Sal, you are our “go to” guy for all things tile. I can hardly express my gratitude to you for taking the time to share your expertise on these videos. After much research, thought, calculations, and your advice, my husband and I are finishing our second shower in our home and they are very good and we are picky. From Schluter Kerdi waterproofing to this Laticrete premixed grout you’ve been there with us all the way. Bravo and thank you. God bless.
I just grouted an entire bathroom, shower (2 different grouts) and an entire floor w/8x8. Your tips were invaluble. I had a nightmare doing the kitchen backsplash. I can't thank you enough. It's the best feeling when you clean up the grout haze with one pass of the microfibre! (they have microfibre sponges now which are super useful for the grout haze as the sponge keeps just a little moisture on the mictofibre)
Bac Local 3 tile finisher Here. I love this stuff personally I use a clean micro fiber at the end to leave no water residue on the tile to avoid a nasty haze you can’t let this stuff stay on the tile for long 5-15 min depending on weather
Havent had to use this yet. I’ll definitely tell my boss about it for the next kitchen we do. Epoxy is a nightmare. Just did my ANSI test today and am glad I don’t have to do epoxy everyday
Its not epoxy. I doubt you can use it on commercial kitchens. Only epoxy grout allowed for commercial kitchen in my county -- No short cuts and no exceptions!
Before I found your Channel I misunderstood and thought grouting was the really challenging part about laying tiles, I’ve since learned how much I didn’t know about the act of actually laying the tiles and I feel more confident in my ability to try it out soon
@@SalDiBlasi Your vidoes have been super helpful, wish I saw more of them before the start of the project. I ordered a container of spectralock (I think via your link too, hopefully it worked)
Thanks Sal. I have a bucket of this for a backsplash job and after reading instructions went to your video. You answered my question about shelf life and clean up. Glad you use Laticrete. You're the best there is!
just finished a complete master bath remodel, starting from a complete removal of existing tile, rebuilding of pony wall, increased height of tub platform and new plumbing valvles. all work was done by me including the old school mud set method with Laticrete Hydroban waterproofing of 20 mils everywhere. didn't like their drain system and I have yet to see you use it, made a video on on the issue due to their lack of allowiing thin tiles of 1/8" on shower floors because the minimum height of their drain is 3/8". that was a setback and lesson learned, probably why Sal doens'nt use them. I am a big fan of using on single brand on a shower and not using what I think is the best of a particular material to make a hodge podge hybrid which ultimaley voids warranties. Laticrete offers some amazing 25 year and lifetime warranties but only if you use all their stuff. would i use their drain system again? no, but my rep said that they are coming out with a slimer profile design in the future to accomdate thinner tiles. if they do that, then i would definitely use it to offer the warranty. Spectralock 1 used for the first time on the shower floor and it was super easy, nest time I will grout everything with this stuff.
Thanks Sal, Just finished grouting the backslash with spectralock 1 and found you have to do small sections before it starts to stiffen, but was pretty easy and consistent. I did notice that there seems to be a lot of what I'm going to call a milky drip after bothering washes. I had to do several washes to get all the residue off. It was almost like dripping milk. Don't think I had too much water in the sponge, but I always had that drip. Did you notice that?
I learned the hard way, if you leave the haze on overnight, you'll be spending some serious time scraping the resin off. Gives me confidence in the overall strength of this stuff, but make sure to spend the extra time w/ a microfiber up front!
I cant wait for things to get re opened around here, I have 2 showers lined up and a tub surround that I think I'm gonna use this on to try it out, if my supplier opens back up. Hope you're healthy and safe Sal.
Hey Sal!! Just returned from Schluter town 🎓 in Mount Laurel NJ today. Everyone had nothing but great things to say about you! 😁 I was hoping I would've seen you there.. Can't wait to see this video, thanks for all the great info. I've honestly learned more from your channel then that 2 day course. ✌🏻
@@SalDiBlasi it was my first time. I can't wait for the 2nd part! I'd sign up again even without all the bells & whistles. I'm really serious about getting better at my craft for the past year I've been starving for more info 🤣 trying to improve and get better with every job. ***Hey if possible can you make a video on how to improve speed? I feel that I'm taking too long on my jobs ☹️ thanks ✌🏻
@@joeygunzilla6878 Here is a tip, if you are not a member of Tile Geeks facebook.com/groups/TileGeeks or GTP facebook.com/groups/1227943580558574/ on Facebook, then join, get connected with the tile community.
hey sal thanks for responding, but yes I've done both systems and are familiar with both. I can do either or but I'm pushing more towards sealed systems. weather there better or not. I feel if both are done correctly shouldn't be any issues either way. 👌
Hi Sal. Just getting ready to grout my first shower remodel. This helps on what Grout I will use. Another Great. Thanks for all the advice that you offer to usually.
I use a lot of Spectralock epoxy and over the years it's become more economical with the ease of use. This is something I'm looking forward to using. The next day was there any haze ? If there is what the process getting it off? Being submersible is something cementitious grouts also have so that's not a selling point.
Maybe, but this grout is very easy to clean, no haze and is virtually stain proof like epoxy, it meets the epoxy standard, something cement grouts do not have. If there should be some residue, then a doodlebug amzn.to/3cIkcBg with water gets it right off, no problem.
