SPECTRALOCK 1 GROUT (TESTING) - IS IT WORTH IT? 

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Sorry but Isaac I've been watching you for a couple years now and I just never understood why you or anyone would ever use standard grout for a shower floor.......I don't offer a cheaper alternative to my customers. I have the cost built into all my bathroom remodels.....there is no other option. I want my customer to have a bullet proof shower pan and there are no other options other than epoxy. And if I am doing a curbless then the entire bathroom floor gets epoxy. THE ENTIRE. DOESN'T change how I feel about your channel.....I love your work and your videos are entertaining....... Look I do this 5 days a week and I'm sitting here on a Sunday watching this video just as many others that do this...... My wife says I'm nuts but as other tile guys we love what we do...... Keep up the great work!

Spectalock epoxy 3 part grout in my showers. Zero issues after 17 years - no sealing needed, no black mold, nothing. It's a wonder product.

I can’t say thanks enough for the comparisons you do. I am a home owner and just built my own shower.

I used Spectralock on my shower install about 6 months ago. I haven't seen any build up, no staining and I don't clean as often. I really like it. Thanks for the videos.

2nd! I love setting tile here in Sacramento and love watching a great local setter ,Isaac. Keep up the great work. Thanks, Devin

I am a general remodeler, not a tile layer. I used epoxy grout on some outdoor tile about 8 or 9 years ago. It started to go off before I was done and I was working frantically and pushing hard. I injured my shoulder and it has never recovered, even after lots of PT. The grout, however, looks almost like new after all of those years in the sun and rain. But I swore I'd never use it again. (Well, actually I swore and swore and swore, and then swore I'd never use it again!) I have since learned that I could have mixed the epoxy grout and poured it into cookie sheets and stored them in the refrigerator, pulling them out one at a time as I needed them. Sheesh! Add that hassle to the mixing hassle and I cannot understand why a bit of extra cleanup time for Spectralock 1 is a big deal. Right now I'm about to do a shower in a remodeled custom house and I was going to bite the bullet and use epoxy grout. While selecting the grout we couldn't find the right color. Then we noticed this new Spectralock 1 and found the right color in their pallet. I asked the Pro Desk about it and they convinced me to try it. I'm here online looking for instructions and tips. Thank you very much for this video because it has convinced me that I made the right decision. A few extra minutes of cleanup seems a small price to pay for just scooping it out of the bucket and smearing it around like regular grout. And it looks like the grout will hold up fine. I don't know anyone who cleans their shower with a hard tile spacer.

I’ve used laticrtete epoxy grout (3part) when it first started coming out (back then I was a first or second time tile setter) and it has held up fantastic. This one you are reviewing looks incredible! I’ll be trying this on my next one thank you so much!

I’m a DIY’er and just did my two showers w/Spectralock 1 two weeks ago. First job the grout was a little on the dry side (maybe I bought an old batch?? The second shower was super easy and awesome! Just expensive....

Last night I just grouped the first spot of my new shower remodel using Spectralock 1 grout. It was $109 at local floor & decor. I have some grout expereince and didn't feel intimidated by doing epoxy, but I liked that this was premixed ready to go and is supposed to be harder than regular grout when dry, and don't have to seal it if you don't want to. I tiled the ceiling as well in my shower so I started there last night. I have a small 1x3 window towards the top of the shower. Because of that, it was heating up the top half of the shower. I should have waited for the sun to go down. I applied it and had to do the ceiling in 4 sections because I was packing the joints and could literally see the residue I didn't perfectly swipe off with the float was hardening on the file surface. I used a damp sponge, went over the area on both sides of the sponge, then did the exact same thing again. Then, I waited a minute, then went over with 2-3 lint frees I bought at home depot. Then used light and shined it at multiple angles to see if I missed and grout residue. Then when I finished with the ceiling, I waited about 45 minutes and went over the whole ceiling again with a slightly damp dry eraser pad. Checked the grout before and it was very dry to the touch so I figured I was go. I believe there is no residue now, but if there is, it's going to be very minimal at worst. Overall, I'm not a pro by any means, but the convenience of it being pre mixed and the rumors of it having similar water proof capabilities as epoxy, it was worth the added cost for me. However, I don't like that they don't make it in small amounts. I want to accent the grout on the shower floor and niche but to do that with spectealock 1, I'd have to spend another $109 for a gallon and I'll use maybe 20% of it. Then I have no use for it anywhere else anytime soon. Being that you are a pro, if you're able to maybe coax laticrete into making smaller batches I think that's going to make more people willing to try it out for themselves.

