I appreciated his because I started doing construction 50 years ago, and am rounding the clubhouse turn on this little bathroom at home. BUT, like YOU, I HAAAATTTTEEEE doing tile. In this case, I simply couldn't justify spending $4200 to pay someone else to come in and do the tile. Hired daughter #4 to come down a couple of weekends and be my helper, so saved $3600 of that and got 'er done! NOW, I'm just putting off doing the grout while the mastic dries on the decorative tile band. Did everything else with thinset so it's long since dried. Anyway, had to ask.. why on EARTH did you go with black grout on white tile on a flip? Jeez... talk about making it hard on yerself!!!! lol... Shower looks great. New sub. :)

Yes in Australian summer better to have someone help clean in 15 minute else gets sticky and hard to clean. Use hot wash water and detergent helps. The dish towl rolls work ausome to clean up

Great video, I totally agree with the points you have made, including read and follow the product directions. I recently used this product for the first time and my recently installed shower. I mixed the grout in smaller batches as a precaution, after applying the grout I waited 15 minutes before cleaning it from the walls. It worked very well following this protocol. I prefer a grout joint that is full of grout and not hollowed out with sharp tile edges exposed. Meipai ultracolor grout is is excellent and can be managed if you follow the directions.

I just used this grout on my bathroom tile floor. My wife read the instructions and we had no problems… lol! it does require a lot of wiping to get the glaze off but not horrible.You do have to work fast and really get the excess grout off your tiles with the float, we had some areas that we didn’t do this and it took a long time to wipe it clean. I also love Jeff’s videos but I do think your correct on this.

If you haven't done enough grouting .I think it's not nice of you to counter argue his points about using ultra color . I have worked with ultracolor and damn that is not something to mess around with . If you leave ultra color for too long it's starts to quick set and once it quick sets ,adding water to it is useless because even though the mix may lo ok good to you, it will eventually fall out like powder after it sets . You ll have to start over again . For outdoor grouting it is always recommended to use keracolor or ultra color with a buddy who can clean while you grout . Ultra color is specially used indoor and during cloudy or cold weather it takes time to set so you can work around for a long time . I think Jeff has done an excellent video of giving safety guidelines for this grout . Instructions in the grout pack may vary with humidity temperature and more . Hope it helps

I used this grout not realizing how fast- drying it actually was. Nearly ruined a subway tile job I had been working on for several weeks. I mixed the entire 10 lb bag and it wasn’t long before the nightmare began. By the time I finished the two shower walls the grout was hard as nails and impossible to wipe off. Fortunately, I found one guy on RU-vid with the solution - use a steel punch of the proper diameter to chisel out the the excess grout in the joints, using water to soften the material a little, and grind off the end of the punch often because the edges get rounded off. Took several weeks doing a little at a time but I saved the project. The tiles got a little scratched but it looks ok - from a distance.

Instructions state 73 degrees at 15 to 30 minutes before cleaning, depending on Temperature and humidity. So did you read the instructions and what were your weather conditions?

I agree. I really like Jeff's videos and his video on grout had me freaking out before and while I was grouting. In the end it was fine and I could have taken a bit more time to let it set and had a more relaxing process.

It comes down to how much water you mix into it, the heat and humidity in the area.

I just finished my first tile job and did have some difficulty with this grout. It was 90 sqft of backsplash tile up to the ceiling. The tile was 3x9 handmade look so they had the wavy edges and surface. I also live in Arizona so it was 100 degrees outside. It took me about 30 minutes to finish a 9ft countertop length and the rest of the grout was hard in the bucket by the time I was done. I could only mix 2lbs of grout at a time and still struggled with hardened grout near there end. I was able to wipe the grout off without too much work after the 30 minutes. The lines may not have ended up as smooth as I wanted but the grout was not stuck on the tiles. I probably would have had a much easier time with a different grout or if I saw these videos first and cranked the AC.