I sure wish I could do all that...semi-retired diesel mechanic (CAT) on disability from having my spine fused. (Only 49 yo) I do little home improvement projects, but could never keep up with the pain...I can watch your videos all day and night. Truly miss "getting dirty" 5 days a week
Just completed a bathroom makeover, and used a similar product, by a different manufacturer. Will continue to use from this job forward!! It's a little pricey, but I feel the advantages out weigh the cost!!
@@SalDiBlasi Fusion Pro is an advanced, proprietary acrylic plus silicone resin that cures as hard as cement grout. ... This grout requires no sealing and is easy to spread and clean. It meets or exceeds the performance attributes of common cementitious, epoxy and urethane grouts on color consistency and stain resistance.
Fusion pro does not meet the epoxy standard ANSI A118.3, I know exactly what it is and how it works. You can't use it in steam rooms or in submerged applications. Limitations the Spectralock1 does not have and it does meet ANSI A118.3
i just watched this video and am going to use it for the first time. Thanks for making this video. In the steam shower in the video what is the bench and side peices of the entrance to the shower made of? I want to have a simaler finished product in the shower i'm doing.
Great video! Thanks for sharing. I wonder if I can use this to regrout a glass mosaic tile shower floor. I have uneven tile spacing ranging 1/8 to 3/8. I couldn’t get all the grout out but I hope this will stick to the old grout. Thanks in advance.
Thanks for the demo, Sal. Would you say there's any situation or reason to stick with the 3-part Spectralock pro? It's hard not to feel like there HAS to be a downside to a pre-mixed product vs. one that you mix and catalyze on site.
I have similar wall and floor tiles as you in my shower, the grout color for both is bright white, i am planning to change color and grout only on the floor shower tiles, what are the colors you used on wall and the shower floor, looks like two different colors. Thanks
Looks like a great product to get a strong/durable grout line with no staining. However since it is sanded I have a couple of concerns. 1) Can it be used on polished marble? 2) Can it be used on 1/16" (2mm) grout lines?
I just did a shower with 1/16 grout lines and I would be a little cautious on polished marble and real soft stone. Also if not washed and buffed right it will leave a glossy film on the tile.
Tried epoxy grout from mapei? I install all my bathrooms with it and find it as easy to use as normal grout especially the design version. It's amazing how smooth u can finish it and no I don't own mapei stocks 😉 Looking forward to your video 👌
Your video is very informative. I decided to use SL1 based on your video. It was actually easier than I anticipated. I chose the Frosty color. It has been down now for 8 hours and looks like white. I have a small pile sitting on a plastic bag that definitely matches the color sample better than what’s applied to my floor. In your experience, does this grout darken as it dries? Do the wipe downs, somehow lighten this grout color? I just thought I would ask for your opinion.
@SalDiBlasi Sal I'm in the middle-of my first ever tile job! I'd like to send you a pic when its done and maybe a few in process pics if you'd like for your professional opinion
Am I seeing this right. Are you, on the floor, grouting the floor to wall transition? Would you then go back and top it with a silicone, or because this grout acts like an epoxy grout, is it not necessary on the floor to silicone? Thanks
Great stuff but I'm going to disagree about the shelf life after its been open. I'm just finishing up a major shower rebuild, grouted the mosaic floor first and then a couple weeks I grouted the walls it was getting pretty dry after opening it up the second time... Just my experience..
According to Laticrete.. "SPECTRALOCK 1 is not considered a waterproof product and will allow moisture to pass through it." This is concerning, as I thought it was supposed to be as close to epoxy grout as you can get...
I wonder how it compares to custom fusion pro. Custom claims it’s the strongest premixed grout and comparable to epoxy... I personally don’t use premixed grout but I’m always interested in learning more,
To know that, read the Custom Fusion TDS sheet, you will find that it has many limitations, for example it would not be appropriate for this steam shower in the video, where Spectralock is.
Sal, Have you used this on polished marble tile? Have you had (or heard of) any issues of it scratching the tile? I spoke with an online rep. for Lacticrete and he cautioned me about using this product.Also can it be used on 1/32 grout lines? I am using a marble tile with a microbevel and am worried that that will make the grout line even larger if I go with a 1/16th. What is your opinion? Thanks.
@@SalDiBlasi No, I only knew the rep and data sheet states swimming pool use. I was asking if you had personal experience with the product in pools specifically in cold weather climates. I guess the answer is you don’t which is fine.
@@davelelonek Good that you pressed on this question. The video that Sal did with Ryan 4 years ago leaves the opposite impression, such that Spectralock 1 can be used in submerged or pool applications. If that's not the case, then Sal should take down the video. It's not a trivial matter. Swimming pool failure due to inadequate grout performance is a very big deal.
So is Laticrete's Spectralock 1 superior to Mapei's ready mix products? My local tile company sold me Mapei stuff as the one all be all. Also, the Laticrete sales rep recommends Permacolor Select Grout for showers with long duration of steam and water submersion... do you have a different opinion?
I just got finished doing my tub surround with spectralock one. I'm impressed with it however can the haze left be removed with cementacios haze remover?
Very informative Sal is that grout a sanded grout and do you know if it comes in a unsanded version and would you recommend using a unsanded grout in a shower wi 1/8 grout lines
Sal, I have a disagreement with my tile guy. He used grout in the corner of shower. We agreed no caulk should be used but I’m not sure if silicone should be used in the corner, where wall meets floor, on top of the spectra lock 1. Also, after applying on the bath floor, not in shower, grout started to crack a couple of days later. He applied more grout. Thoughts?