You're on top of the wave Keep up the good work Inside the impact zone. Love you brother ❤

the cameraman did a good job, I like the little details.

we use this in the caribbean and it has to be cleaned within 10 mins because of the climate here. Working 4 sqft areas at a time is helpful

So helpful!!!!!!!!!! Thanks so much for these grout videos!!!

Great video. I just did an 850 room hotel with 1 in every shower and bathroom and zero leaks. Incredible stuff.

Very informative thanks Coach!

I think doing epoxy on shower floors is the best option. 99% of the time I can get the customer to pay the extra when I explain the benefits.

Pretty cool how your video wasn't edited. Made it seem honest.

I've been setting tile since 94'. Started using Spectralock when it first was released. I use it in every custom shower I install, along with most floors and backsplashes. The homeowners always see the benefits of epoxy over the added cost of install. haven't used the 1 yet, but might try it out. Great channel to see what other installers are doing!

Thanks Isaac & Team!!

I had a whole house floor of spectra lock grout lived with for years now. The very best move I ever made using spectra lock

I got the premium pro grout plus I added glow in the dark. It was so easy to use and clean up. Especially for a first time tiling. I did it in 19deg though , during our winter. Super impressed with it, wish I could post a pic of it .

Isaac...I officially name u the Mr Clean of Tiling...🙏🏽

This is a great test with the spacer to compare grout harness between manufactures. But I agree with you, it's not representative in the real world. Most people will use a brush like you did in the video. Your content is awesome and I'm halfway through my bathroom remodel and I've learned so much from the videos you produce. I also plan to use Spectralock 1 this afternoon! Thanks for all the information and keep up the excellent content!

pre mix scares me but i will bow down cuz its Lati

I have used the spectralock1 twice now, and im presently surprised by it. Yeah... its a little expensive, but its a cost that can easily be passed on without much headache. It has held up very well in my installations!

Isaac, I would like to see a comparison on which grout is the most stain resistance. If the grout is on a kitchen floor, which one will keep it's original color the longest. Maybe try soaking it in some dirty water for a while then rise them.

I just changed over to using this stuff in high salt areas and showers they put alot of salt on are roads in Canada and have been looking for something that will help and I find this does the job

Hey Isaac I use this grout on every custom bathroom i do and do not have trouble with cleanup including on high gloss tiles. Before starting the grout i apply a very thin coat of aqua mix grout release and let it dry making sure not to pool it in the grout joints. Also i notice when he went to go clean the grout the first time he did not wring the sponge no where near the amount necessary to clean this grout. I find it beneficial makings sure the grout is beginning to slightly harden like so that the few crumbs you see on the tile are hardened and then going over it with a nearly dry sponge like i mean really really wring that thing out almost just barely damp. If done right it almost "sweeps" off the tile almost like a "dry" cleanup. After letting the grout dry slightly more i then go over it with dry microfiber towels to take the last of the "dusty" layer off but this is usually not necessary. Rarely do i have to do a second wash including on high gloss tiles.Wringing that sponge good is the key to this grout.

👍👍 I am looking forward to the epoxy and flex color tests. My money is on those two at this point.

Hi Isaac, You make very good videos - Thank you. Worked with my first pail of Spectralock 1 last night. Instead of mix like peanut butter, I had what looked like wet beach sand. It was difficult to spread. Sal Diblasi commented 3/7/2020 video that one tub was creamier than the other. I would say that Laticrete needs to improve on mixing quality to give a consistent flow to each tub.

