37:11 Worst - Prism and Kiesel. Note the sorrow/shock/horror in their eyes as they see Prism miserably fail. It was their favorite before this test. 37:30 Best - Mapei Ultra color, for abrasion/scratching. However, they didn't test color leaching. Using the same/similar dark color for all would be helpful. Summary - Color leached from ALL tested grouts. Most get soft when wet/soaked. 17:00 Kiesel, scratch test - fail when wet 19:27 Mapei Ultra color, scratch test, slower to absorb water 21:10 Laticrete Perma color, soft when wet 23:30 Prism, guys liked quick cleanup. 25:30 Recap of worst to best. 26:20 Permacolor select, soft when wet 29:55 Ardex FL, creamy, finished nice, hard when dry, some color rubbed off. 32:30 TEC Power Grout, shortest working time, hard when dry, 38:30 Spectralock one test result coming... 39:00 Fusion is crap Thanks! Good info, going to go seal the Ardex FL we laid 2wks ago . Please test Epoxy grouts... would appreciate Laticrete Spectralock and Ardex WA being part of that test.

That many guys together working and no swearing, you guys are true media professionals. Thanks for taking the time to conduct this test.

Great comparison video! About to use Tec Power Grout as my tiled floors have it and it’s held up for years. I think the 511 sealer makes a huge difference especially when wet.

I’m in the UK but watch your videos ... so glad I watched this one. I had already purchased the Mapei for my shower floor!!!!! We don’t have the other brands so much here in England. So ... this evening I grouted my mosaics and they look fab, I’m confident now that they will be good 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼

I find it's important to do real world tests with the products we use whenever possible. It's hard to make the time though so I appreciate y'all doing this testing and sharing the results!

Aloha, Mapei UltraColor Plus FA has been our best grout so far over the years. It also has Sealer in it, but we still add an extra coat 511 because the humidity here and weather is no joke. Mahalo for the awesome videos!!! 🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽

Can't wait to see you test flex cq and the other comparable products. Glad the grout I choose is the winner on this one. Keep up the good content man. I have changed a few things I do because of your videos.

Team meetings are a must! Would love to see how you handle yours play-by-play! Sometimes we have to have ours in the van on the way to work but at least once a week I like to have my employee talk to me about how his week is going.

Got me thinking more about the products I use and how I "market" them to customer. Thanks coach!

Like a couple of others who've commented, this is "regular" grout which I only use for backsplashes. All my other installations are grouted with Spectralock epoxy grout. Been using it for over 10 years. I have customers whose floors look the same 10 years later with decent maintenance. This video is great for DIYers and pros who are afraid of epoxy.

Great video and interesting tests. We've used a lot of Primz, now using mostly Mapei FA. But I had no idea Prizm had this issue. Thanks for sharing this.

Doing my bathroom floor this weekend and this was extremely helpful to me! Thank you

Great test ! I have been saying this for years . Especially when an installer mixes or used out of spec. You know the guys .... grouts tough to spread so they add water or with power grout dont set a timer then scrub with a wet sponge. There is a minimum time to spread and wash key factors in a good grout job but being ina wet area like a shower floor and cleaned like most customers do to get soap build up off is crazy. Hmmmm epoxy for wet areas ?

Love watching your videos, makes me wanna tear down my shower and start from scratch! Anyway, I'd be very interested as to what you and your crew talk about in your morning meeting. I need new motivational material to pump my crew, new perspectives are great! Thanks for taking the time to read my comment.

I used prism on my personal house, I'm like you guys, I like it. Easy to move, versatile joint spacing color consistent. Thought I had a bad batch cause I can scrape it out with my fingernails. Pretty depressing. I've had to take out old school grout and the stuff is so hard it takes multiple blades just to do the 4 joints around a piece. Glad to see the Ultracolor did good cause I just put some in my inlaws shower.

Just stumbled across your channel yesterday and let videos run on autopilot - I’ve been holding my breath to see the result because I literally have an unopened package of Mapei on my counter right now… whew.

Now i know why some of my Kitchen tiles needed a refinishing in a high Traffic area Thanks Much

I just retired after 45 years setting. I don't much care for the modern conventional groups. For the last 12 years I've been using Spectralock on almost everything. Finished product is hard,stain resistant, color consistant, and waterproof. I know a lot guys hate epoxy but I think it's easier once you get your procedure down pat. It's all in the timing. The owner and housekeepers love it.