Look up ANSI EJ171, which refers to movement joints, in it you will find, among other thing not relevant to this, it says that all changes of plane or where tile meets a dissimilar material must have a soft joint, which is not grout, but an ASTM C19 sealant, which is what 100% silicone is.
@@SalDiBlasi Thanks ! KERACAULK S ? Premium, Sanded Siliconized Acrylic Caulk? Mike Therrien just installed my carpet. He said to say hi. ( he used to install the durock for you years ago.)
How does this compare to maipei flexcolor. I used it once, read everything I could find on it, but wasn’t very impressed with it. It became very watery as I worked it into the joints and took days to completely dry.
Sorry if I missed this, but do you mix color into this grout, or are there limited colors availble and you have choose their limited selections off the shelf?
Sal, Thank you for all your tips. Just finishing up my backsplash and about to grout with spectralock 1, how long after grout should you wait to caulk?
I am just wondering how flexible this product could be that i can be confident enough to use at shower corners when walls expand and contract with temperature changes. I understand the cement grout cracks easily at corner and that's why most people use silicone caulk instead due to its flexibility, but i really hate all caulk grows mold even it claims mold free/resistant.
Nice video, nice product. You'd think you had won the lottery. So a bit off topic but I thought I would ask. In the case of a bathtub surround you would grout the walls and caulk corner to corner of walls and, tile to bathtub edge? What's your tile distance from tub to tile?
I might give this a try on a pebble floor next weekend. It's on one of those Tile-Redi shower pans. Those pans are mostly rigid, but I am interested in using something like this in case the pan flexes any at all. A lot of pressure on the pebbles when standing on them. Should I give Spectralock 1 a try or use something else for that particular application? Dreading the though of using epoxy.
@@johnharrison1429 Hi John, I also am using a Tile Redi shower pan and looking at grout options. Also doing pebbles (the sliced ones, so they are flat). What did you end up using and how did it turn out? If you used Spectralock 1, how long did you wait before using the shower? Let me know if you have anything on TH-cam to show your results. Thanks.
Hi, what color Spectralock 1 did you use in the video? Was that Bright White? The sample bright white chip doesn’t seem that what. Appreciate your feedback.
Sal, this is kind of along with my comment just below. When you are not using Spectralock 1 (or an epoxy grout), which grout for floors, tub surrounds, counters do you tend to use? Thanks for the help, Sal... Mike
Looks like a nice product but not timely enough for me lol. Putting down some ardex epoxy today on a pebble floor shower in my own house. Their data sheet doesn't say anything about extended cure times for pebble installation. It does list a 10 day cure time for steam rooms or submerged applications which is several days longer than epoxy.
sal I had a ROOFER tell me I should put a preslop under my sealed shower system 🤔 everybody is a tile man. 🤷♂️ and yes I sure do if I do a pan liner system it's a must in my book. can u expound any👍
So a shower with a vinyl liner and a two stage drain, is known as a "Water in,Water out" shower system, so the linere has to have a slope under it that pitches towards the drain. A shower with a Bonding flange is known as a sealed system, where the waterproof membrane is directly under the tile. Here is a video explaining how a three piece drain works, th-cam.com/video/p8xsx3316IU/w-d-xo.html
Pre slope is located under the vinyl liner in a traditional shower. Pre slope in a sealed system is located under the water proof membrane( roll on or sheet membrane). Your mud bed is the pre slope in a sealed system. Tell him to stick with roofing.
Hi Sal! Do you travel to Worcester!?? :) We have purchased a bunch of spectralock pro epoxy grout for our bathroom but I'm pretty worried about the working time with the area. Main reason we got it was for stain (our son dies his hair often) and water resistance. However, after watching this I'm considering returning it all for this product. Any reasons at right now to stick with epoxy in a residential non-steam bath? Many thanks!!
Hi Sal, can the pre mixed spectralock have tint added to it. I have 50 x 50 porcelain mosaic tiles and 250x65 ceramic subway tiles that have been mitred around windows niches and external corners. The client wants the mitres colour matched to the tile. The subway is a shiny deep aqua and the mosaic are a pale green. I can’t use an epoxy that sets then have to sand because the sanding will scratch the highly shiny glaze on the tiles. I need a product that I can sponge off just before it sets like an epoxy grout but also be able to colour match. Do you know if adding pigment to the spectralock would be a problem. If it is, I’d really appreciate any advice you can give we. Just wanted to also mention that the subways and mosaics are the hand made look so the mitred are inconsistent due to the shape variation in each tile, so trying to sand the mitre only would be almost impossible without scratching the shinny green glaze
Looks like a great product 👍! I had used laticretes old premixed grout and it was very hard to clean especially on glass. I do a lot of glass and polished stone installs. How do you think this product would perform on those surfaces?
@@SalDiBlasi the major issue I have is scratches. After I grout I have to go back over the surface with a polishing wheel. Not so much on the glass but the stone. The haze on the glass is more the issue. I look forward to trying this new product when my supplier gets it in. I also want to see how it performs on a stone pan. I heard you touch on that for a moment but what did the rep have to say about that? I've been setting tile since I was 12 with my dad I'm 34 now always looking for new methods. Thanks again for the great video!
Thanks for the video Sal! Maybe by the time I finally finish tiling my shower I'll be able to get this in Hawaii. One question, what are you spraying on the silicone?