I have no problem with spreading small sections and wiping them quickly. Keeps me moving and worth the desired result. For an inexperienced grouter, I would stick to regular grout. Good idea on using it only on the shower pan.

I have used this product, and I love it!

As i said in the other testing video, i think it would be interesting to test these grouts on 1/4 grout lines and also a more porous tile unlike glass. I think those two things play a significant role in the performance of the grout. I was a grouter full time in my earlier years of working and there's no doubt in my mind that when you have a larger grout joint, it will provide better strength/performance. It's the same reason why some grouts aren't recommended to be used with 1/16th grout joints because they just cannot perform well in smaller applications. So with that said, i think grouts performing in these 1/8th situations is simply just a tough task for them to be completely resistant to anything and everything. What we need to be doing as Tile people is figuring out the best ways to clean grout so these things will not happen to our customers. We should educate them on the best ways to clean them and that will prevent these type of issues. If you really want to test these grouts performance, i think you need to expand the way you test them. Use different tiles because that can affect things like cure time depending on the tile being porous or non porous and use different grout joints to see how that affects the strength. Also i would look into maybe getting some type of testing tool that can maybe test the hardest of a grout or the amount of force a grout can take until it breaks. I think all these things will give us a better understanding at which grouts are better.

I believe Spectralock 1 was to be a more convenient/effective alternative to their Spectralock epoxy. Both really durable and only a slight price difference. I did not encounter the difficulty in clean up. In fact, the oily haze that can be a problem with epoxy is non-existent with 1. It basically cleaned up like normal sanded grout. Also great for medium to small jobs, because you can keep the unused grout. It has a shelf life of up to a year, if container is resealed properly. With epoxy, you have to mix full units and toss unused grout ($)

Yes, initial application of acrylic grouts takes longer than cementitious grouts, but no second sealer step is required. On balance, my experience suggests the total application time is about the same, yet the finished product is much more durable and stain resistant.

👍 thank you for this helpfull video!

Considering the amount & pressue of your scraping during the "plastic-spacer scrape-test", the grout actually seems to hold up quite well.

Used spectralock 1 for the first time after seeing this video it's awesome to install we will see how it last long term.

Thank you !!!

Always great to watch you test these products Isaac. Would you recommend PermaColor Select for the walls vs of PermaColor? Which one would you say is the best performing cementitious grout from Laticrete?

Glad you put this up. I've been trying to find a durable epoxy grout. Fusion pro is garbage - lighter color goes grey.

Finally someone made a video about premixed grout That anyone who installs it knows! This stuff is much more time-consuming to clean up correctly. And if done incorrectly you have an absolute nightmare removing the haze! All the manufacture videos talk about how much quicker premixed grout is to work with. This is misleading and untrue. One of my first jobs I did with premixed was an entire kitchen floor that I then had to pay a cleaning company to come in and remove the haze that was left. This stuff is just not worth it. I agree maybe on a shower pan but I do not see any reason to use this on shower walls.

Though Mapei ultra color did well with your test. Seems that was a good way to go for the pan and walls. A lot cheaper to.

Have you ever tried quartzlock grout? Thanks for the great videos and great info.

Super easy way to get this grouts haze off of tile is to get “max strip all purpose remover” spray that on the tile once grouts dried, use a fibrous hard sponge to loosen residue then just clean wipe it away, works every time and really simplifies this grouts process making it that much more efficient. Favorite grout.

Good review

Thank you for all your videos! Do you have a video for best grout for a kitchen tile floor? Thank you!

Blaze haze remover, but working in small areas and doing a good job cleaning as you go will make the blaze process fairly easy. I havent used this, but I use Quartzlock 2 and that stuff is incredible

I was about to Google 'What's a good grout for a shower floor' glad that this video popped up on my feed.🤟

I have had really good luck with micro fiber sponges for keeping water residue spots off tile.

Thanks for this video. I just learned this isn't an epoxy grout but a new type of advance grout with epoxy like performance. I've been wanting to use epoxy grout for my kitchen backsplash but my tiler is allergic to expoy, maybe he can use this instead!