first thing about the unsanded grout Jeff was talking about is that you cannot use it in grout widths over 1/8 , so if you are grouting tiles 1/8 or bigger you need to either use a high performance grout like the FA Ultra color or regular sanded grout ( or epoxy but that's is 100 percent not diy friendly). as for jeffs video , in a way it was good info because in certain circumstances the FA can be a job ruiner , as it is much less forgiving. as mentioned before , if it is mixed incorrectly, mix too much at a time for the individual, or if using on a porous tile like a ceramic, it will be very difficult and can totally ruin a tile job. the individual needs to know exactly how to use the FA and if they do its one of the best grouts on the market for sure. i am a professional tile guy and have been tiling full time since 1981 and the FA is the best grout i have ever used and tbh the first time i used it, i almost ruined a floor because i simply thought it couldn't be that bad. one of the biggest things for me, because i now work alone is to only mix small batches, meaning to mix only enough to spread and wash the one area in which you intend to do in approximately 1 hour, but that time frame will change according to how fast you work , temperature of tile, temp of surrounding area, and temp of the water you are mixing with , also type of tile used. if you are grouting a basic ceramic subway tile the FA will dry faster than a porcelain tile, also if the water you are mixing with is slightly warm it will dry much faster and one of the biggest factors is how you are mixing it. for me, because i only mix small batches , which also changes depending on joint width and tile size, i only use a margine trowel and mix by hand, i simply don't have enough man power to mix enough grout to use a mixer. mixing by hand keeps the grout cool and can extend the pot life, mixing with a drill and paddle warms the grout because of friction , so if that is your method, it must be done with low rpms and not be done to long. so imo, the FA can indeed ruin a job, but if you understand basic instructions and don't go into it blindly, it can be no different in many aspects to basic sanded and unsanded grouts and ultimately be a much better product. one more thing about the FA grout is that there are instances where you shouldn't use it and that is on butt joint installs. when i install subway tiles that have lugs or pre formed spacers on the sides or where the customers want a basic butt joint on their subway tiles, joints less than 1/16, you should be using an an unsanded grout (either with a latex additive or sealed later) because even though the FA is pretty fine textured, it still has too thick of an aggregate to be pushed into a joint under 1/16. you can ultimately do it, but chances are the grout will not get pushed back far enough into the joint. so if you really need to use the FA, just make sure you use at least a 1/16 spacer.

I’ve grouted a ton of tile. Love the Ultracolor but you do have to work it a bit quicker than the plain Mapei grout. Love your video. And your beautiful blue eyes!!! Thx

This video also scared me and I'm about to return my Ultracolor FA and exchange it for Flexcolor CQ which I've heard is almost as good and far easier to work with. I have 2 small shower walls so I'm not too concerned with the FA on those, but I have a 95 sq ft floor and the FA terrifies me on that large of a surface. So much area to make a mistake or miss cleaning a spot.

Grab a 10#, add two 16.9oz bottles of Ice Mountain, mix on low speed (very important) and enjoy your success. This is the only grout I use. Never had an issue. ALWAYS use low rpm mixing and as a caution ALWAYS use filtered water. Tap water can vary greatly to the point that it destroys your white/light color grout.

So the one variable people aren't considering is the water. If you want to be super safe, use purified water. I live on a well, and if I use well water it'll set up in minutes. Even with thinset I get about half the open time as specified on the label. The amount of dissolved minerals in the water you're using makes a HUGE difference.

Saw the same video and it freaked me out too. I went with the more forgiving version. Plus I used white on white, dark grout looks like a nightmare.

Thank you for your video. I bought the same grout and after seeing your video and having watched the one you had discussed from the other gentleman, I had my doubts of using this one. But I am going to use it now. It’s hot outside (116 deg F) but cool inside. So I will be ok with that. I’m only doing one wall in the bathroom about 60 sq feet of surface of glass tile.