Timothy Wolfe It produces a much cleaner bead of silicone and it’s an easier cleanup. I picked this trick up from Sal in a previous video and can 100% confirm it works like a charm.
What's the difference between Spectralock 1 and Simplegrout other than price? Trying to decide whether there really is any substantial difference justifying the price given than even crappy grout will hold for decades.
This product sounds great. But used on a shower floor is questionable . There are other products out there like Fusion Pro that states the same thing as Spectralock 1. Fusion Pro is also a premix product and cleans up the same as spectralock 1. The fusion pro failed to keep water from saturating the thin set on my shower floor after 1 year. I'm not exactly a novice on tile grouting and I installed the fusion pro in the right conditions and followed their instructions which by the way are very similar to spectralock 1. I would love to use spectralock 1 but I don't know if its' just another dead end. Both products tout the ease of installation and cleanup which is attractive to customers who do not like the hassle of cleaning epoxy haze and the waste of the epoxy if you only have a small area of tile to repair. With epoxy there is more anxiety due to the time restraints on the epoxy set up time and epoxy is not cheap !
This is not like other products, do not assume it is. those other products state they are not to be used on shower floors, this one specifically says it can.
@@SalDiBlasi Hi Sal. I'm not 100% sure about the other products out there but I know for sure Fusion Pro states on their website and on the product label it can be used on shower basin/floor. In reality fusion pro breaks up in about 6 months.
Sal, you are our “go to” guy for all things tile. I can hardly express my gratitude to you for taking the time to share your expertise on these videos. After much research, thought, calculations, and your advice, my husband and I are finishing our second shower in our home and they are very good and we are picky. From Schluter Kerdi waterproofing to this Laticrete premixed grout you’ve been there with us all the way. Bravo and thank you. God bless.
I just grouted an entire bathroom, shower (2 different grouts) and an entire floor w/8x8. Your tips were invaluble. I had a nightmare doing the kitchen backsplash. I can't thank you enough. It's the best feeling when you clean up the grout haze with one pass of the microfibre! (they have microfibre sponges now which are super useful for the grout haze as the sponge keeps just a little moisture on the mictofibre)
Great, sometimes small changes make a big difference
Bac Local 3 tile finisher Here. I love this stuff personally I use a clean micro fiber at the end to leave no water residue on the tile to avoid a nasty haze you can’t let this stuff stay on the tile for long 5-15 min depending on weather
Can’t wait to try this grout on my bathroom remodel!👍🏻 Great video man!🔥😎
You do nice work Sal. At the end of your videos I always think to myself , ' God he does nice work' . You're awesome !
I appreciate that
nice explaination of how Spectra 1 should be applied and cleaned.
Havent had to use this yet. I’ll definitely tell my boss about it for the next kitchen we do. Epoxy is a nightmare. Just did my ANSI test today and am glad I don’t have to do epoxy everyday
Its not epoxy. I doubt you can use it on commercial kitchens. Only epoxy grout allowed for commercial kitchen in my county -- No short cuts and no exceptions!
Before I found your Channel I misunderstood and thought grouting was the really challenging part about laying tiles, I’ve since learned how much I didn’t know about the act of actually laying the tiles and I feel more confident in my ability to try it out soon
Glad to help!
Thank you again so much for your videos. I have been using them on my first big tile job in ages redoing it master bathroom. Your tips are invaluable
Glad to help
@@SalDiBlasi Your vidoes have been super helpful, wish I saw more of them before the start of the project. I ordered a container of spectralock (I think via your link too, hopefully it worked)
Going to buy this tomorrow, just what a rookie needs
😊👍
Thanks Sal. I have a bucket of this for a backsplash job and after reading instructions went to your video. You answered my question about shelf life and clean up. Glad you use Laticrete. You're the best there is!
Thanks for watching my video.
just finished a complete master bath remodel, starting from a complete removal of existing tile, rebuilding of pony wall, increased height of tub platform and new plumbing valvles. all work was done by me including the old school mud set method with Laticrete Hydroban waterproofing of 20 mils everywhere. didn't like their drain system and I have yet to see you use it, made a video on on the issue due to their lack of allowiing thin tiles of 1/8" on shower floors because the minimum height of their drain is 3/8". that was a setback and lesson learned, probably why Sal doens'nt use them. I am a big fan of using on single brand on a shower and not using what I think is the best of a particular material to make a hodge podge hybrid which ultimaley voids warranties. Laticrete offers some amazing 25 year and lifetime warranties but only if you use all their stuff. would i use their drain system again? no, but my rep said that they are coming out with a slimer profile design in the future to accomdate thinner tiles. if they do that, then i would definitely use it to offer the warranty. Spectralock 1 used for the first time on the shower floor and it was super easy, nest time I will grout everything with this stuff.
New drains are now available as of February 1st
Thanks Sal, Just finished grouting the backslash with spectralock 1 and found you have to do small sections before it starts to stiffen, but was pretty easy and consistent. I did notice that there seems to be a lot of what I'm going to call a milky drip after bothering washes. I had to do several washes to get all the residue off. It was almost like dripping milk. Don't think I had too much water in the sponge, but I always had that drip. Did you notice that?
Microfiber towels or these amzn.to/3W5u52d help
Thanks Sal🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 love to learn about products that make life easy 😊
👍😊
Wow
What?!! I've just finished my third and probably final epoxy shower. Wish I had known about this. Thanks!
It is a new product that is becoming available now.