What about pro fusion? It's what I was using it in the Danville area before covid hit and I had to stay with the distance learning.. any comment it worth it. Thanks for being "THE" tile coach, love you bro.

thanks for sharing

Thanks for this video! I have had 2 custom showers done over the years, both leaked on the shower head side to the other side of the wall. This was because the grout was the standard cement type. This is not waterproof. Both times I have had to redo the grout using ePoxy Grout to correct it. During the remodeling of the 2nd shower, I tried to get a few contractors to just do the ePoxy grout. They didnt like doing it because of how difficult it was to work with compared to the regular grout. They also said it leaves a haze hard to remove. I just took their word for it. The contractor ended up only ePoxying the floor. So when the shower leaked, it was instant regret on my part not pushing harder to get the walls done. I think this SpectraLock 1 has a lot of promise since it is much easier to put on than ePoxy and also waterproof. If the time to clean up and cost twice as much, its well worth it for the waterproof qualities. Accordingto manufacturer, you can submerge it too, like in a swiming pool. Just root causing and repairing my shower (on my own) cost me about 80 hours over 2 months' time. Get it right and ALWAYS waterproof entire shower. This will save you so much money and time in a long run.

I just finished using it on my kitchen floor. I think I am still going to apply TEC's acrylic grout hardener over it.

This dude says I love you, kinda sus but I dig it. Love you too, mein.

Well Done

I used Spectralock 1 in my busy foyer right before this video went up. Its black basalt with their light smoke grey grout. The grout is solid-I tried to rub it off with a spacer a week after curing and there is no way I am getting it out. The grout did start to get a bit dingy so I steam cleaned it right back to the original color. (So it does stain but can be scrubbed clean) I also used it on my marble backsplash and I did not wipe it off well in some areas as that was my first ever install with Spectralock 1, despite sealing the marble three times prior to grouting, some grains of sand got stuck to the surface so well that even a razorblade cant remove them. I can vouch it's *stronger* than the cementitious stuff, but unsure if the *performance* is any better as these areas are almost always dry. Spectralock seems to be solid, I'm going to use it on my shower soon and report back.

Interesting!

I guess it would be okay to use different grouts on the floor and walls, as long as you can match the colour. We just bought a bunch of this grout for our primary bathroom. I sure hope it works well!

Sup Isaac....great channel man....I really enjoy ur videos and knowledge.....unrelated question....u know that mark that the grinder wheel leaves on tile when it rubs on tile when cutting it?.....how can I remove that mark?...thanks in advance

Coach… great video What’s the best grout to use for shower floor ?

I think that’s real good. To be fair scraping a grout line with a plastic spacer is almost like using a flat head screwdriver on grout. I don’t care what you use, it’s gonna come out. But if it’s holding up to a scrub brush, you’re good to go. I’ve been using power grout since it came out years ago, and have had zero issues with it. If you mix it properly and instal it correctly, it holds up very well

I'm a tile setter in Nebraska and our company has been using tec for years on shower floors and we don't seal them. (Unless we're dealing with natural stone or something highly porous) We always advise our customers to clean their showers that we build with a mixture of vinegar and water with a touch of lemon so they can avoid harsh chemicals discoloring grout joints.

Great video i have been doing this since fusion has released

You forgot to tell that you licensed contractor somewhere in California.... some people don’t know that!

Isaac, what grout do you recommend? I’d prefer a pre-sealed grout (which is why we bought Spectralock but can still return as we haven’t opened them yet). Main concern is penny tiled shower floor.