Looking forward to the Spectralock 1 and higher end grouts, maybe even epoxy demos one day. Thanks boss, great video

I have a theory/suggestion about this issue. In the past 10 years we've moved over to 1/8in grout joints almost exclusively. The thinner the grout joint, the less ability the grout has to bond together and be strong, especially if too much water is used to finish it. It can drown it out a lot easier. I think this is an inherent issue with smaller grout joints. My suggestions is to do this same test with 1/4in grout joints and i think you will see that the grout joints will hold up a lot better. I used to be a grouter exclusively and grouted lots of houses on my own and i don't ever remember having this issue with bigger grout joints. Although i will say, i was using the original Customs Grout bags, maybe the old stuff is just stronger than the new stuff with all the extra ingredients. Also a few other things about this test.. I think using thinner tile, like these mosaics that sit more flat to the substrate cause there to be less grout joint depth and that also causes the joints to be shallow and get drowned out easy. As well as the fact that this is glass tile, the water cannot get absorbed in the tile like ceramic and porcelain. With ceramic and porcelain tile, it can help with the drying process when grouting because the tile will absorb some of that water. With the glass, most of the water will stay in the grout joint until it evaporates. Great video, these type of experiments only help us understand these things better.

Great Testing Grout. I love MAPEI Products forever. Thanks!!!

Just put down prism the other day on 200sqft of tile. No complaints on color or consistency and I drill-mixed it. It is holding up well but does seem to be soft especially if in contact with water. It indicates on the box that it is "ideal for... submerged grout joints" 😬 ...anyway the floor I tiled won't have too much to do with water so I am thinking it will be fine.

Looks like the norm for grout hardness is a softer grout. Maybe the brands think that the grout there for “looks” & what keeps it adhered to substrate is the installation of choice......for the “thin set” etc... Just seems awkward because as everyone knows, there are customers out there that scrub the crap out of their showers & tile😉 Great interesting vid👍🏻

What a eye opener on these grouts.

Ultra color is my favorite grout. I ve been using it for many years. It works for small and large joints plus it hardens quick if you have more work to do after grouting. For some reason I knew it will be the winner.

Great job MAPEI, good looking grout test. Looking forward to the single component grouts.

Thanks so much for this. It justs confirmed for me what i had suspected with prism grout. I will never use that product again

I seen your other video about you guys using the Fusion Pro grout on a river stone shower floor and you had to remove it and redo it a few years later because the grout turned black and was coming up. So I wanted to watch this video to see which grout you found best. Looks like the Ultracolor is the best here. So I am going to buy that one for my River Stone shower floor grout. I hope it turns out good and lasts for decades. Thanks for the videos.

Thanks for making this video learned a lot from it Coach

The only grout I've ever used is Mapei, though I'm not a pro, but I've used Keracolor, Ultracolor Plus FA, and Flexcolor CQ and liked them all. Ultracolor seems to dry the hardest, but iirc Ultracolor has CSA cement in it, it's not just Portland cement, so that probably explains it. In Mapei's own literature they actually recommend Ultracolor Plus FA for tiling subway tunnels and mass transit use, so I'm assuming it's pretty strong stuff.

Into my bathroom remod a few weeks, and just laid the 12x24 porcelain floor tiles (using ProLite and a leveling system, over concrete slab), 1/16th grout line. I'm two passes into grouting over two days, and can't seem to get the very top of the brown tile edge profile covered where it meets the color finished surface of the tile (which is a whitish/grey combo). Using Warm Grey grout (Flexcolor CQ). Packaging indicates it's good for 1/16th, but that quartz sand just doesn't want to stay down upon initial wiping after 5, 8 or even 10 minutes. As a test, I grouted a 12- in. line proud under where the vanity will sit and basically "sawed" the excess off with the float edge, like doing concrete flatwork, to finally get it to fill the final millimeter and cover the unsightly brown tile edge. But that would take a very long time over the 55SF floor. Is there a better way or product? Or is it just supposed to be that way and I'm being too picky about finish? No issues with lippage. Keith (Elk Grove, CA).

Very interesting samples of the grout. Getting ready to do our floors.