I learned the hard way, if you leave the haze on overnight, you'll be spending some serious time scraping the resin off. Gives me confidence in the overall strength of this stuff, but make sure to spend the extra time w/ a microfiber up front!
Follow the directions, simple as that.
I cant wait for things to get re opened around here, I have 2 showers lined up and a tub surround that I think I'm gonna use this on to try it out, if my supplier opens back up. Hope you're healthy and safe Sal.
Great stuff, all is good. Thanks.
Thanks for sharing. Think product will be very successful. Will try.
Yes it will
thanks for the run down, I've always stayed away from the pre mixed but this was a great demonstration
Glad it was helpful!
Hey Sal!! Just returned from Schluter town 🎓 in Mount Laurel NJ today. Everyone had nothing but great things to say about you! 😁 I was hoping I would've seen you there.. Can't wait to see this video, thanks for all the great info. I've honestly learned more from your channel then that 2 day course. ✌🏻
Schluter does a great job with their workshops. I have been to many of their workshops, but can go to them all.
@@SalDiBlasi it was my first time. I can't wait for the 2nd part! I'd sign up again even without all the bells & whistles. I'm really serious about getting better at my craft for the past year I've been starving for more info 🤣 trying to improve and get better with every job. ***Hey if possible can you make a video on how to improve speed? I feel that I'm taking too long on my jobs ☹️ thanks ✌🏻
@@joeygunzilla6878 Here is a tip, if you are not a member of Tile Geeks facebook.com/groups/TileGeeks or GTP facebook.com/groups/1227943580558574/ on Facebook, then join, get connected with the tile community.
@@SalDiBlasi thanks! 🙏I just sent some Patreon love your way! Take care and keep up the great work!
Thanks so much Sal!! This looks like a great product and easy to use for someone like me who is just about to start my first tile job.
Great product, a bit pricey, but worth every penny.
Do not use this product, especially as a first timer.
@Sevine Peck it's expoxy like. No matter how well you wipe/clean with grouting it still left a haze on a high gloss tile.
Guess I’m switching to this grout now
hey sal thanks for responding, but yes I've done both systems and are familiar with both. I can do either or but I'm pushing more towards sealed systems. weather there better or not. I feel if both are done correctly shouldn't be any issues either way. 👌
Hi Sal.
Just getting ready to grout my first shower remodel. This helps on what Grout I will use.
Another Great. Thanks for all the advice that you offer to usually.
Glad to help
Nice information! Thanks!!
You bet!
Informative video Sal!
You have a great product, thanks for the opportunity to try it and make this video.
Good stuff. Thank you for the info!
You bet!
I use a lot of Spectralock epoxy and over the years it's become more economical with the ease of use. This is something I'm looking forward to using. The next day was there any haze ? If there is what the process getting it off? Being submersible is something cementitious grouts also have so that's not a selling point.
Maybe, but this grout is very easy to clean, no haze and is virtually stain proof like epoxy, it meets the epoxy standard, something cement grouts do not have. If there should be some residue, then a doodlebug amzn.to/3cIkcBg with water gets it right off, no problem.
@@SalDiBlasiis it waterproof? Or will it soak up water the same as conventional grout ?
Just on the potential savings in wasted grout this is worth a hard look. Thanks for sharing this with us Sal.
I sure wish I could do all that...semi-retired diesel mechanic (CAT) on disability from having my spine fused. (Only 49 yo) I do little home improvement projects, but could never keep up with the pain...I can watch your videos all day and night. Truly miss "getting dirty" 5 days a week
Glad that my videos help keep you entertained, Hang in there.
Just completed a bathroom makeover, and used a similar product, by a different manufacturer. Will continue to use from this job forward!! It's a little pricey, but I feel the advantages out weigh the cost!!
The similar product is actually not even close to this, Spectralock1 is in a category of its own.
@@SalDiBlasi Fusion Pro, by Custom Building Products...
The spectralock1 is equal to Epoxy when it dries, meets the same hardness and stain resistance as epoxy, Fusion does not even come close.
@@SalDiBlasi Fusion Pro is an advanced, proprietary acrylic plus silicone resin that cures as hard as cement grout. ... This grout requires no sealing and is easy to spread and clean. It meets or exceeds the performance attributes of common cementitious, epoxy and urethane grouts on color consistency and stain resistance.
Fusion pro does not meet the epoxy standard ANSI A118.3, I know exactly what it is and how it works. You can't use it in steam rooms or in submerged applications. Limitations the Spectralock1 does not have and it does meet ANSI A118.3
i just watched this video and am going to use it for the first time. Thanks for making this video. In the steam shower in the video what is the bench and side peices of the entrance to the shower made of? I want to have a simaler finished product in the shower i'm doing.
Great video!
Thanks for sharing.
I wonder if I can use this to regrout a glass mosaic tile shower floor. I have uneven tile spacing ranging 1/8 to 3/8.
I couldn’t get all the grout out but I hope this will stick to the old grout.
Thanks in advance.
Thanks for the demo, Sal. Would you say there's any situation or reason to stick with the 3-part Spectralock pro? It's hard not to feel like there HAS to be a downside to a pre-mixed product vs. one that you mix and catalyze on site.
I have similar wall and floor tiles as you in my shower, the grout color for both is bright white, i am planning to change color and grout only on the floor shower tiles, what are the colors you used on wall and the shower floor, looks like two different colors. Thanks
Looks like a great product to get a strong/durable grout line with no staining. However since it is sanded I have a couple of concerns. 1) Can it be used on polished marble? 2) Can it be used on 1/16" (2mm) grout lines?