The end result of this grout is nice. HOWEVER, by far, the most difficult grout that I’ve ever used. What should have taken 2 hours max, took 3 days of 4-6 hours each day. I feel good about it as my grout in the shower but it was a nightmare to install. (Used 4 x 12 subway tiles fyi)

Do you have any grout videos that aren’t three years old? Your videos are great and very informative. Would like to know what you think the best grouts are today. I know technology is changed and what they carry at FND and the big box stores. What grout do you suggest using? Thanks, Joe

I’ve been using all these different premixed grouts and the best I’ve used is fusion pro. Call me crazy but I used it in my own shower in 2015 and it is still perfect. I just took a plastic spacer to it just like you did and it’s hard as a rock. Dal tile was telling us not to use it in showers anymore and I didn’t understand why with my own experience. I’ve only had one failure I know of with premixed grout and it was TEC Incolor. It just turned to mush. I think the secret to Fusion Pro is you have to let your mortar completely cure and you have to let the grout cure for days before you get it wet. I remember smelling it gas out for literally 10 days because it was in my master bedroom. I waited till I couldn’t smell it anymore then I used it. It smells like windex when it’s curing.

Great videos! After watching both of them with great interest and note taking I'm feeling like I will now have to buy an inferior product since Laticrete isn't sold in big box stores and the one distributor in the area doesn't stock it. Bummer.

Love the videos! Couple questions. Why not just use Mapei for shower base and walls since it seemed like I held up even better than the spectralock... I am currently having a master bath remodel done and the contractor said they only use prism. I have read several reveiws and watched your videos and see there are superior products out there! I had mapei installed in my other bathroom and no issues going on 5yrs. But I've got twice the amount of money wrapped up in this master bath remodel and hate to use prism...

It’s winter here in Phoenix and I only work in 4sqft at a time. That’s the happy medium for summer also I just have had to put the lid on the bucket everytime I got a slump of grout out. But lucky me my husband was following me about 5 minutes behind as I was grouting. Now because I don’t have to spend the time mixing regular grout stopping to refill and worry about color change it’s faster for me alone when working in chunks than it is regular grout and that’s by myself.

Spectralock 1 has been great for my LFT projects. The only issue has been finding product that is not too close to the 18 month expiration date.

The hardest I've found next to epoxy is the Mapei FA

as a tile contrator who has changed gears and now repairs, cleans, and restores showers here in northern california, i can say that cementt based grout in showers is not good. we all know that it wicks water and eventually gets under the tile. even with a waterproof product under the tile/grout, it allows moisture to cause issues like fungus and mold. yes, many say that cement based grout is fine for walls, but do they ever go back and check out their work years later. the answer is spectral lock pro premium epoxy grout for walls and floors, maybe go another level and use silicone at corners although i'm a litttle skeptical that a solid substrate install needs it and the epoxy will do just fine. the goal is to keep any water and moisture from getting under the tile and if it does, then the waterproofing has can keep it under control. use your moisture meter and test the difference between a cement based grout and epoxy on a 2 year old new install and see the differnece

great. now test Spectralock Pro Premium. I'd like to see what you think. I've used it once on a shower pan and loved it.

This grout is awesome. 3500 psi is way above the competition. I have also used bostick quartzlock which is also a high performance polyurethane grout. Honestly doing that test on a glass tile was not a very good representation of this grouts performance. Nobody uses glass mosaic on the floor for obvious reasons. Secondly, a material smooth like glass, the grout obviously doesn’t have a lot to bond to.

Another classic

We have MicroMilling, produced in Trinidad and Tobago. You can't get it off once it goes on. Really good product.

Mapei’s premix is exactly the same. I made the mistake of trying to use it like regular grout. It dries super hard and does not remove well. Even on the tile face it is impossible to remove. So using this grout is a 2 man job. You literally have to have someone following you cleaning as you grout.

14 day full cure time. Ultra color plus is 7 days. Just saying. Love your video’s very informative

Did you try sealing the grouts first? Are they still leaching so much?

Actually just used this product more like a thinset for a get glass tile to make a waterfall effect with ther silver color it didnt stick to the wall like thinset but really made nice effect for a translucent glass

I'M WITH U ON THAT.WHERE DO U THINK IT'S BEST TO ADVERTISE ?

This product is fantastic, yes is takes longer but it the best of both worlds, compared to the normal grouts and epoxy grouts, I didnt experience the same issue with the plastic scrap.

Hey TileCoach, would you consider doing a side-by-side testing video of epoxy grouts, including Litokol epoxy grouts?