This video was helpful. The tile place gave us this grout with our order and I wasn’t real confident I could pull it off. I watched the Jeff video too and had the same experience. Love the guy but watching that video gave me instant doubts. So thank you for the confidence booster. I’m sure there are unique scenarios where this could be a disaster for some people.

I have multiple crews and we use this grout all the time. Ambient temperature and humidity as well as the temp of the water affect the time it takes to fire off drastically. Mid summer with high humidity Ill even cool my water with ice prior to mixing. It's great grout but you have to know its temperment. Even water out of a garden hose that is lying in the sun.....big mistake....let that water run till cool.

I see where Jeff is coming from but it is also never good to be rushed and nervous doing something like tile work. I think the end result will depend on who is doing the install, their tile choice, available tools, grout mix consistency and overall experience with DIY. Once you tackle a couple of major projects for the first time, though you may not have necessarily tiled before, you will approach the project with more confidence. Thanks I appreciate the input and both your videos.

Ya I did my 3 walls all at once but did have to work

Thanks for this video. I was having second thoughts about the 2 bags Ultracolor I bought.

Depends on the tile. If it's pourous it's a whole different ballgame.

if anyone is using this grout - do not mix with high speed drill. If using a small amount mix it by hand with stir stick or small trowel. The professionals with a large crew are going to use a mixing drill which is slow rotation but high torque. Whipping the grout over activates it by forcing air into it. This can happen with Portland cement too. Go slow on mixing

Hey Kelly. I went through your videos. I was looking for a vid of you installing the tile. Looks great. Do you have a video of you installing that tile. Would be super helpful. I have similar project.

Help, this stuff dryed way to fast doing an outside bar on stone . How do i get it offfff ughhh i just ruined the walls. 😢. Ive grouted a lot in the past we got this thoufht it was the same as other stufff.

Just had two bathroom floors done with this stuff on a 90°+ day. Same guy did both floors same day, the products purchased and dropped off by our project manager. One came out great, the other is a hot, clouded mess. The difference--the one that came out great is a high-gloss marble, the other a matte ink-jet porcelain mosaic. If you're working with a nice, shiny surface, you have the time. If not, the product is unforgiving.

Same here, exactly same scenario... but then I changed my mind after watching someone else using it..

Does it scratch glass mosaic or polished porcelain?

what color did you use? was it charcoal or black

Tried using good for waterproofing. It is very difficult to handle, drys very fast makes cleaning painful 😢

Can you say if you didn't see Jeff's warning, you wouldn't make a mistake and having it dried up before you finish?

On floors he is right l use half bag at time and wash off at 15 or it gets too hard to get off

What's your stance on grouting the vertical corners versus only using silicone? Getting conflicting answers

Your right about your high gloss tile. Jeff is also right about what he said. Jeff omitted saying, 1) high gloss tiles will be fine, and 2) sealing porous tiles before grouting will also help. However, your video is limited your your specific tile and more likely to get diyers in trouble.

It's great on glossy tile, one good point was do one wall see the difficulty in removing, porous tile is more difficult, and if you have sunlight shining on tile it can dry up faster on you, tile that has beveled edges are more challenging, getting grout out of the joints is more time consuming, his advice is if its something you don't do regularly, the bag of rapid setting grout is not for you, a pro would have on hand a scrubbing pad, he can do all walls at once since he knows curing time, but it's not a race ,its an art, take your time ,I've done this for years over 10 was fixing others bad grout jobs. Your work looked great by the way your not the rookie category that the comment was for. Rookies don't read the instructions, they think they know everything, they never take advice or look information like you did, I saw one guy do the complete restroom walls, it didn't click when the grout in his bucket was turning into a rock, Jeff's advice would have saved him .My advice READ THE LABEL. Always do a small area any test out a new product.

I’ve used this grout, and found between the two bags I bought, they were different. Even the mixing directions were different. The second bag I used hardened within 15, it was horrible to remove. I was lucky that I was able to save it, but if you waited any longer, the job would have been ruined.