I want to see you try this with Mapei's premixed product. As a DIYer I did a lot of research on this, the flexcolor CQ line was the only premixed product most people didn't find bad. I think Prism had one that was decent too. I used the flexcolor premixed and have done plenty of scrubbing on my grout joints without issue. Their magic is that the color is part of the "sand" (actually quartz balls) not a pigment like traditional grout. So you can't wash out the color during install. I am now wondering if that means you wouldn't have any issues like you see here with the terry towel. If you try it, beware! It dries crazy fast. If you let a test board like this sit for more than 5 minutes you'd be pretty screwed. I'd just follow their instructions pretty closely for timing and wiping.

Very interesting video. I personally like permacolor and standard accucolor from tec. I can say I have never had a problem with either. Mapei on the other hand has been a source of problems for me over the years. I have another test you can conduct and hope to see. Use the regular or standard lines and mix them with a latex additive and see how they perform. I always use tec's additive when mixing accucolor.

Wow I was surprised power grout started setting up so fast. Usually mapei is real fast. Maybe humidity in N.C. don’t use that fusion. It came out with running water after curing for : weeks. Mapei cq prepare for quick setup and film. I just don’t use premix anymore. So I wasn’t to know about spectra 1. May as well just use epoxy. That was a great test. After 32 years plus I never tried or even thought I needed to think my grout was going to fall apart. Thanks Isaac now I’m going to test. 🙁

WOW! Was grout like this 30 years ago .I remember having to take a circular saw at my grout when I messed up my DIY project.It was only less than a month old and it was harder than the tiles 😵

Project Farm needs to test this out

Thank you for the hard work and sharing!

Hey Tile Coach this is the video I’ve been wanting to see!! I have a request though. Could you do the video again, but allow the grout to be the only variable. Same person mix, follow directions 100%, same water temp, and only use all the same tile? Great video though

Thanks I use mape for all my shower installs . I’m glad to know nothing so far is better.

What a great video , thanks for all you do !

Great Test! Wish Grout Once did what it claims.

I appreciate this test very much!

Awesome. Ultra color has built in sealer. Try putting sealer before the test. Just a suggestion. Thanks guy's. Aloha🤙🏼

Wow what an informative video! Thanks heaps!

Great video love your contacts in all your videos

I’m glad you did this video. I had this issue and wondered if it was my error in Instal. I always wondered if these grouts were actually any good. They say no sealer required but when you get it wet the water absorbs. It shouldn’t absorb if no sealer is required. That never made sense to me. I have been using mapei ultra color plus fa and having good success but I might still recommend sealing it to my clients. Or just go with a cementitious grout that I know will be super durable if installed right and sealed. I’ve gone back to old jobs I did to update and checked regular customs cementitious grout and it was rock solid even when wet. My logic now is natural stone I’m using cementitious grout because it needs to be sealed anyways. Porcelain and glass tile I’m gonna use mapei ultra color plus fa and seal the grout or try Laticretes spectralock 1

We've been using mapei flexcolor CQ, we just call it CQ, for years now. It's amazing. Cant use it in steam rooms, and not great for restaurant kitchens. Other than that, you're good. No mix. No problems. Honestly, I've grouted in my corners in showers with it and have never heard a word. For what it's worth.

Northern WI we don’t get much choice in product but I’ve used and cleaned the Tec accucolor premium sanded grout in a grey with the grout boost and I didn’t notice any color coming up. Area I cleaned was the main entry into the house so it gets wet and dirty a lot. Didn’t realize grout got soft when wet

Hi. Thank you for this informative video. So many different kind of grout out there and I would like to find out which one is best for shower wall. I’m currently using the subway white tile for my shower and I went to Home Depot and purchased a premix grout, no sure if I really like it because it is so gritty. Which one should I use. I purchased a grout scrapper and put the premix one. Not sure if it will come out good. Anyway. Thank you again and yes more meeting video please. If was helpful.

thank you for the test . it was very helpful

Love the permacolor select! Trick is to cut open the color pack and dry mix it with the base. That way you don’t have to mix the whole thing and you can save a little. It’s a pain to waste a whole bag on a small amount. And tec power grout is great stuff, but it fires off probably twice as fast at others.

Hey tile coach, Outstanding test for hardness and durability - TY. Have you ever worked with or tested "Starlike Crystal EVO 700 Translucent Glass Grout"? thanks RP.

thanks for the helpful comparison! 🙏

Would be nice to see different backsplashes ie glass stone subway contrasted with light medium dark grout. Some people would benefit from seeing how colors compliment the tile. Thanks1😊

What about epoxy grouts for steam shower applications? What would you recommend? Thanks love your videos man!