I just did a shower with 1/16 grout lines and I would be a little cautious on polished marble and real soft stone. Also if not washed and buffed right it will leave a glossy film on the tile.
What Jim said
Also for polished marbel you would be really surprised how well ultra color fa works.
Thanks for the video. Have you found the denatured alcohol spray cause any problems with the grout? Do you have a preferred float for this product?
Tried epoxy grout from mapei?
I install all my bathrooms with it and find it as easy to use as normal grout especially the design version. It's amazing how smooth u can finish it and no I don't own mapei stocks 😉
Looking forward to your video 👌
As easy as cement grout? Any haze? Is it premixed?
@@wallacegrommet9343 Easier than cement grout, no haze, yes premixed.
@@SalDiBlasi Nice!
Same, but gonna try this new one soon.
Your video is very informative. I decided to use SL1 based on your video. It was actually easier than I anticipated. I chose the Frosty color. It has been down now for 8 hours and looks like white. I have a small pile sitting on a plastic bag that definitely matches the color sample better than what’s applied to my floor. In your experience, does this grout darken as it dries? Do the wipe downs, somehow lighten this grout color? I just thought I would ask for your opinion.
I found it dried a slightly creamy off white.
Is the cleaning process different for glossy finish tile?
Best i have ever used
😊👍
Very timely Biden. Thx Sal and Laticrete
😊👍
@@SalDiBlasi Very timely video, it should say! Lol
@SalDiBlasi Sal I'm in the middle-of my first ever tile job! I'd like to send you a pic when its done and maybe a few in process pics if you'd like for your professional opinion
Am I seeing this right. Are you, on the floor, grouting the floor to wall transition? Would you then go back and top it with a silicone, or because this grout acts like an epoxy grout, is it not necessary on the floor to silicone? Thanks
Great stuff but I'm going to disagree about the shelf life after its been open. I'm just finishing up a major shower rebuild, grouted the mosaic floor first and then a couple weeks I grouted the walls it was getting pretty dry after opening it up the second time... Just my experience..
Will this grout scratch black metal Schlutter type trim? Do you grout the tile to metal joint or caulk, like around a niche? Great video!
Good job as always Sal
Great video! Is this grout waterproof like epoxy? I like the idea that no water penetrates thru grout or tile. Thank You
Don't you love asking a pointed question and absolutely nobody sees fit to answer?
According to Laticrete.. "SPECTRALOCK 1 is not considered a waterproof product and will allow moisture to pass through it."
This is concerning, as I thought it was supposed to be as close to epoxy grout as you can get...
I wonder how it compares to custom fusion pro. Custom claims it’s the strongest premixed grout and comparable to epoxy... I personally don’t use premixed grout but I’m always interested in learning more,
To know that, read the Custom Fusion TDS sheet, you will find that it has many limitations, for example it would not be appropriate for this steam shower in the video, where Spectralock is.
Isaac the TileCoach guy did a video on Spectralock 1. He and his guys thought it took twice as long to clean. Maybe they left it on too long??
Sal, Have you used this on polished marble tile? Have you had (or heard of) any issues of it scratching the tile? I spoke with an online rep. for Lacticrete and he cautioned me about using this product.Also can it be used on 1/32 grout lines? I am using a marble tile with a microbevel and am worried that that will make the grout line even larger if I go with a 1/16th. What is your opinion? Thanks.
Hi Sal, did you grout the joint between the shower floor and wall. I thought that caulked these with latasil?
Have you used this on swimming pool tile specifically in climates that have winter? I am planning to try in the next week or two.
Not recommended for pools.
@@SalDiBlasi In this video, your factory rep explicitly states it’s good for pools and so does their website.
So you already know the answer.
@@SalDiBlasi No, I only knew the rep and data sheet states swimming pool use. I was asking if you had personal experience with the product in pools specifically in cold weather climates. I guess the answer is you don’t which is fine.
@@davelelonek Good that you pressed on this question. The video that Sal did with Ryan 4 years ago leaves the opposite impression, such that Spectralock 1 can be used in submerged or pool applications. If that's not the case, then Sal should take down the video. It's not a trivial matter. Swimming pool failure due to inadequate grout performance is a very big deal.
So is Laticrete's Spectralock 1 superior to Mapei's ready mix products? My local tile company sold me Mapei stuff as the one all be all.
Also, the Laticrete sales rep recommends Permacolor Select Grout for showers with long duration of steam and water submersion... do you have a different opinion?
Hey Sal did you grout around the neck for the shower or do you just apply silicon around?
How long does it take to completely cure?Thank you.
Hi. Do you still like the grout ? What do you recommend for diy guy? Thanks.
Great video Sal thanks and keep them coming
I just got finished doing my tub surround with spectralock one. I'm impressed with it however can the haze left be removed with cementacios haze remover?
Isopropyl Alcohol, or even hand sanitizer works well.
Very informative Sal is that grout a sanded grout and do you know if it comes in a unsanded version and would you recommend using a unsanded grout in a shower wi 1/8 grout lines
Does using spectra-lock one grout take longer than a traditional grout application? If so, how much more time?
Sal have you tried Bostik trucolor rapid cure grout? Love to see a video comparison between them both.
Sal thanks for the video. How does this grout look when dry- especially in terms of texture (smooth, sandy, etc)?
