Help! Grout won’t harden TEC

4 years ago

My contractor installed tile in 2 bathrooms and my living room. There were 3 colors of grout used and all 3 locations failed to cure. The plumbing wasn’t installed until a few weeks after the tile and grout but when the grout got wet, it turned to a muddy mess. They came back and chiseled it out, which pretty much destroyed the waterproofing layer and chipped some of the tiles, but they definitely didn’t get it all out before they re-grouted. After giving it another week to cure, the same thing happened again. TEC, the maker of the grout, sent a rep to my house with some acrylic hardener, but even that is peeling off now and the grout underneath is doing the same thing. Has anyone else had this problem with TEC Power grout? If so, do you know of a remedy besides starting over again? This was not a mis-mix on one bag. It was 3 colors in 3 different places and it was done by a licensed contractor.

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strategery

4 years ago

I will add to Oly's post that I hate those tiles. Maybe this is a blessing?

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Comments (8)

User
4 years ago
Had that issue with old, past expiration date, grout. You want to check the dates on the bag. Retailers who don’t sell a lot of it sometimes don’t have the freshest materials. The hardener worked. Just had to give it time to cure.

Any crew that damages the waterproofing removing grout isn’t skilled enough to have done it correctly the first time, so that’s a complete do over.
olychick
4 years ago
Oh, no what a disappointing mess. I have no advice, just wanted to say how awful it is that you're going through this.
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olychick
4 years ago
Oh, I like the tiles! Interesting application and tho it's hard to see fully, looks like the install was good?
kculbers
4 years ago
So sorry this happened to you. I had porcealin ceramic wood look floor tiles installed a few years ago in 2 of my bathrooms and in my entryway hall. Our experienced tiler used TEC grout and it came out great. Years later it still looks great. I hope you get your grouting corrected.
PRO
Stonetech/Avanti Tile
4 years ago
Don't care for the TEC and Mapai grouts ALWAYS seems to be problems. All I use is Home Depo's "Prism" grout. True colour, antimicrobial and pre sealed......
strategery
4 years ago
@Stonetech/Avanti Tile, you must be a HD rep. That's blasphemy.
PRO
Avanti Tile & Stone / Stonetech
4 years ago
Nope. Sorry, I don't like all of HD's products....although I DO like Prism and Fusion Pro. I also am fond of Mapai's CQ grout and much of the product from Laticrete, such as their Hydroban. I go where the quality is.......