Mapai chamois is the only grout I’ve had issues with Flashing within minutes. Got me twice before I eliminated it from chipboard sample pack and never let a customer choose that color since.

I love spectralock 1. easy to use and clean if you do not get ahead of yourself. do small sections and clean as you go.

IMO Isaac, most ppl use brushes & rags to clean their showers/tubs & the tile/grout....so, if the grout passes the brush/rag test; I’d say that’s a win. Pretty cool found a solution & shared with us, appreciate that, along WITH ALL THE TESTING you’ve done 👍🏻 Also cool for putting up a Tilecoach shirt on website, definitely will be getting one😉 As always, great vid, & a pleasure to watch & help support you, along with everything you do (& your crew). You all are pretty awesome. Have a Happy Holiday Season my friend✌🏼

I do 10-12 feet and then do my first wipe with no wait time and always with minimal water. I do 3-4 cycles of that then 2nd wipe everything with fresh water. I've never used the product in excessively hot areas, 85 F at most. The worst thing about it IMO is its harder to get than HD's Custom, HD is everywhere here. I'd say its 30 minutes longer with a standard 5 foot shower, no ceiling; but there's no mixing or slaking. So really just 15 minutes more. I love its stain resistance, I love telling people it doesn't ever need sealing and really I love being able to sell people white grout again without guilt.

Your right I was thinking of another brand

Grout with rapid set mortar in the blue bag, its a non shrink grout, hardens to 9000 PSI. Color it with cement colors. Gotta be quick.

Thanks Issac! Actually there really is no need to wait for first wash if you are gentle enough with the sponge, leaving the joints nice and full and smooth. The waiting helps if you know you are going to work on the joints hard with that sponge! As for the timing - honestly it shouldn't take much longer for cleaning... first wash right away and then wait an hour (or so depending upon the ambient floor temp). The second wash should be with a NYLON SCRUB pad... just to remove any haze left from the first wash with the sponge... then follow with a microfiber to take any residue left. As for the 60 days - I do not think that has been that long... are you guys sure on that one?

Have you tried Mapei Flexcolor CQ? I’ve installed it on my shower floor with 1x1 glass hex tile 4 years ago. I just went and checked it real close. Joints are nice and full. All joints in the shower look new. I clean the shower every 6 months. There’s some tricks to using Mapei CQ. I don’t get to concerned with my initial clean. I hour later approximately I use Armor all glass cleaner (clear liquid not tinted) and spray everything down and wipe again. I also carry Blaze urethane cleaner/remover just in case I need something stronger. I don’t think it takes much longer. Sometimes it takes less time. Lots of clean water is your friend. Consistent color every time. No need to caulk either because of its high tensil strength and flexibility so I save time there. I live in a modular built home and everything cracks but my shower corners and changes of plane are fine using Mapei CQ. They used to advertise this but TCNA had them remove it from their advertising along with the ability to not use expansion joints in the floors since it’s highly flexible it dampens the entire tile assembly with every joint. To compare, normal grout would be like driving your car down the road without shocks. Mapei CQ would now be the shocks on your vehicle. I have also gone back to do additional work many months later and notice no cracking in shower corners or elsewhere like counters on a splash. I was a hater at first but after watching the Mapei rep grout a few hundred feet in no time with the method described above I learned it and became a believer. Too many guys worried about the first wash and trying to get it too clean. That’s why it’s so slow.

You did not do the same knife test as you did on the other grouts, so I do not know how it stacks up to the others. Your tests showed the Ultracolor FA was best in the first round of testing. How does it stack up to Spectralock?

What grout would you recommend for a mosaic marble shower pan? I’ve been told epoxy is recommended

I would suggest instead of using plain water try wetting the grout with Tilex. A lot of people are using it to clean grout because of it's hands off method. I'm just wondering what effect it has on grout.

I have used a lot of this stuff. If you have experience with epoxy, this stuff isn’t an issue. You have to be cautious on how Porous your material is. This is my favorite premixed.