Looks just like sanded grout.
Sal, I have a disagreement with my tile guy. He used grout in the corner of shower. We agreed no caulk should be used but I’m not sure if silicone should be used in the corner, where wall meets floor, on top of the spectra lock 1. Also, after applying on the bath floor, not in shower, grout started to crack a couple of days later. He applied more grout. Thoughts?
Look up ANSI EJ171, which refers to movement joints, in it you will find, among other thing not relevant to this, it says that all changes of plane or where tile meets a dissimilar material must have a soft joint, which is not grout, but an ASTM C19 sealant, which is what 100% silicone is.
Hey Sal, When tiling a floor up to a fiberglass tub, would you caulk or grout that seam ?
Silicone.
@@SalDiBlasi Thanks !
KERACAULK S ?
Premium, Sanded Siliconized Acrylic Caulk? Mike Therrien just installed my carpet. He said to say hi. ( he used to install the durock for you years ago.)
How does this compare to maipei flexcolor.
I used it once, read everything I could find on it, but wasn’t very impressed with it. It became very watery as I worked it into the joints and took days to completely dry.
This a whole different produat, dries as hard as epoxy, and as stain resistant.
This gets harder, faster, and is acceptable in showers, steam showers, exteriors, and pools
@@chevpowr harder faster sounds wonderful
Sorry if I missed this, but do you mix color into this grout, or are there limited colors availble and you have choose their limited selections off the shelf?
They will even color match to a sample you sent in. It is the ultimate premixed grout.
Sal, Thank you for all your tips. Just finishing up my backsplash and about to grout with spectralock 1, how long after grout should you wait to caulk?
I do it same day
I am just wondering how flexible this product could be that i can be confident enough to use at shower corners when walls expand and contract with temperature changes. I understand the cement grout cracks easily at corner and that's why most people use silicone caulk instead due to its flexibility, but i really hate all caulk grows mold even it claims mold free/resistant.
All corners get Silicone, not grout of any type, no ifs, and, or buts. Look up ANSI EJ171 www.tcnatile.com/faqs/52-ej171.html
Nice video, nice product. You'd think you had won the lottery. So a bit off topic but I thought I would ask. In the case of a bathtub surround you would grout the walls and caulk corner to corner of walls and, tile to bathtub edge? What's your tile distance from tub to tile?
I might give this a try on a pebble floor next weekend. It's on one of those Tile-Redi shower pans. Those pans are mostly rigid, but I am interested in using something like this in case the pan flexes any at all. A lot of pressure on the pebbles when standing on them. Should I give Spectralock 1 a try or use something else for that particular application? Dreading the though of using epoxy.
Spectralock 1 meets the epoxy standard when it cures, however for very large grout lines you have to wait a bit longer.
@@SalDiBlasi Shower won't be used for a couple of weeks, so that's perfect. Thanks Master Sal!
@@johnharrison1429 Hi John, I also am using a Tile Redi shower pan and looking at grout options. Also doing pebbles (the sliced ones, so they are flat). What did you end up using and how did it turn out? If you used Spectralock 1, how long did you wait before using the shower? Let me know if you have anything on TH-cam to show your results. Thanks.
sal what grout is safe for polished marble floors
What do you think about presim grout
Pretty good
😊👍
Love that mosaic. Great choice. Is it natural stone?
All porcelain tile
Thank You Sal for all your help. Could you tell me why I should use the Laticrete caulking instead of silicone caulking in the corners?
The color is made to match the grout.
Can this stuff be used with a grout bag?
Love it! Thanks Sal! Going to use this on the shower i just did!
Enjoy!
Can you use it outside for mosaics on stone?
Hi, what color Spectralock 1 did you use in the video? Was that Bright White? The sample bright white chip doesn’t seem that what. Appreciate your feedback.
Sal, this is kind of along with my comment just below. When you are not using Spectralock 1 (or an epoxy grout), which grout for floors, tub surrounds, counters do you tend to use?
Thanks for the help, Sal...
Mike
Mostly Laticrete Permacolor select or Mapei ultracolr fa
@@SalDiBlasi Thank you again for the help, Sal
Mike
SAL how many colors they have or it's only white for marble and its affordable or really expensive.
The have a complete range of colors and will even do custom colors. Comparable to the cost of epoxy grout.
Thanks men.
Available in all 40 LATICRETE® colors and 12 SPECTRALOCK® DAZZLE™ options.
outstanding!!!
Looks like a nice product but not timely enough for me lol. Putting down some ardex epoxy today on a pebble floor shower in my own house. Their data sheet doesn't say anything about extended cure times for pebble installation. It does list a 10 day cure time for steam rooms or submerged applications which is several days longer than epoxy.
i believe its 7 days before showering on ardex epoxy. might want to double check for the client
sal I had a ROOFER tell me I should put a preslop under my sealed shower system 🤔 everybody is a tile man. 🤷♂️ and yes I sure do if I do a pan liner system it's a must in my book. can u expound any👍
So a shower with a vinyl liner and a two stage drain, is known as a "Water in,Water out" shower system, so the linere has to have a slope under it that pitches towards the drain. A shower with a Bonding flange is known as a sealed system, where the waterproof membrane is directly under the tile. Here is a video explaining how a three piece drain works, th-cam.com/video/p8xsx3316IU/w-d-xo.html
Pre slope is located under the vinyl liner in a traditional shower. Pre slope in a sealed system is located under the water proof membrane( roll on or sheet membrane). Your mud bed is the pre slope in a sealed system. Tell him to stick with roofing.