Great demo, thanks. I'd be keen to get advice. I have to grout my subway tiles soon, they are the type with prominent facets. And what's concerning me is that my float is going to skim over the joins as they are of course at the lowest part of the facets. Would I bevbetter using a sponge to get down into the facets ?

Also permacolor select wipe it all down with damp sponge. Let it reemulsify. Then wipe off the grout from surface and work joints. Let set for 3 hours. Then final wipe. You have to follow directions.

Like that zman hat. Caught plenty of speckled trout on the east coast with it. Killer when you don't have nice live bait.

I’d like to see how Mapei flex color does under these tests.

Can you test the premixed grout that can be applied right out of the container it comes in?

Someone mentioned Bostik. I would be interested to see you test the Bostik Neverseal or some of their other products against the Spectalock 1. Of course, the reason I am interested is because I used their Neverseal to grout my screened-in porch. I will say that it was very challenging to grout outside with the sun shining on the tile.

Good stuff Coach

Isaac I’d be very interest to hear your opinion on Bostik Neverseal/Quartzlock/Trucolor. It’s their urethane bonded grout with the pigment bonded to the quartz. I’ve used it as a DIY quite a bit and it’s performed super well so I’m hesitant to bother trying anything else.

How about testing after sealing. Prizm may have failed the worst, but on the other hand, it may absorb sealer very well and greatly improve. Being a DIYer, I like the fact that its easy to work with. However, I am definitely inclined to use Mapei in my shower and floors in the bathroom. Does the Mapei product you used have sealer in it?

Love that you are systematically testing these. Wondering if you are keeping these test panels to revisit in a a month, three months, six, and a year later to see what happens as they cure further? Maybe even beyond a year?

I wanted to see Polyblend get tested. I left the haze on a floor for a few days and when I went back I was scrubbing it with a wire brush and water and it wouldn't soften it at all. It literally has a polymer on it so it seems superior to all of these grouts.

Hello - At the end of this video, you mentioned that you might try to use Mapei Flexcolor CQ more often to see how that grout is hardening up. Have you found it to be a good one, or have you seen issues with it as well? Also, could you please provide your opinion about something like a Delta Classic 400 shower base vs. a tiled mud pan? Thank you in advance for your time. Chalon Rein - Anchorage, Alaska

I like using power grout because I figured a system out when using it but it goes soft like you showed. My shower grout lines get deeper with every clean. I’m starting to use ultra color but I’ve heard same stuff, plus first time I used it the color kinda went blotchy. I’m lost with grouts.

Thanks for the research fellas. Fyi , power the power grout is a fast acceleration grout. Says so on the packaging. You have to get on it much sooner than others . Question . If all of these samp samples had been sealed with a quality sealer a day before the test , not allowing for the water to penetrate. Would these samples fare better?

I used Tec grout yesterday for the first time, and was taken aback by how fast it sets up. I'm talking hard within an hour. Though it did come off pretty easy after wetting it down.

Hey TileCoach, would you consider doing a similar side-by-side test for epoxy grouts, including Litokol epoxy grouts?

The best lesson to learn here is a rule of thumb so to speak. If you don't want call backs. Make sure you seal your grout. With a spray sealer or hand applied method. Either way works well at sealing the grout from the water itself. As aforementioned the Ultra and power grout dries very hard. So to keep that very beautiful finish. You better seal the grout. Or the first time it gets dirty the customer will call and complain. You could also use synthetic grout in a tube. But in my opinion that stuff is a pain to clean up and it does repel water very well. Though it will in time become susceptible to mold growth along the edges between the tiles surface and the synthetic grout itself. So seal your grout and let the customer know. That this grout must be sealed once a year honestly. To become the hardest most beautiful grout on the market today. Tried and true and tested by the best In the business. All grout will become soft again if left unsealed.

Nice job guys I just tried fusion pro for the first time excellent consistently,just seems like garbage during install!

Hey Isaac. What is your go to grout right now, especially seeing most don't perform as one would expect.

Did you put any sealer on them? I would hope having a sealer would minimize the effects the water has on making them fold.

I like Ardex very much, so now can see how is working.

