The work on the shower in the master bath has been slow but steady. Bill recommended sealing the rough tile before grouting so the epoxy would not stick to the tile faces. I couldn’t find our concrete floor sealer to use on the shower tile and Bill said some sealers will leave a white residue which I knew the soy based stuff would if put on too thick. So an easy solution was to buy a bottle of spray on sealer from Home Depot. Bill recommended TileLab Grout and Tile Sealer.
Tile and grout sealer
This just sprays on and wipes off. The instructions recommend two coats and not letting the sealer dry on the tile without wiping it. The sealer worked great at keeping the grout from working its way into the rough surface of the feature tile.
I had one more batch of the SpectraLock epoxy grout that I divided last summer. I used it to start grouting the shower. The mixing went well with the yellow part A and white part B mixed first.
Clipping corner of solution bag
The edge of the baggie is clipped and the whole bag squeezed out.
Squeezing white part B into yellow part A
When thoroughly mixed it is time to pour in the sand. The portion is weighed at 2.25 lbs. About 75% to 90% is added all at once and mixed in.
Mixing in colored fine sand
Then slightly more is added until the grout is the right consistency. Sometimes the whole bag is used and sometimes not.
Peanut butter grout consistency
Starting at the top of the shower, each batch of grout completed about three rows of tile all the way around the shower. I only did one batch of grout a day to keep from wearing myself out and getting sloppy.
Grout on tile feature
I used a narrow plastic scraper to spread the grout in the shower which worked well. It was flexible but firm enough to press the grout into the joints. I left enough on to spread with the rubber trowel to pack it firmly into the crevices. Then I rinsed the wall with a special solution and a microfiber cloth, next another rinse with another solution and a white 3M scrubby. The third rinse is with clear vinegar water and a large grout sponge.
Shower walls and floor grouted
I had to divide another pro package of grout into four mini sections. I used two more to get from the top to the bottom of the shower and part of the floor. Each mini mix takes about an hour to spread. That is the recommended time for a batch before it needs to be rinsed. Rinsing takes about another hour of work.
I have another two pro packages to divide. I’m hoping I was pretty close in estimating the total amount of epoxy grout the tiling will need. There is a bit more tile in front of the shower that needs to be installed and grouted. Then the master bath will just need doors to be complete.