@@hereticxxx9317 👍
heretic. no doubt everybody and there mom is a tileman. I've been in it 20yrs myself I've seen ALOT of mistakes from so called tileman👌
Can you use this on glass tile?
What do you think about this grout after using it for a while? How does it compare with mapei flexcolor?
Thisis great stuff, so is the mapei grout, Spectralock has a few more places it can be used.
Great video and info as always. Quick question- how you compare this product to Mapei Flexcolor CQ ,is it the same ?
Not even close, Spectralock 1 meets the epoxy standard and ha none of the limitations.
Thanks for asking, my 1st question at the start, and thanks to Sal for his thoughts.
What color was the grout on the floor?
Hi Sal! Do you travel to Worcester!?? :) We have purchased a bunch of spectralock pro epoxy grout for our bathroom but I'm pretty worried about the working time with the area. Main reason we got it was for stain (our son dies his hair often) and water resistance. However, after watching this I'm considering returning it all for this product. Any reasons at right now to stick with epoxy in a residential non-steam bath? Many thanks!!
Hi Sal, can the pre mixed spectralock have tint added to it. I have 50 x 50 porcelain mosaic tiles and 250x65 ceramic subway tiles that have been mitred around windows niches and external corners. The client wants the mitres colour matched to the tile. The subway is a shiny deep aqua and the mosaic are a pale green. I can’t use an epoxy that sets then have to sand because the sanding will scratch the highly shiny glaze on the tiles. I need a product that I can sponge off just before it sets like an epoxy grout but also be able to colour match. Do you know if adding pigment to the spectralock would be a problem. If it is, I’d really appreciate any advice you can give we. Just wanted to also mention that the subways and mosaics are the hand made look so the mitred are inconsistent due to the shape variation in each tile, so trying to sand the mitre only would be almost impossible without scratching the shinny green glaze
Contact Laticrete, they can make custom colors.
Looks like a great product 👍! I had used laticretes old premixed grout and it was very hard to clean especially on glass. I do a lot of glass and polished stone installs. How do you think this product would perform on those surfaces?
I have only used it once, but I have to say it was a very easy cleanup.
@@SalDiBlasi the major issue I have is scratches. After I grout I have to go back over the surface with a polishing wheel. Not so much on the glass but the stone. The haze on the glass is more the issue. I look forward to trying this new product when my supplier gets it in. I also want to see how it performs on a stone pan. I heard you touch on that for a moment but what did the rep have to say about that? I've been setting tile since I was 12 with my dad I'm 34 now always looking for new methods. Thanks again for the great video!
I too am wondering if this will scratch porcelain polished Carrara tile. I know specrolock1 does contain sand.
@@SalDiBlasiused it once and is on here green lighting it to others. Sad sob
Thanks for the video Sal! Maybe by the time I finally finish tiling my shower I'll be able to get this in Hawaii.
One question, what are you spraying on the silicone?
Denatured alcohol.
@@SalDiBlasi Why are you spraying it with alcohol?
Timothy Wolfe It produces a much cleaner bead of silicone and it’s an easier cleanup. I picked this trick up from Sal in a previous video and can 100% confirm it works like a charm.
And another question- have you tried the Fusion Pro? Is this a similar product? Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Fusion pro does not even come close to the performance of Spectralock1
Thank you!
What are you using in the spray bottle? When applying silicone
amzn.to/3amFcM8
Can this be used in the grout lines that are 1/2” and wider sometimes seen on pebble floor?
Yes, but you have to let it cure for a longer time.
What is the recommended cure time for pebbles.
@@hereticxxx9317 typical cure time before traffic is 6 hours. 24 hours cure before showering. it will work for pebbles, but may take longer to cure.
What Adam said.
Is this not yet readily available? Im in Ohio and not able to find it anywhere. Always appreciate your videos Sal thanks!
Should be available by no or very soon.
Easy to get on Amazon
What's the difference between Spectralock 1 and Simplegrout other than price? Trying to decide whether there really is any substantial difference justifying the price given than even crappy grout will hold for decades.
Big difference.
Is there a comparable mortar to use with this? Prior to the grout. Thanks again!
Can u use on porcelain ie lip page considerations?v?
This product sounds great. But used on a shower floor is questionable . There are other products out there like Fusion Pro that states the same thing as Spectralock 1. Fusion Pro is also a premix product and cleans up the same as spectralock 1.
The fusion pro failed to keep water from saturating the thin set on my shower floor after 1 year. I'm not exactly a novice on tile grouting and I installed the fusion pro in the right conditions and followed their instructions which by the way are very similar to spectralock 1.
I would love to use spectralock 1 but I don't know if its' just another dead end. Both products tout the ease of installation and cleanup which is attractive to customers who do not like the hassle of cleaning epoxy haze and the waste of the epoxy if you only have a small area of tile to repair. With epoxy there is more anxiety due to the time restraints on the epoxy set up time and epoxy is not cheap !
This is not like other products, do not assume it is. those other products state they are not to be used on shower floors, this one specifically says it can.
@@SalDiBlasi Hi Sal. I'm not 100% sure about the other products out there but I know for sure Fusion Pro states on their website and on the product label it can be used on shower basin/floor. In reality fusion pro breaks up in about 6 months.