My experience is on glazed tile you're golden... easy...if it's low sheen porcelain....be prepared for "get-r-done" as quickly as possible...😆

Hand mix or via Drill? Im about to use this same grout later on my first tiling job and Im nervous about ruining all my hard work. Do you recommend a 15 min drying time before wiping off?

Remember, in the beginning Jeff said, “FOR THE BEGINNER”, and later on you said you had 2 more jobs . Really. 🤔

Doesn't really apply to extremely high gloss tile which correct me if I'm wrong but it looks like you're using.

I watch Jeffs videos purely for laughs, never took his advices seriously

You misrepresented a bunch of things he said. It’s a bit weird. I do find though he sometimes just talks to much and makes things way more Complicated than they are

Thanks!

I found that it sucks in very quickly on the joints you only get about a minute once its in the joint otherwise it builds and you get thick joints I should have used my rake balls to even them out

Mix small batches-i mixed too much and it hardened in my bucket👍👍👍👍

Omg good for me I watch both videos because we are to make the bathroom next week with same grout!!!! And we are beginners too😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳

Ya, a dude that has trouble tying his shoes😂😂 I'll believe you

I’m my opinion most Mapei products are a pain to work with. I prefer Prism

I rate it!

The old “follow the directions” trick

WELL SHIT! I too watched the Jeff video and as a result returned my FA grout back to Lowes and bought the other. Now Im thinking I could have had this job finished and off my mind.

I personally have used this grout. I love the clear bright colors and the sealed resin like texture. I personally love to tile and have done it professionally. With all that being said Temperature and climate have a world to do with all things construction 🦺. If it is slight warm or leading to hot not a cool autumn day you will have results as Jeff warned.

I've used this grout MANY times. I only mix a third of a bag at once and I use a measuring cup and scale so my quantities are precise. The thing is the once the grout is mixed it can sit in the container for some time. I personally apply maybe 2ft x 4ft and then immediately wipe it off. Then I do the next area so on and so on. The reason for the exact measuring is so when you mix the next batch it matches the previous batch. To save time have like 5 sponges and five buckets (and a helper if you can) of clean water when wiping. Hope this helps.

He's not incorrect. Application depends on the situation. I applied this outdoors in the sun and it dried within less than 4 minutes. So while I agree that the situation can change. He was pretty much trying to keep people who have no idea what they are doing from making a huge mistake.

It all comes down to your definition of DIY. If you are flipping a cabin without professional help, you probably more of a DIYer than most of us. I used the same Ultracolor Plus grout for a small kitchen backsplash and did small sections at a time and worked my tail off to get the tiles clean. One thing for sure is that charcoal grout on white tile requires more experience or more elbow grease. I think you are both right.

I had a completely different experience the first time I used this grout. (I had used other traditional grouts previously, so it wasn't my first time doing a tile job.) For me, it was exactly as Jeff described -- almost a disaster. I wish I had seen Jeff's video before using Ultracolor Plus FA. The grout hardened like rock hard cement within 20-30 minutes, and I really struggled to scrape (not wipe) it off, joint by joint (and still today the grout job is mediocre when inspecting closely because of this fast hardening incident.) I think results can vary wildly depending on your exact mix ratio, water quality (minerals and municipal chemicals), the ambient humidity, and temperature. It's better to have a stern warning before using something like this (and perhaps have to do a little more corrective work like you did) than the 4-5 hours of dry grout scraping I had to do.

A lot of people don't know that you can get in trouble with this stuff if you use a high speed mixer. It will get hard in 10-15 minutes. There's another video on RU-vid from a guy who had this problem. Mix slow or even better by hand.

One of my first time tiling was doing full mosaic walls on the custom shower. I used the Ultracolor plus. I did it in summer with no AC on. I just did portions at a time. Jeff is right, if it is hot, the grout will set up real quick.