Would be good to see an epoxy grout like spectralock pro premium grout with part A and B

hi, just wondering if you guys sealed the grout for this experiment? Great video

I would love to see a full line product performance test. There was a guy who took a plastic slurpy lid and filled it part way with grout to see if it would hold water. This could be the water proof test. Then using small square and pebble on a board grout and do the dry and wet hardness and scratch test, then do a test where you heat it to 212 degrees (steam temp) and cool it down to 60 degrees (room temps) multiple cycles this would be the flex test, then do a stain test using hair dye. Do this with performance cement, acrylic, and epoxy grout then give us the results for each category. This would solve the grout question once and for all. I suspect they all have failures.

I am intrigued by metallic epoxy grout sealant; the kind that's applied with a double tube caulk gun. I would love to see a test video like this about that stuff. Any chance you have any experience using it, have opinions on it or have any advice concerning it?

My favorite float is the one is used to do epoxy grout...also it has been my experience that if I grout twice the floor you have better results on resistance and also the grout lines looks more filled no matter what kind of grout i use but this is my experience and my opinion based in 15 yrs of being a female tile installer...also is critical that you let the grout dry enough before it gets cleaned out....

Pre-fab shower pans are growing on me over the years!

Very informative!!

I recently had a bathroom remodel and Simple Grout was used. This grout is 10 days post application and is not hard but kind of rubbery or spongy. For emample if you press your pinky finger into a grout line with some force it will indent then reform to its original shape. Is this normal? Could the installer have mis- used this product causing it to not dry/cure properly? I am quite worried. It was an expensive remodel and the contractors are not very helpful with questions or critiques.

What are your thoughts on Bostik grouts? Great video by the way!

I absolutely love Spectralok and it’s all I ever use in wet areas. Never had a call back I’m doing a shower floor now and I’m trying to get spectralock pro but with covid I’m having a hard time finding

Isaac, thanks for your videos and your commitment. But don't let silly people correct you- the word is "slake" as in to "slake one's thirst" and applies to the water being properly absorbed into the dry product. "Slack" to quote O Brother Where Art Though - "don't make no kinda sense". Again thanks much and best to you.

Loved your video. Very helpful. I am grouting a stained glass gazing ball. Home Depot says to use Fusion Pro. So I bought and want to return it because it looks like a major hassle. The gazing ball will be outside during the summer. I'm an artist. Should I use Malpei Ultra Color? Add an grout additive to withstand the rain? Please answer if you have a minute, thank you.

For a mosaic glass backsplash, can I just use the "Mapei mosaic & glass tile mortar" thin set that I put it up with, to grout? Seems like a better option, with it's adhesive quality and elasticity

Thanks, Coach!

Quartzlock is the only way to go. I had to remove 2 tiles due to plumber installing shower valve wrong and it took a heat gun at high heat to even get a grinder to cut out the this grout.

I have Prizm grout in my shower and havent had one issue with it! Shower was done 9 yrs ago and gets 2 showers a day in it. I also clean with a medium hard plastic bristle brush

Looking for advice....going to do Satori 24x24x3/4 outdoor pavers. We have 4-season weather. Looking for recommendations for mortar & grout. Thinking Ardex X 77 and Ardex FL Grout.

I only use two types of grout from Mapei when doing showers, baths or kitchen backsplash: Kerapoxy (Epoxy grout) or premixed Flexcolor with quartz. And I sleep well at night...

This was a good to know experiment test. I wouldn't discourage anyone not to use any of these grouts. I have used many that were tested. I have never had issues with any of them. The test they used is a worst case harsh test scenario. Its not an average test a homeowner would use. A switchblade will go though concrete that has been cured for over a year.... You do get what you pay for as far as product in the end. A good test would have been a chemical test and a cleaning bristle brush after curating vs a Stanly blade. Just my 2 pennies.

You have a great crew! Seem like really good guys.

Doing a bathroom (4 walls, shower + bath) with 60*120cm ceramics. On a whim, I am trying out Kerapoxy from Mapei. Once dry, it does not care about being wet, it's plastic. Very good for big tiles, but I dont think it would easy with small tiles or mosaic.

I am a little confused. I always use a grout penetration water proofing to seal my grout in showers and wet areas. So I don’t look at water proofing ability but rather open time, ease of use, color results. I have bought grout that looks one color on the package but is entirely different when used as directed. Mapei’s charcoal looks light grey when dried. Their warm gray looks white. So I tend to take that into consideration.

Working with faux stone applied vertically to CMU I found using Mapei LFT large stone Thinset performed much better thaN using mason brick mortar especially adherence vertically But for grouting Between stones is thin set better than mortar?