The bald DIYer is correct if you don’t know what you are doing or don’t have help or experience then you shouldn’t use that grout! That grout is not like other grouts! It is a quicker setting grout, for color consistency purposes! I have been setting tile for 39 years, so I can say he is absolutely correct! The outcome is dependent on many different variables! The temperature, the humidity, glazed tile , porcelain, clay tile, Saltillo tiles, stone all these variables will have a different outcome! So you might want to tell the guy you were wrong and he was and is correct! Because he is saving people who don’t know what they are doing or what they are getting into, from having a big mess or losing money and time! Lance/ L.A.Grout&Tile Restoration LLC

He is definitely right. I've been doing tile professionally for a long time. Mapei ultra color plus is both my favorite and least favorite grout to use. When it's used on gleazed tile like yours, it's the best grout to use. If your tile is anything else and the room temperature is above 80 degrees DO NOT use this grout because it will ruin your tile job.

I used this grout again today and had no issues. I used cold water to mix it and the temps were in the upper 50s, pot life and workability were exceptional. I grouted 60 square feet and didn't have any need to do it in sections. I actually had to wait on the grout to start the clean up. Once I was completely done with the job, the leftover grout I saved for touch ups was just as workable as when I mixed it. I really think the issues people are having are temperature related.

Your tile is like glass it wouldn't be same on tile with pores

For me i don't like the way you react, because you believe in your job,don't mean you have the right to make feel other stupid

Always start grouting from the top down, and after you clean it with a sponge use a microfiber cloth to wipe residue.

You are correct, we had ample time to clean up. Because of his video, I too was nervous in using the said grout and had to get my wife to make it a team effort. We did see another video that explained why the material sets up fast. In that video he explained that the use of a HIGH SPEED device to mix it drastically cured the material faster. So my wife and I used cold water and manually mixed the material by hand. Surely enough we are proud of our finished project. Thank you for your video!

I had to respond to this video. I, like many others, Saw Jeff's video about this grout and was not going to risk trying it and had decided to return it to Lowes. I haven't done any tiling or grouting in 30 years, so I basically was staring over. Thankfully I saw this video and decided to try it. I saw another video where the guy discovered that YOU CANNOT USE A HIGH SPEED PADDLE to mix this stuff. He had contacted the tech line and they, in fact, told him it had to be LOW SPEED in order to have enough working time to use this grout. He did it by hand and he had 45 minutes before it was set up and getting hard. Then he used the drill and mixing paddle and it hardened in FIVE MINUTES. With that information and the info from this video I decided to try it, starting with a small 6 sq. ft. area of mosaic tile I just laid down. I have a plug in speed controller for my router so I used it on my drill and mixing paddle and slowed that baby way down. With doing that I had PLENTY of time to use this grout....AND I HAVEN'T GROUTED IN 30 YEARS. I then went on and did the rest of the floor having about 40 minutes or working time. House temp was 66 degrees, used COLD water, mixed slow and for the specified time on package. Came out AWESOME! I am thrilled with it and that is saying a lot because I am critical and usually never like my own work.

Jeff is wrong about a lot of things, probably more than he is right about. The problem is, most people are just too clueless to understand that. That being said, your grout lines are extremely uneven.

It depends what tile you use if your tile is not glazed it can stain the tile. As a professional contractor when you wipe the tile it will always have the colour streaks you just have to wipe it one more time.

I think I will give it a go after all. But, a 15 minute real-time demo of usage would certainly have given me more confidence than the time lapse (for nervous DIYers like me!)

First of all ALWAYS READ INSTRUCTIONS!! On my first DIY shower I did use Ultracolor, but I am a bit of a perfectionist so I not only read the instructions but I watched about 30 pro RU-vid videos first and took a few tips & tricks from the pros. I worked in small sections. Did the first small section and started another section which took about 10-15 minutes, went back to the first and cleaned it off and then started the third section, went back to the second and so on. Timing is KEY. At the end I cleaned everything with a grout haze remover. And my shower looks GREAT!!!

A truly fair and respectful assessment! The end result speaks for itself.